Sabre Corporation

Sabre’s travel and technology innovation lab, Sabre Labs, launched a report titled ‘Emerging Technology in Travel’ that explores new capabilities that will impact travel over the next decade. This report is Sabre’s most comprehensive overview to date of the emerging technologies that will impact hoteliers and their guests, as well as all aspects of the travel industry. It provides a detailed overview of each type of technology, with multiple examples and specific actions to consider to help the travel industry navigate the rapidly changing technology landscape. The report examines three areas of technology that are positioned to impact the travel space in 2017: connected intelligence, conversational interfaces and digital realities.

GTBeds

In January 2017, GTBeds celebrated its first anniversary, and is set to continue growing with its focus on client service and support. GTBeds, whose online system can access more than 300,000 hotels across the world at competitive prices, has concluded that client service and satisfaction are the key to exponential growth in the sector. The platform brings clients services in travel booking and management, and strives to deliver a fast, cost-efficient and high quality service across the globe.

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Travelport

In 2017, travel commerce platform Travelport has ticked off quite a few wins. The first GDS Strategic partnership of IndiGo, India’s largest low cost carrier (LLC), was a highlight, and now more than 400 airlines distribute their branded fares and ancillaries to Travelport-connected travel agents worldwide. In the agency commerce sector, Travelport has signed agreements with travel agents such as Roibek Travel and Al Hashim Travel in Saudi Arabia and the multiyear agreement with East West Travel, partner of the key industry player BCD Travel, in Egypt. Beyond Air, Travelport now hosts content from OYO, India’s largest network of hotels, and Lots of Hotels, a subsidiary of ASX listed Webjet Limited, being available to 68,000 travel agencies.

DHISCO

DHISCO is continuing to support the travel and hospitality growth in the Middle East with strategic partnerships and its “one-to-many” distribution technology, which enables these companies to reach a much larger audience, both locally and internationally. For example, last year, the company partnered with Abu Dhabi-based tour operator Nirvana Travel and Tourism LLC to power its global growth. The partnership is the latest in a series of new alliances DHISCO has forged to help the growing Middle East travel sector expand globally by ensuring companies like Nirvana have access to the best rates and room inventory around the world. DHISCO also signed partnerships with Kuwaiti travel wholesaler Easy Travel System, Dubai-based BetterBooking.com and Dubai-based Darina Holidays, and more recently, has partnered with Dubai-based DMC Rustar Tourism and Morocco-based B2B travel seller Nuitee.com.

RTS

RTS.net is set to exhibit at Arabian Travel Market for the first time as a part of its expansion strategy in Middle East, Africa and India. The first step was taken in August 2016 by setting up an office in Dubai’s JLT district. Founded in 2004 in Hong Kong, the company has been operating as a global wholesaler, offering a fully interactive B2B reservation system with an instant confirmation opportunity by granting its clients 24/7 online access to the lowest hotel rates and enabling them to book significantly discounted hotel accommodation at more than 150,000 hotels from all over the world.

TravelClick

TravelClick has had a fruitful few months, and at the end of January revealed that it has entered into a new, expanded partnership with Hilton. Through this partnership, Hilton will more utilise TravelClick’s data-driven Demand360, Rate360 and Agency360 solutions at the corporate level and exclusively endorse them for all Hilton properties to advance decision-making, optimise channel mix and maximise revenue per available room (RevPAR). Hilton and TravelClick will work together to increase adoption and utilisation of TravelClick’s three Business Intelligence products across the Hilton portfolio. Hilton will also be an active partner in new product development and innovation. This closely followed on the heels of the strategic partnership between TravelClick and Weebly, to deliver an intuitive, responsive and easy-to-manage web solution for hoteliers to boost booking conversions.