DMC Travel Exclusive Asia now serves Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam in addition to Thailand, and has revealed plans for further expansion in the future.
Yves Van Kerrebroeck, managing partner for Indochina and group business development director, said the move gives the DMC the chance to curate a raft of combined tours between the four destinations, as well as individual packages for each to cater to the growing slow travel trend emerging from European markets.
“There are many combinations between Thailand and Laos, Thailand and Cambodia, and also with Vietnam; there’s a lot of opportunities there,” Kerrebroeck told TTG Asia, adding that in the immediate aftermath of the pandemic, there was a shift towards solo country travel.
However, that is changing.
“Now, we’re seeing more demand for multi-country programmes, which we wouldn’t have seen two years ago,” Kerrebroeck added, noting a demand for 60-day multi-destination itineraries.
“Everyone is complaining about ticket prices for long-haul flights, so it makes sense to stay a bit longer. In the European market, there’s definitely a trend for people wanting to spend a bit more time in a destination,” he said.
Kerrebroeck added that since Travel Exclusive Asia launched in 2016, himself and founder, André van der Marck, have built up a strong reputation as experts in Thailand. Kerrebroeck also spent five years working in Vietnam, as well as in a role overseeing multi-country and wholesale divisions.
“I have a great network, I know a lot of suppliers and lots of agents know me as somebody who knows these destinations, so it made a lot of sense,” he said. “We really meet the demand of our existing clientele and a lot of potential new agents are very excited by this.”
Kerrebroeck added that the company has set its sights on further expansion in the region, eyeing up Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia. “I think these are the regions that are next on our list to really offer a full range of satisfaction destinations.”
