For established Indonesian tour company Dwidayatour, adopting an online-offline approach is now key to its growth plan for the future.
Speaking to TTG Asia at its 50th founding anniversary press conference earlier this week, Dwidayatour’s vice president commercial Hendriyapto said the company’s survey of 1,000 respondents early this year showed that most customers are using multichannels for trip planning, either seeking information online and booking offline or vice versa.
“The interesting finding is that while 83 per cent of customers perceived that online prices were cheaper, 76 per cent said they still bought tickets through a travel agent.”
Hendriyapto also noted the rapid growth of online business, mostly driven by customers aged between 20 and 30 years old. “Last year we saw a 100 per cent growth of online transactions compared to 2015.”
“Although the volume still represents less than five per cent of our total business, the potential growth is big in the coming year,” he said, further necessitating the use of multiple channels.
The Hybrid Channel, which was launched last year to integrate offline and online channels alongside a 24-hour hotline, is a distribution strategy Hendriyapto is positive would give Dwidayatour a competitive edge.
By enhancing its technological capabilities, offline products can now be sold through both web and mobile channels.
At the same time, Dwidayatour is also growing its physical presence from its current 92 branches in Indonesia to 10 more outlets this year. The agency targets to achieve 30 per cent growth this year.
