The weekly news roundup: Home delivery of tickets by CatchThatBus, TripAdvisor’s year-end value report, Skyscanners’ list of emerging destinations for 2017
STARTUPS: CatchThatBus adds home delivery feature to its mobile app
Booking tickets made easier with home delivery option
Customers of Malaysia-based startup CatchThatBus now do not have to queue when purchasing tickets for their road journey with the introduction of a home delivery option on the bus portal’s iOS and Android apps.
Describing the feature as the “first ever home delivery option” on an app, CatchThatBus said the booking process is simple and hassle free. Customers just need to book their trips on the app two days in advance with their preferred operator, choose dates of travel and the cash-on-delivery option, as well as the preferred delivery time.
This offering is made possible through collaboration with Konsortium Transnasional Berhad (KTB), Malaysia’s largest stage and express bus operator, and MobileWaiter, its delivery partner.
KTM’s operations cover major towns and cities in Peninsular Malaysia, as well as Singapore. MobileWaiter is a all-in-one delivery service that coordinates for multiple orders to be delivered to a single destination.
The delivery service is currently available in the Klang Valley, an area roughly centred in Kuala Lumpur and includes adjoining cities and towns in the state of Selangor.
Plans are to expand the service to other parts of the country and Singapore said Viren Doshi, CEO of CatchThatBus.
“We are looking beyond traditional online payment options to reach out to a wider audience of travellers who take the bus, but may not be able to pay online. We are also looking to expanding beyond Malaysia and Singapore.”
KTB’s chairman and managing director, Tan Sri Dr. Mohd Nadzmi Mohd Salleh, said this collaboration would provide another avenue for its customers to purchase bus tickets for their travel, as well as a convenient way to do it.
CatchThatBus enables travellers to purchase bus tickets to over 1,200 destinations in Malaysia and Singapore via its website or its iOs and Android apps.
SURVEY: TripAdvisor reveals top holiday spots and least expensive time to travel
Bali captives with its traditions and rich culture (Image credit: Evgeny Ermakov/iStock)
Bali, the mystical “Island of the Gods”, heads the list of the top 10 most popular destinations for Southeast Asian travellers, according to TripAdvisor’s year-end value report.
Bali is followed by Luzon, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Tokyo, Singapore, Boracay, Phuket, Cebu Island and Seoul.
As for the best time to travel and to get the most out of your holiday dollars the report recommends the period between mid-January to February 2017, as it is the least expensive time.
In terms of affordabilty Bangkok tops the list at US$1,219 per person for one week including hotels, airfare, meals and tour.
Sun seekers can make a beeline for Cebu in late January (US$1,202) or Boracay in early February (US$1,280), as they are the most affordable (see chart below for details).
Top 10 destinations with average costs and savings (in US$)
“This report comes in handy for travellers who are planning breaks in the new year, be it for Chinese New Year or Valentine’s Day. It also offers insight into when is best to go to save on great hotels and activities if they book for the right time ” said Ms Janice Lee Fang, communications director for TripAdvisor, Asia Pacific.
DESTINATIONS: Reykjavik named as top emerging destinations for 2017
Postcard perfect: Reykjavik with its snowcapped mountain (Image credit: HeitiPavesiStock)
Global travel search engine Skyscanner has named the picturesque city of Reykjavik in Iceland as its top emerging destination for 2017 with its snowscapes and aurora borealis.
It is followed by by two Asian cities – Hua Hin (Thailand) and Paro (Bhutan). Other scenic emerging destinations include Dunedin (New Zealand) and Hobart (Australia).
For the cultural traveller there is also growing interest in the lesser travelled locations like Sapporo (Japan), Tiruchirapalli (India), Kaoshiung (Taiwan), and Zagreb (Croatia).
Skyscanner also revealed the top 10 searched destinations by Singaporeans in 2016.
Bangkok has retained its status as the top searched destination for the fifth consecutive year. Seoul came second, with interest in the South Korean capital growing by 30% on last year. Penang made its debut into the 10th spot this year, displacing Jakarta.
The others are Tokyo (3rd spot), Hong Kong (4th), Bali (5th), Taipei (6th), Kuala Lumpur (7th), Manila (8th) and London (9th).
There is also a list for the least searched destinations.
Pamela Knaggs, marketing manager, Singapore and Malaysia for Skyscanner said the report on travel trends with findings from over 60 million monthly users is “a great way to get a deeper understanding of travel habits, preferences and trends moving into the New Year.”
