TRAVELPORT is set to unveil a host of new mobile solutions for its travel agent partners in Asia-Pacific.
The Viewtrip Mobile app, first released in the UK and Ireland in January, will be launched in Australia, Hong Kong, India, Singapore and Thailand this June. Viewtrip Mobile allows travel consultants to post itineraries, messages, reminders and updates to clients using an Android or iPhone smartphone. It is free to download, but consultants looking to display their own branding will have to pay a fee.
A tablet and smartphone version of Galileo Terminal, which allows consultants to access both the Galileo and Apollo GDS remotely via the Internet, is also scheduled for release in Asia-Pacific within the next two months. The product was first introduced in the US and Europe last year.
Expressing confidence in the uptake of these new products, Linda Kelly-Smith, Travelport’s head of solutions and customer support for Asia-Pacific, said: “Based on our past experience, adoption rates (for Travelport products) have always been good, and so far, feedback for our existing products has been quite positive.”
“Usually, there is some resistance initially, but once consultants start using our products, they become more receptive to trying new solutions,” she added.
Travel consultants whom TTG Asia e-Daily spoke to at the recent Travelport roadshow in Singapore said they were keen to find out more before committing to any new solution.
“It is costly to integrate brand new systems, so it is imperative that we weigh both the cost and benefits, and compare Travelport’s product suite to other GDSs before we make a final decision,” said Tang Hoe Kun, general manager, Diners World Travel.
