AIRASIA Expedia, the one-year-old Singapore-based joint venture between Expedia and AirAsia, is set to commence the roll out of its latest country-specific Expedia site and travel expert affiliate programme in the Philippines.
Scheduled to debut in early August, AirAsia Expedia will first unveil its Philippine travel expert affiliate programme in Manila, then shift the focus to Clark/Pampanga and beyond. The OTA will enlist the services of Discover the World Marketing to reach out to local travel firms and associations.
“We are targeting everyone, but we start with Manila outbound (consultants),” said Charee Guico, South-east Asia travel distribution manager for AirAsia Expedia. “They go online, make a booking, they get 10 per cent (commission upon checkout), that’s it. It’s really straightforward – no system requirements.”
Customised packages can also be created by purchasing flight tickets, accommodation, and support services like tours and transfers separately, said Guico.
AirAsia Expedia CEO Dan Lynn said the Philippines’ readiness for online travel bookings was about to hit critical mass.
“Goldman Sachs reports that the Philippines will grow into the 16th largest economy in the world in the mid-term, so it’s really important that we build a big expedia.com.ph business now,” he said.
