Indonesian peer-to-peer marketplace Triponyu.com, which connects savvy independent travellers with local hosts of travel experiences in the country, is now looking to expand its market reach through partnerships with tour operators and participation in travel marts.
Triponyu.com was established by four milliennials from Solo, Central Java in 2016, and officially launched in mid-2017.
Augustinus Adhitya, CEO of Triponyu.com, said a system to incorporate the B2B component is in development and will “launch soon”.
He said his business is all about “empowering the local community, which used to be a spectator of the tourism growth around them, to become active players (themselves)”.
“The trips we offer are created by the locals (who) develop interesting and unconventional products,” he added.
Programmes are mostly day tours that run for four to five hours.
Citing examples, Augustinus pointed to a culinary tour in Solo that takes tourists beyond sampling local food, and instead also imparts philosophy behind traditional cuisine, history of the eateries and knowledge of food preparation.
Another example is a batik tour that throws in tips on how to determine the quality of a batik cloth and lessons on batik production.
Experience hosts join Triponyu.com for free and determine the price of their own programmes. To ensure quality of experiences, Triponyu.com verifies and approves content, and also guides local hosts on package creation and pricing.
In return, the company draws seven per cent of sales takings as commission.
Since its launch, Triponyu.co has quickly expanded its product range beyond Solo and Java to include experiences in other parts of Indonesia such as Bali and Lombok. As well, Triponyu.com offers homestays and car rental services too.
Augustinus believes there is good growth potential for experiential tours, as “the trend today is for people to travel individually rather than in groups” as well as a growing desire for adventure and travel flexibility.
“(Independent travellers today don’t want to) come to a destination clutching tickets and accommodation vouchers. They want to look for things to do after they have arrived and they prefer value-for-money products found on the Internet,” he said.
The HSBC World Singapore Rugby Sevens is pushing beyond its sporting roots to become a family-friendly festival that hopes to pull in travellers from around Asia.
Supported by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and government agency Sport Singapore, event organiser Rugby Singapore has been increasing outreach efforts to tie up with attractions and travel agents.
“We see the Singapore Sevens as one of the tentpole events that can bring fans and people from around the world to Singapore. We are currently in talks with agents, family-friendly attractions and retail options for partnerships”, shared David Lim, chairman of the board, Rugby Singapore.
He added that there has been a “rise in popularity” for rugby in Asia, particularly driven by Japan’s recent victories in the sport. Last year, 24 per cent of Singapore Sevens attendees were foreign visitors, and the event generated a total economic impact of S$23.5 million (US$18 million).
As the only South-east Asian host in the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series, Singapore aims to “draw more visitors from proximity markets such as Malaysia and Indonesia”, by delivering a memorable fan experience that differs yearly, STB’s sports director Jean Ng told TTG Asia.
For the third edition this year, Rugby Singapore is stepping up the programme with the Singapore Rugby Carnival, an event with activities such as face painting, themed challenges, inflatable stations, photo booths, local bands and food.
“We want that diverse variety of activities – not just sports – that will engage and bring people (together) here. This is something we want to use to distinguish ourselves from every other stop in the World Series,” explained Lim.
The Singapore Sevens is the eighth leg – out of 10 – in the Series, and is one stop after the sell-out Hong Kong Sevens.
Agents feel that having the event as a destination lure is a plus for Singapore. General manager of Diethelm Travel, Judy Lum, described the initiative as “good news”. She said: “The organiser should consider having a dialogue with local DMCs. I am sure there are some of us who can help to promote it to overseas tour operators.”
Samson Tan, founder/CEO of GTMC Travel, suggested maximising marketing distribution by using the National Association of Travel Agents Singapore as a communication platform with agents.