Via.com expands into Malaysia

India-based Ebixcash Travel Services’ online travel platform Via.com has expanded into Malaysia through the recent appointment of B2B wholesaler, Universal Holidays Travel and Tourism, as its general sales agent.

Universal will distribute airline inventory on the platform, making it easier for Malaysian travel agents to book directly from Via.com. Transactions will no longer have to go through agents in China and other parts of Asia.

Malaysian travel agents can now book direct on via.com and pay in ringgit

Malaysia based agents can also pay in ringgit, allowing them to avoid international transaction charges.

Universal Holiday’s founder and CEO, Zahira Tahir, said her immediate plans were to create better awareness of Via.com’s B2B online travel booking platform solutions, which offer both low-cost carriers and full-fledged airline inventory, and are on a pay-per-transaction basis, even for non-IATA agents.

Roadshows and product presentations aimed at agents based in Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Johor, Kota Kinabalu and Kuching are scheduled to take place after the Chinese New Year season.

“I am also in the midst of hiring a dedicated sales team,” Zahira added.

Both Ebixcash Travel Services and Universal Holidays Travel and Tourism share a familiar business relationship, as the latter has been the former’s ground-handler for both leisure and business travel for many years, revealed Zahira.

Naveen Kundu, managing director, Ebixcash Travel Services, said: “We identified the potential Malaysia has to offer for online travel bookings and we believe the travel and tourism business is on the verge of coming back. The partnership will add to the organic growth of our travel business and further strengthen our business purpose which is empowering small- and medium-sized travel agents with technology and airline inventory.”

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