TRAVEL-related Internet searches among Thailand-based consumers have doubled in the past two years, driven by a jump in searches via mobile platforms, shows a new study by Google Thailand.

Travel-related queries originating in Thailand increased from 1,300 per minute in 2011 to 2,500 per minute early this year, with the proportion of searches conducted via mobile phone surging by a factor of 10 to 35 per cent, according to Business Insights with Google: Travel produced in partnership with Thai AirAsia.

Travel companies that develop clear online and digital strategies will be better equipped to survive and profit in today’s market, while those that fail to do so risk falling by the wayside, said Ariya Banomyong, country manager for Google Thailand who highlighted that online generates 85 per cent of sales for Thai AirAsia.

“If (travel experts) continue to just rely on their brick-and-mortar business and wait for people like you and me to go to them to buy an air ticket or tour, I think they are going to be very disappointed. They are in an era now where they have to go to the consumers.”

Travellers on average make seven searches before deciding to purchase, providing firms with seven opportunities to connect with customers before they buy, the same research found.

“Search is customers telling you what you want. That is very powerful if you understand it,” said Ariya. “The beauty is it’s not about (the) size (of your business). The Internet is the most affordable and effective channel for sales and marketing.”

However, Pascal Orczech, director of business development of golf tour operator, Golfasian, said: “The online channel has become pretty competitive, especially for general tour businesses.

“Providing a niche product, such as golf holidays, certainly helps to stand out from the crowded online tourism market place.”

MORE travel experts are now offering a greater variety of add-on options during hotel bookings in order to attract and retain customers, with airport transfers and sightseeing tours representing the biggest cross-selling opportunities.

According to Amadeus’ second Asia-Pacific hotel distribution survey, travel consultants were also increasingly rolling out assistance for car rentals, concert ticket purchases, dinner reservations and even metro passes.

Kartikeya Tripathi, regional director, hotel distribution, Amadeus Asia-Pacific, said: “Travel consultants today need to respond to changing consumer preferences by providing a one-stop service to travellers, particularly given the rising demand for ancillary options when travellers book their hotels.”

The study found that travel consultants now consider ease of booking and commission guarantees as the most important criteria when choosing a channel to make hotel reservations. Results mark a shift in priorities from 2010, when the amount of commission was the foremost concern.

The trade also listed hotel reviews as among the top five must-have features in a hotel booking solution, with findings indicating that some 70 per cent of travellers check user reviews before booking.

Meanwhile, those polled indicate that they have less influence over a traveller’s final choice of hotel, with only 32 per cent noting that customers accepted their hotel recommendations without question. The same figure was 51 per cent in 2010.

Furthermore, 62 per cent of travel consultants said travellers now compare their offers against consumer website prices, up from 48 per cent in 2010. The study suggested that travel consultants could influence travellers’ choice of hotels by offering a better deal and prepaid vouchers.

Over 1,047 travel consultants in Australia, China, India, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Taiwan and Thailand were surveyed.

GARUDA Indonesia will launch one regional and eight domestic routes, having taken the delivery of several new aircraft.

Regionally, Garuda will kickstart flights from Medan to Penang on June 1. Within Indonesia, the airline will commence Batam-Pekanbaru and Medan-Pekanbaru services as of May 1, Jakarta-Bengkulu and Jakarta-Tanjung Pandan on May 15, and Surabaya-Denpasar from May 19.

The aforementioned routes will be operated by Bombardier CRJ1000 NextGen aircraft, configured with 96 seats in a two-class layout.

Garuda will also begin Denpasar-Bandung and Balikpapan-Denpasar services on May 18, using Boeing 737-800NG aircraft offering 156 seats in two classes.

The opening of these routes means that travellers from Bandung and Balikpapan can connect to international routes such as in Australia, China, Japan and South Korea through Denpasar, said Garuda president and CEO, Emirsyah Satar.

CROWNE Plaza Resort Xishuangbanna in China’s Yunnan province has opened its doors to guests, becoming the pioneer Crowne Plaza Resort in China and also the first five-star resort in China’s southernmost region.

The 520-key property’s design takes inspiration from Dai culture and the hotel is located close to the town of Jinghong.

Guests can choose from 80m² king rooms, two-room King-bedded suites, Club accommodation, two 470m² Royal suites and 1,600m² Presidential Villas. Club wings come with their own individual arrival areas, outdoor private pool and lounge facilities.

The hotel is equipped with F&B outlets such as Man Lin Chinese Restaurant, the Padma Dai that serves Yunnan clasics, lobby lounge S Bar with live entertainment in the evenings, Lotus Thai eatery and all-day dining restaurant Noo Sam.

Other on site services and amenities are: a 2,000m² fitness and leisure centre, a heated indoor pool, an outdoor resort pool, tennis courts, outdoor exercise areas, private shade retreats, a temple, a kids club and day trip arrangement services.

Meetings-wise, the hotel offers over 5,000m² of function space, with three ballrooms and 16 meeting rooms. The largest ballroom seats up to 1,000 guests while outdoor areas are available for themed dinners.

CHINESE conglomerate HNA Group and Spanish hotel chain NH Hoteles are taking a second stab at collaboration, with details of the tie-up to be revealed in September.

HNA has secured a 20 per cent stake in NH worth 234.3 million euros (US$306.1 million) and at least two of HNA’s directors will join the NH board.

The announcement on the terms of investment comes nearly two years after a failed initial attempt at collaboration in 2011 (TTG Asia e-Daily, October 31, 2011). The deal was dropped because of the volatility of NH shares on the stock market at the time.

A spokesman for NH, which specialises in budget-minded business travellers and operates close to 400 hotels in 26 countries, said part of the deal will see NH managing HNA hotels outside of China, as well as developing and running hotels in China under its brand name.

The Spanish company will also enjoy preferential treatment from HNA travel agencies sending clients overseas.

He explained: “The priority up to now has been to reach an agreement on the investment.

“Other parts of the agreement will probably be revealed in September, given that NH is working on a five-year plan in which it will be incorporated.”

HNA Group’s travel-related subsidiaries include Hainan Airlines and 13 airports, in addition to a tourism holding that includes Lucky Way International Travel Agency, a hotel chain operating 70 properties in China, and car rental and convention services.

NEW Zealand’s prime minister and tourism minister, John Key, has announced that the country will inject some NZ$158 million (US$133 million) into the tourism sector as part of an internationally-focused growth package targeting different types of tourists across various markets through its 2013 budget.

Of the total amount, NZ$44.5 million will go towards attracting visitors from emerging growth markets such as India, Indonesia and Latin America.

“Travellers from these countries are looking for destinations to visit now and we want New Zealand to be the first choice. Although tourist numbers are growing, we currently have a very small presence in these markets. Our additional investment of NZ$44.5 million will enable us to attract them,” said Key.

Another NZ$24.5 million will be channelled into traditionally important markets such as Australia, the US, the UK, Germany and Japan, as well as China, a source market that has continued to grow exponentially over the last ten years.

The government will also partner the tourism sector to offer NZ$28 million in four years under a co-funding model to be called the Tourism Growth Partnership, to support business innovation and growth initiatives, with the government contributing up to 50 per cent to each initiative.

A further NZ$34 million will go to growing the business events sector, which includes conferences, conventions and exhibitions. “Conference and convention visitors are particularly valuable as they spend NZ$318 on average, compared to NZ$208 for the average tourist,” Key observed.

“In addition to this, we will spend NZ$20 million over four years to target very high-value visitors who spend far in excess of the average tourist. These visitors use luxury accommodation, private transport, bespoke activity providers and high-end tours,” he said.