SMALL Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH) has stepped up its attempts to reel in travel agents through an improved agent-dedicated website and additional commissions that go as high as 20 per cent.
Depending on the property, agents can get between 15 to 20 per cent in commission, up from the usual 10 per cent. The commission boost will be available throughout this year.
The revamped website, on the other hand, provides more and clearer information on SLH’s product offerings, as well as special deals and incentives.
According to Mark Wong, SLH’s area director Asia-Pacific, travel agents/GDS contribute 60 per cent of the company’s business and are “very important to us”.
Meanwhile, SLH has started to strengthen its brand presence in China, a move Wong said was necessary in a market where “consumers are more familiar with big brands”. He added that this was “a challenge for our member hotels, which are all independent properties”.
SLH intends to increase Chinese awareness of the its brand and members hotels through a public relations campaign, and the appointment of sales representation in China by next year, which will be based in Shanghai.
“We have to use the SLH banner for branding in China to educate the travel agents and consumers about what we are and what we have,” said Wong. “We have to sell the SLH brand first, before we can sell the individual properties.”
