RateHawk, a leading online booking platform for travel professionals, has established its first Asian headquarters in Singapore. This strategic move aims to capture the rapidly growing Asian market, offering travel agents a robust and localized booking tool. With a focus on delivering tailored solutions and superior support, RateHawk is poised to become a key player in the region’s travel industry.

Localized Platform for Asian Markets

RateHawk’s expansion into Asia follows its successful operations in Europe and the Middle East. The platform now provides local travel agents, operators, and travel management companies (TMCs) access to over 2.5 million accommodations worldwide, flights from more than 400 airlines, and transfers in 150 countries. Additionally, the platform supports car rentals, FIT bookings, group reservations, and other travel-related services.

To cater to the diverse Asian market, RateHawk has localized its platform in Thai, Chinese, and Korean. Dedicated language support lines in Thai and Korean are available during business hours, complemented by a 24/7 multi-language support line to ensure top-tier customer care.

RateHawk Product.

Financial Efficiency with Local Currencies

Establishing a legal entity in Singapore will streamline payment transactions, minimizing additional costs due to exchange rates. Travel professionals can now make payments in several local currencies, including the Singapore Dollar (SGD), Thai Baht (THB), and Malaysian Ringgit (MYR). This move is expected to enhance the financial efficiency and user experience for RateHawk’s regional partners.

Felix Shpilman, CEO of Emerging Travel Group, stated: “Our preliminary market evaluation indicated a strong demand among travel industry players for a user-friendly, comprehensive B2B platform that offers a full range of services at competitive terms. Our early operations in the region have demonstrated the product-market fit of RateHawk in Asia. Therefore, we are now ready to elevate our operations and establish a robust presence in the region. We expect that our new legal entity in Singapore will significantly enhance the user experience for partners in Singapore, Thailand, and Malaysia. For us, launching this hub means laying the foundation to become the leading preferred B2B booking platform in Asia. We will continue to further localize the product and ensure full coverage of the entire region.”

Dedicated Team to Drive Growth

RateHawk is entering the region with a dedicated commercial team of over 30 professionals covering South-East, South, and East Asia, including business development and sales managers. Each registered partner is assigned an account manager to assist with onboarding, customizing contract settings, and managing financial matters. Recognizing the immense potential of the B2B travel sector in Asia, RateHawk plans to expand its team further to ensure comprehensive support for travel agencies across the continent.

Jennifer Chua, Head of Business Development South-East Asia, commented: “RateHawk is perfectly positioned to meet the needs of travel agencies and operators of all sizes, including collaborations through API and tech platforms. Our extensive 2.5 million strong accommodation supply spans over 220 countries, with particularly strong coverage in Europe, the Americas, and the Middle East, which are in high demand among local travel professionals. Our plan for 2024 is to further strengthen the team and scale the business in Asia by increasing the reach locally. RateHawk will be present at several major regional travel fairs, including ITB Asia later this year, where we will showcase our advanced solutions tailored for the local market.”

Global Reach and Vision

Since its launch in 2016, RateHawk has grown to employ over 500 professionals in commercial roles globally, with offices in London, Berlin, Milan, Lisbon, Warsaw, Dubai, Limassol, and Wilmington. The platform serves more than 70,000 travel professionals worldwide through its web platform and mobile app, enabling partners to manage their business remotely.

RateHawk is part of the UAE-based Emerging Travel Group. This global travel company operates travel brands for individual travellers (ZenHotels), B2B travel professionals (RateHawk), and corporate customers (Roundtrip) in over 190 source markets. In 2023, Emerging Travel Group achieved a gross transaction value of $2.6 billion.

As RateHawk continues to expand its footprint, the company is committed to providing innovative and localized travel solutions, ensuring that travel professionals in Asia can access the best tools and support to drive their business success.

Written by: Bridget Gomez

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