The weekly news roundup: Tune Labs’ investment in Touristly, Amadeus and Zingle partners in messaging technology, Mantra’s Pokémon Go-friendly hotels in Australia
STARTUP: Travel platform Touristly scores investment from Tune Labs
The team at Touristly in for an exciting time with new investment. (Image credit: Touristly)
Kuala Lumpur-based startup incubator and accelerator Tune Labs has made a “strategic investment” into Malaysia’s travel startup Touristly, but the amount was not disclosed.
Describing itself as a “travel platform that helps travellers plan unforgettable holidays at amazing prices”, Touristly was one of the two winners in the inaugural Pitch@Palace Malaysia, organised by Tune Labs in partnership with The Duke of York and AirAsia.
The travel startup, which was launched in 2015, will pitch at Pitch@Palace Global in St James’ Palace, United Kingdom come December 2016.
Established by the Duke of York, Pitch@Palace is a platform for showcasing technology startups to a global audience of influencers.
Tune Labs, is headed by Tan Sri Tony Fernandes, AirAsia group chief executive officer; Datuk Kamarudin Meranun, AirAsia X’s group chief executive officer; and Lim Kian Onn of the ECM Libra Group.
Both Tune Labs and AirAsia Group are part of Tune Group that has links to the hospitality, telecommunication, financial services and other industries.
Touristly is in the midst of incorporating its platform with several companies in the Tune Group including AirAsia’s Travel 3Sixty, Tune Hotels, Tune Protect, and AirAsia BIG.
The company said the incorporation would help it optimise the travel planning experience for travellers and holidaymakers.
“After a traveller books flights and accommodation, the natural next step is to plan the holiday itinerary itself and this is where we come in,” said Aaron Sarma, founder and CEO of Touristly.
Touristly currently offers 7,000 deals in more than 70 destinations,
“We will be working to grow our base to shadow AirAsia and AirAsia X’s 120 destinations. This will be in favour of completing the travel experience for anyone who flies with the airline,” added Sarma.
According to the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), travellers spend 40% of their travel budget on on-ground activities, which is about US$860 billion. In Asia the market opportunity is worth about US$100 billion.
AirAsia flies 55 million passengers across the region yearly, and this integration intends to leverage on these two factors to gain ancillary revenue, benefiting both parties.
“This Tune Labs and Touristly agreement provides a great example of how the Tune Group ecosystem can generate significant synergies with a startup, even at a relatively nascent stage,” said Arun Verma, co-managing partner of Tune Labs.
Added Gareth Lim, co-managing partner of Tune Labs: “Touristly provides the Tune Group with a neat stepping stone to extend its presence along the travel and hospitality chain. AirAsia travellers, BIG Loyalty members, and Tune Hotels guests will now have easy access to a one-stop platform to plan, book, and purchase holiday activities.”
SECTORS: Amadeus & Zingle team up to personalise hotel service through messaging
New messaging and texting technology for better guest-staff communications. (Image credit: Olga Lebedeva/iStock)
Amadeus has partnered with provider of mobile messaging software platforms, Zingle, to service and communicate with guest more effectively through mobile texting and messaging.
This is enabled through the integration of Zingle messaging technology with Amadeus’ hospitality service optimisation solutions.
Hoteliers who implement the Amadeus service optimisation products are able to text and message guests through any mobile channel.
Hotel staff can communicate with guests during their stay through an integrated two-way platform, which reduces operational inefficiencies and wait time.
Additionally, staff can easily manage all interactions in a simple inbox shared between all departments.
Guests can just text the staff their requests for services without having to download an app. .
“Hotel guests are mobile. We are confident that Zingle’s solution in integration to Amadeus’ hospitality service optimisation solutions creates the most instant and seamless solution to hotels and guests alike” said Ford Blakely, founder and CEO of Zingle.
The management at The Breakers, a luxury resort in Florida’s Palm Beach, said it was benefitting from this technology with an average of 40 to 100 daily texts from guests seeking assistance with basic requests.
Darren Hirsowitz, the resort’s director of finance & business analytics, said the service has enhanced the overall experience for the guests. “The real breakthrough here is the capability to connect with a guest on their terms.”
HOTELS: Pokémon Go Lures visitors to Mantra Group’s Australian properties
Caught at Mantra on Little Bourke, Melbourne. (Image credit: Mantra Group)
If you are visiting Sydney and Melbourne and want to catch some Pokémon Go’s virtual monsters, then the Mantra hotels in these two cities is where you will find them.
Mantra Group has made two of its properties, Mantra 2 Bond Street, Sydney and Mantra on Little Bourke, Melbourne, Pokémon Go-friendly. The ‘Pokestop By Our Bar’ with free Pokémon Go Lures increase guests’ chances of catching one of the monsters.
Matt Granfield, Mantra Group executive director marketing and digital, said the free Pokemon Go Lures would encourage the spawning of valuable in-game creatures at the two properties.
“We’re always keen to find new and innovative ways of making our hotels great places to stay, so helping our guests catch a few extra Pokemon during their stay was a no-brainer.”
