Expedia Group is continuing to accelerate efforts
to build its portfolio of B2B partners around the world.
At its Explore 23: Connect Asia event Thursday in
Singapore, the company announced that it has signed several new travel companies based in Asia
Pacific.
The company’s three B2B solutions – White Label
Template, Rapid API and Optimized Distribution – enable both supply and demand
partners to tap into the global travel market.
“The B2B business is really important for us in Asia. It’s grown tremendously,”
said Greg Schulze, senior vice president of strategic travel partners at Expedia
Group.
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“We have big strategic partners in the region but also many small
businesses using our products and that works really well for both sides of the marketplace.
We have hotels in the U.S. that can [for example] reach retailers in South
Korea or Indonesia – that would be very difficult otherwise for them to reach. …
It also helps our demand partners efficiently ensure they have the right
supply, the best prices, the right content.”
The White Label Template allows partners to integrate Expedia
Group’s hotels and other travel products into their own websites and apps. New
clients for the solution include Jetstar Airways and Philippine Airlines, along
with an expansion of Expedia Group’s previously
announced partnership with Mastercard to banks in Australia. In July, Expedia
Group announced Walmart is using its White Label solution to power a new
travel portal for its shopping club members.
The Rapid API gives travel companies the ability to build
end-to-end booking experiences, accessing rates and availability at more
than 700,000 properties in more than 25,000 destinations. New partners include
Gmarket, an e-commerce platform in South Korea, and Joy Travel, a China-based
hotel accommodation distributor.
And Expedia Group’s Optimized Distribution gives hotels a solution
that provides demand while ensuring rates are in compliance with their
distribution strategies. New partners include Thailand’s Dusit Hotels and
Resorts and Singapore-based COMO Hotels and Resorts.
Schulze said Optimized Distribution is addressing a critical issue
for hoteliers and is an area of “big investment” for Expedia Group.
“It gives them control of their revenue management levers … giving
them targeting abilities if they want to reach a certain type of demand they have
that option, giving them insights,” Schulze said.
“We’re using our AI and machine learning to provide
recommendations on how they can optimize their rates and their content in a way
that is better for their customers and increases their sales.”
Looking ahead, Schulze said APAC is a “critical region” for
Expedia Group and presents a “unique and significant opportunity … because it
is a little bit more technology-forward, a little bit more innovative and
willing to experiment.”
“We are looking for more partners here to lead into new developments
of those products,” he said.