Cambodia and Nepal mull two-way tourism

PHNOM PENH, 19 September 2017: Cambodia and Nepal’s travel agency associations signed a Memorandum of Understanding, last week, to develop two-way tourism between the two countries.

Travel between the two countries is in its infancy with less than 2,500 Nepalese visiting Cambodia last year and even fewer Cambodians travelling to the Himalayan nation.

The MoU was signed by the presidents of the Cambodia Association of Travel Agents (CATA) and Nepal Travel Agents Association (NTAA) in Phnom Penh, 12 September. Read more

A holiday up for grabs

SINGAPORE, 8 September 2017: Worldhotels unveiled its brand-new travel agent contest, earlier this week, “Worldhotels, take me to…”

It intends to reward travel agents who are booking Worldhotel properties through the group’s online system linked to GDS and other booking channels.

To participate, travel agents need to submit an original image with an accompanying caption that illustrates why they deserve a holiday. The uploaded images do not necessarily have to be work-related, but should suggest that it’s high time for the travel agent to take a well-earned break. Read more

Agents face spotty performance

BANGKOK, 6 August 2017: For large-scale travel firms in Thailand’s inbound travel business the message in the numbers is far from reassuring, according to the latest data from the Association of Thai Travel Agents.

ATTA presents the most accurate data on guests handled by tour firms, through the monitoring of meet-and-greet service at Bangkok’s two gateway airports.

The running total for January to August, this year, indicates ATTA member companies handled 3,904,731 clients, compared with 4,122,817 in the same months last year. That’s a decline of 5.43% on a difference of 218,086 clients. Read more

Ugo taps Travelport agents

SINGAPORE 24 August 2017: Travelport has signed off on an interconnect arrangement with Ugo Transfers, a service providing ground transfers.

With this interconnect arrangement, over 68,000 travel agents globally can access and book Ugo ground transport services in over 100 countries.

Agents using Travelport Marketplace can download the UGO application to browse, pre-book and confirm their customers’ ground transport arrangements in advanced. Read more

China sales go tabletop

BANGKOK, 18 August 2017: Thai Hotels Association is inviting members to join a Hotels Meet Local Agents Chinese Speaking Marketplace, 1330 to 1930, 22 September.

The sales event will be held at Chaturathit and Parichart rooms, Golden Tulip Sovereign Hotel Bangkok.

THA is cooperating with the Association of Thai Travel Agents to organise the programme, which will provide opportunities for hotel and tour operators to negotiate business and exchange knowledge at tabletop sessions. Read more

Thailand’s outbound travel grows

BANGKOK, 15 August 2017: Thai Travel Agents Association estimates Thais travel overseas will reach 8.5 million visits by this the end of this year.

TTAA’s president, Suparerk Soorangura, told TTR Weekly that the number of Thais make overseas trips this year will continue to grow from 7.9 million visits last year.

TTAA’s members are made up of tour companies that sell holiday packages to overseas destinations. Read more

2017 slumps 7% for Thai agents

BANGKOK, 7 August 2017: Association of Thai Travel Agents’ member companies handled 3,365,734 travellers, January to July this year, at Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang airports representing a decline of 7.2% from 3,627,261 trips during the same period last year.

ATTA released its data, late last week, based on fees member agencies pay to the two airports to provide a meet-and-greet service for international clients, but limited to travel through Bangkok.

The association vice president, Mingkwan Metmowlee, said organise programmes and provide products corresponding to the state’s policy would help to boost tourism business. Read more

Mixed messages from ATTA data

BANGKOK, 6 July 2017: Association of Thai Travel Agents’ member companies handled 2,833,748 travellers, January to June this year, at Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang airports representing a decline of 8.8% from 3,109,767 visits during the same period last year.

ATTA released its data, Tuesday, based on fees member agencies pay to the two airports to provide a meet-and-greet service for international clients, but limited to travel through Bangkok.

The association’s president, Vichit Prakobgosol, said more travellers were visiting secondary destinations, but Bangkok remains the main gateway for tourists booked on pre-paid trips. Read more

Abandoning tourists is bad for business

BANGKOK, 4 July 2017: Thailand’s Association of Thai Travel Agents calls on tour operators serving the Chinese market to comply with regulations in order to strengthen quality.

Speaking at the association’s monthly meeting, last Thursday, ATTA president, Vichit Prakobgosol, said the association and the Thai-Chinese Tourism Alliance Association discussed measures to tighten Chinese tour quality.

“Abandoning Chinese tourists and the lack of marine tourism safety are two issues that blight our business,” he said, referring to reports that tour guides even tour companies left their groups to fend for themselves. Read more

FareNabber nabs bookings

SINGAPORE, 4 July 2017: Sabre Corporation launched its new FareNabber API, last week, at Sabre’s TTX innovation conference in Las Vegas.

It will help to empower travel companies to create a smarter, more personalised experience for consumers when shopping for airfares.

In a world where technology is regularly used to automate and simplify common tasks, consumers expect the same experience when shopping for travel. Read more

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