How can Velma help? Remote worker visas for Southeast Asia. HBX launches Marketing Suite. More.

How can Velma help? Remote worker visas for Southeast Asia. HBX launches Marketing Suite. More.

Velma’s now listening at Warwick Hotels

Global hospitality brand Warwick Hotels and Resorts has selected Velma, Paris-based  Quicktext’s AI technology, to streamline guests’ interactions.

Velma, the virtual assistant for hotels globally, is based on Q-Brain+, the hybridisation of classic conversational AI and generative AI to provide multiple AI solutions.

 

These include: 

• Optimise sales, content and marketing (Q-Sales, Q-SEO, Q-Dynamic)
• Structure & augment hotels’ data (Q-Data & Q-Channel)
• Supply data for business intelligence (Q-BI)

Today, hotels in 76 countries are using Quicktext and Velma’s AI Hotel chatbot.

 

HBX Group offers marketing solutions

Global B2B travel technology company, HBX Group has launched Marketing Suite in its quest to become the primary retail media network within the travel industry, serving as a point of reference for hotels, DMOs, airlines, mobility providers and others.

HBX Group Marketing Suite is composed of two key solutions: Travel Media Solutions and a Digital Marketing Agency.

Travel Media Solutions offers a suite of complete advertising products in an extensive network of hard-to-reach digital spaces, with the potential to reach over 50.000 travel agencies and 3.500 tour operators across 65 countries, as well as travellers from over 100 booking websites and strategic partners.

These advertising solutions include digital banners on B2B and B2C websites, social media marketing, bespoke newsletters, email sponsorships, and landing pages.

Digital Marketing Agency.is focused on tailor-made strategies developed by expert travel marketers to accelerate business growth within the B2C audience. Services include B2C digital campaign management, marketing advisory, insights, creative services and brand management.

HBX Group says it has access to the latest technologies to implement and refine marketing strategies. These includes advanced analytics, innovative advertising platforms, and “digital tools that enable HBX Group to achieve measurable and impactful results for its clients”.

New visa draws remote workers to SE-Asia

Thailand has introduced a new joint tourist visa programme with Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam, and Malaysia, facilitating seamless travel. The programme includes a proposed extension for the Destination Thailand Visa, allowing stays of up to 180 days. An Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system will expedite the visa application process.

The programme targets remote workers and requires a minimum balance of US$15,108 in a person’s bank account and a prohibition on earning income within Thailand.

 

Arival: Middle no longer top of the class 

Arival’s latest Affluent Traveller report indicates middle-income travellers, once the backbone of the experience industry, have significantly reduced their spending, “perhaps reflecting broader economic pressures and a shrinking middle class”.

However, affluent travellers – particularly the young – are spending “significantly more”.

The growing wealth gap, the report notes both challenges and opportunities for the experiences sector, potentially necessitating a shift towards catering to the preferences of affluent travellers.

“The shift in traveller demographics – the rise of the affluent traveller and the pullback of middle- and lower-income travellers – may be more than just the result of another economic cycle,” said Douglas Quinby, co-founder and CEO of Arival.

“It could signal a bigger, more fundamental shift with enormous long-term implications for our industry.

“Travel may come to rely on more and more dollars coming from a smaller subset of travellers.  These travellers are especially hungry for experiences — however, their preferences may differ from the general traveller, meaning some operators may need to adapt their offerings to attract these travellers.

“The largest traveller segment – the middle-class traveller – may be increasingly vulnerable during downturns and more price sensitive even during upswings.”

 

Sydney’s Uber-happy passengers

Passengers arriving at Sydney Airport’s T1 International terminal who require an Uber ride will no longer have to make a long trudge to the airport’s distant ride share pick-up point.

They are now able to book an Uber trip on their smartphone and walk to the new dedicated pick-up zone located 20 metres from the terminal doors.

The new dedicated kerbside Uber pick-up zone features Uber’s PIN technology which allows Uber driver-partners and riders to be connected via the app with a PIN rather than by a rider finding a pre-assigned vehicle.

 

Dusit, Saigontourist tie the knot

Dusit International and the Saigontourist Group have agreed to explore opportunities for joint hotel development and promote each other’s tourism offerings at major events, festivals, and travel fairs

The pair signed a pact that aims to drive tourism development in Thailand and Vietnam through strategic promotions, enhanced services and the creation of tourism products.

Under the terms of the agreement, Dusit International and Saigontourist Group said they will share technical expertise, experience, and best practices to help elevate the quality and effectiveness of tourism services in both countries.

 

SITA brings India’s airports up to speed

SITA’s biometric technology is transforming the way travellers navigate through Indian airports.

Nine Indian airports will benefit from a partnership between SITA and Airports Authority of India (AAI)., which will see SITA’s contactless boarding pass system improve passenger flow and airport efficiency.

AAI will use SITA’s Smart Path, Passenger Flow Management (PFM) solution and Face Pods technologies that offer biometric solutions at most touch points across the airport.

The partnership is a key element of AAI’s strategy to digitalise Indian airports as part of DigiYatra, an initiative created by the Indian Ministry of Civil Aviation to revolutionise air travel in India by providing passengers with a paperless airport experience using advanced facial recognition technology.

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