Interior view of Asiatravel’s Roadundee – Credit: Asiatravel
IN A bid to capture a “harder-to-reach” audience, Asiatravel will be launching a travel agency on wheels called Roadundee – a mobile office contained in a coach – to literally bring services directly to customers in November.
Calling it the first of its kind in Asia, Fred Seow, vice president for marketing of Asiatravel, said: “This pilot mobile vehicle will help us get directly into the heartlands and straight to suburban travellers who are likely to be the next big travel segment due to their better exposure, rising disposable income, and quest for new travel experiences.”
The mobile office, converted from a 40-seater coach, will have at least three staff stationed in the vehicle and will be able to contain at least 15 customers at any one time.
Seow said: “It is not about the quantity of customers we are looking at, but more about the quality of service we want to deliver to them.
“The mobility of this service will allow us to offer our services and provide customers specialised consultation and customised itineraries that they cannot get online.”
Each Roadundee will be equipped with computerised systems offering worldwide products available and instant confirmation for bookings to provide optimal convenience.
Asiatravel intends to launch Roadundee in Singapore together with major partners from the tourism boards, airlines, hotels, and car and cruise companies. Depending on the arrangement with Asiatravel’s partners, how long the Roadundee will be stationed at one particular spot may vary.
While this pilot project consists of just one vehicle now, Seow said Asiatravel intends to have three Roadundees on the road in Singapore and bring them to neighbouring countries like Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia and Vietnam next year.
“We want to get in touch with the secondary audience in the outskirts of these big countries who may not have the benefit of accessibility and engagement with travel professionals like those in the cities,” Seow explained.
