Seow (left) and Boh. “Virtual reality and augmented reality are two aspects that will penetrate the travel space next,” said Seow.
SINGAPORE-based Asiatravel.com aims to make virtual travel fairs a reality in the region with its just-launched VTF platform which travel agencies, consumer banks, hotels and NTOs can use.
The company launches the platform with an ongoing DBS Online Travel Fair (February 23 to March 13) exclusive to the bank’s credit cardholders for travel ex-Singapore. Over eight million travel products worldwide are featured, Asiatravel.com said, and there’s a 24-hour customer service hotline and live chat. The bank sponsors gifts such as luggages while online games and contests are organised.
Results are “very encouraging”, said Fred Seow, Asiatravel.com’s vice president marketing and B2B, although he declined to reveal traffic and sales figures to-date. While flights and hotels which customers are already booking online are popular, so are bundled packages of air, hotel and destination activities, he added.
“As this is the first VTF, we are more concerned about users’ experience than site traffic numbers. Furthermore this is a private event extended only to credit card members of this bank. The system recognises and accepts only the bank’s credit cards.
“We like the daily ratio of returned and new visitors while the average number of pageviews is much higher than our normal standard. To us, these are all very positive indicators that the markets need a VTF,” he said.
While declining visitor numbers, lack of manpower and higher costs of participating at brick-and-mortar fairs have led some to believe that VTFs are the way of the future, virtual fairs have yet to thrive, let alone take over physical fairs.
In Malaysia, Smart Online Travel Assistant (SOTA) had organised the eponymous Virtual Travel Fair with The Star Online, the digital unit of Star Publications, but the last collaboration between them was in 2013; today SOTA only provides the platform for travel agents to go online.
Asked to comment on this, Seow said he believed the Malaysian fair had no full e-commerce support, including instant booking confirmation capability.
“Technology has improved rapidly. Virtual reality and augmented reality are two aspects that will penetrate the travel space next,” said Seow.
At the next fair, Asiatravel.com hopes to introduce unique virtual reality experiences that will enhance customers’ experience and help them decide on their purchases.
The company is pursuing agencies and suppliers in countries such as China, India, the Philippines, Malaysia and Thailand to use its VTF platform.
Its executive chairman Boh Tuang Poh is also in discussion with tourism organisations and travel trade associations in the region to organise more VTFs year-round.
Additional reporting by S Puvaneswary in Kuala Lumpur
