EVEN as Expedia’s business continues to bank heavily on the hotel and flight segments, they are making clear their “serious intention” in capturing a slice of the tours and activities pie.
While the travel giant had always offered tours and activities on their platform, it has recently introduced new investments as testament to its commitment to the sector.
Speaking to TTG Asia e-Daily on the sidelines of a panel discussion during Expedia’s global media tour last week, Brian Keffeler, principal global product manager, local expert and ground transportation, Expedia, said: “We recognise that activities are such a fundamental part of travel and it is not enough for us to just take our customers and send them somewhere with a flight. We want to help them build the entire trip.”
To leverage on the rise in mobile device usage, Keffeler pointed out that Expedia’s smartphone app now allows travellers to book tours immediately. To raise awareness of this, Expedia has spent an estimated US$6.4 million on national TV advertising in the US last September to promote the more than 11,000 tours and activities bookable through the app.
According to Keffeler, the tours and activities category has been expanding well across the US and Europe, but there is still a “huge growth area” present in Asia.
Last December, Expedia also announced its API for in-destination tours which would allow local activity suppliers to integrate reservation systems directly with the Expedia ecosystem.
When asked about competition posed by similar suppliers like Viator, Keffeler said: “There is a lot of space to go around and we do not focus too hard on the competitor.
“For Expedia, we are already offering the opportunities for people to buy a flight, a hotel and it makes sense for us to offer rental cars and activities. We want to provide customers with a one-stop place and not (have any) missed opportunities,” he explained.
