Cambodia’s Sun and Moon Hotel Group (SMH) has partnered with Trip Affiliates Network (TA Network) to enhance online distribution and booking processes by leveraging the network’s proprietary solutions.
This partnership is a significant step for Sun and Moon Hotels in optimising their booking processes and service offerings to their travel industry partners, embracing technology to enhance efficiency and customer satisfaction.
SMH will manage wholesale contracts digitally, improving efficiency in lead time, booking windows, and stay pattern promotions. It will also streamline inventory management by reducing manual errors in hotel contract maintenance, which will help prevent overbooking and under-booking issues.
TA Network’s digital payment solutions, including virtual cards and virtual bank accounts, will enable seamless global transactions while improving payment processes and reducing cross-border and foreign exchange fees.
Rithy Kruy, group director of sales and marketing at SMH, shared: “TA Network has enabled Sun and Moon Hotels to manage conservative wholesale contracts digitally with full functionality, making our B2B operations faster. We can manage dynamic rates efficiently, like an OTA, and work with dynamic wholesalers. We are excited to have instant access to all major channels integrated with the TA Network ecosystem.”
“Hotels are increasingly looking for dynamic tools to enhance direct online booking partnerships with preferred agents and corporates, utilising process automation solutions and seamless online payment services. We are thrilled that SMH has adopted TA Network Hotel B2B Direct Booking services, and we look forward to working closely to expand and strengthen their direct booking partnerships,” added David Lai, regional director of partnerships and growth, TA Network.
The Philippines’ Department of Tourism (DoT), Department of Health, and the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA), have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to establish the country’s first Tourist First Aid Facilities in order to elevate the safety standards in the country’s tourist destinations.
Under the MoU, the agencies will build the inaugural batch of Tourist First Aid Facilities in areas with a high concentration of tourists including La Union; Boracay Island in Aklan; Siargao Island in Surigao del Norte; Panglao Island in Bohol; Palawan; and Puerto Galera.
According to DoT, La Union will be the first to break ground next month, with the expected completion in 1Q2025. TIEZA will be spearheading the design and construction of the facilities which will function as emergency response centres for tourists encountering accidents or injuries during their visit.
These centres will be staffed by well-trained healthcare professionals – physicians and nurses – and will be equipped with essential medical supplies and medications to ensure prompt and effective emergency assistance.
The facilities will also provide preventive care, with a second floor serving as a lifeguard station or viewing deck to oversee tourist safety.
Noting the profile of incidences happening at each destination, tourism secretary Christina Garcia Frasco clarified that such facilities aim to be able to provide the “right type of care”, considering the varying tourism products the destinations are offering to tourists.
Thus, the healthcare professionals will be strategically deployed depending on the needs of the destinations, as well as the medical equipment needed for each area.
To complement these Tourist First Aid Facilities, solar-powered Tourist First Aid Booths will also be installed along beachfront areas, particularly in long stretches of coastlines, to address the immediate medical needs of tourists without the presence of medical personnel. These booths will be equipped with First Aid supplies, automated external defibrillators, a pull-out stretcher, a CCTV camera, and a two-way communication system linking to a command centre for emergency calls.
According to Frasco, the UN Tourism has declared health, safety, security, and hygiene crucial for tourism sustainability and competitiveness.
“If our tourists become ill or injured during a trip to any of our island destinations, we must be able to ensure proper, rapid, and the best care on site,” she noted, citing that investing in tourist convenience and safety is imperative if the country is furthering the momentum of the Philippines’ tourism growth.