Accor has signed an agreement with B2B travel portal Travel Boutique Online (TBO) to strengthen its distribution globally. TBO will be responsible for increasing sales of Accor Hotels across its network of over 13,000 travel agents across 300 cities in India and 4000 agents in Middle East and Africa. This strategic integration compliments Accor’s own booking portal, Accorhotels.com, by reaching the TBO agency network through their B2B portals travelboutiqueonline.com and tboholidays.com.
Accor is keen to further develop domestic sales in India to accompany the development target of opening 50 hotels by 2015 in the country. This connectivity will integrate Accor hotels worldwide to TBO websites, so that the global Accor network can benefit from the ever-growing outbound market of travellers from India. The association with TBO will augment and enhance Accor’s sales and distribution team already present in India and globally. TBO currently has presence in UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Egypt, Morocco, India, UK, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria and France
Jean-Luc Chretien, Executive Vice President, Sales, Distribution and Loyalty, Accor said, “As a constant innovator in the online booking space, Accor is always looking for partners who can help to extend the reach of our hotels, sustain our competitive edge and make it more convenient for our customers to book their accommodation, no matter where they are. Accor has ambitious targets for growth in sales from India and we are constantly working towards improving the reach of our distribution systems in the country. With an increasing number of Indians travelling overseas and within India every year on business and pleasure, our association with TBO will help us to significantly increase our market share. We expect a significant per cent of increase in the business to our hotels in India and overseas with the support from TBO.”
TBO is an online booking system which allows travel agents access to book travel content including airlines and hotels worldwide. Backed by the latest technology and a user-friendly interface, it is a preferred choice as a booking platform for agents across the world. The key selling destinations in immediate focus to leverage this association include Delhi, Mumbai, Dubai, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Phuket, London, Paris, Lankawi and Vienna.
Gaurav Bhatnagar, Managing Director, TBO Holidays said, “We are very excited with this tie-up. We get access to over 3600 properties across key destinations worldwide. Accor is a preferred choice of stay for a large number of our customers. Accor’s premium brands such as Sofitel, Pullman, Grand Mercure, Novotel go well with our focus on promoting more upscale properties. As a leader in the B2B space, it is important for us to work directly with Accor to ensure best availability of content and rates for our vast travel agent network.”
