Traveltek makes South East Asia debut with Singapore office

Cruise focus for travel technology firm as it continues global expansion. Continue reading →

Traveltek Group Ltd has opened an office in Singapore as its global expansion plans take it to South East Asia.

The UK-headquartered firm has set out its intention to introduce its booking solutions to the region’s travel industry following the announcement of operations in North Asia and the Middle East and its recently-opened offices in Hong Kong and Dubai.

The firms secured an investment of £5.3 million from UK private equity fund manager YFM to help fund its expansion plans.

“We are making strong progress with our expansion strategy having identified global markets where the travel industry is booming, but the technology to facilitate that growth is lagging behind, impeding development,” said Kenny Picken, CEO, Traveltek Group Ltd.

“Our advanced solutions, which have won us global awards, have been a game-changer for many major UK travel companies and we are confident of mirroring this success in Asia, the Middle East and other emerging markets around the world by offering pioneering technology.”

In South-East Asia, Traveltek is targeting OTAs, retail agents, cruise bookers and tour operators seeking technology to help them keep pace with customer demand for leisure travel. It has a particularly focus on cruise, with Asian passenger volumes growing at double-digit rates every year.

Javine Tan, who has worked at Star Cruises and Royal Caribbean, is responsible for developing commercial opportunities in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam and Myanmar.

“Travel businesses in the region are very keen to know how Traveltek’s advanced technology can help them maximise distribution channels and sales,” said Tan who joins Traveltek as business development manager, South-East Asia.

“Selling travel, particularly cruise, is largely a manual process in Asia and so Traveltek fills a huge void in the market, providing a platform that ticks every box, from dynamic packaging to live access to more than 300 suppliers, including 190 cruise lines, via our API.”

More than 3.1 million Asians took cruises in 2016, up 55% on 2015, according to Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), while 66 cruise ships are being deployed in Asian waters this year, five of which are “mega ships” with a more than 3,500 passenger capacity.

To boost awareness of its new operations in Asia, Traveltek is participating in several high-profile events in Singapore this month, including the Travolution Digital Masters Executive Dinner  on October 24.