RateHawk Establishes Asian Hub in Singapore for Travel Agents

June 24, 2024

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RateHawk, a pioneering online booking system for travel professionals, has strategically established its first Asian headquarters in Singapore. This ambitious expansion aims to tap into the booming travel market in Asia, providing local travel agents with a sophisticated, tailored booking tool designed to meet regional needs. This new hub solidifies RateHawk’s presence as a critical player in the industry, actively supporting travel agents across the continent.

Following a successful rollout in Europe and the Middle East, RateHawk now focuses on the Asian market with a localized platform and dedicated business operations. Travel agents, operators, and management companies (TMCs) in Asia will have access to an extensive array of services on RateHawk’s platform. These include booking over 2.5 million accommodations worldwide, flights from more than 400 airlines, transfers in 150 countries, car rentals, FIT bookings, group reservations, and other travel-related services. The platform supports multiple languages, including Thai, Chinese, and Korean. It offers dedicated language support lines in Thai and Korean during business hours and 24/7 multilingual customer support to ensure top-notch service.

RateHawk Online booking tool for travel professionals.

Establishing a legal entity in Singapore will streamline payment transactions, minimizing additional costs from exchange rates. Travel professionals will benefit from the ability to make payments in several local currencies, including Singapore Dollar (SGD), Thai Baht (THB), and Malaysian Ringgit (MYR).

Felix Shpilman, CEO of Emerging Travel Group, commented: “Our market evaluation revealed a significant demand for a comprehensive B2B platform that offers a full range of services with competitive terms, advanced technology, and high-quality support. Our early operations in Asia have proven RateHawk’s product-market fit. We are now ready to elevate our presence and establish a robust foothold in the region. Our new entity in Singapore will greatly enhance the user experience for partners in Singapore, Thailand, and Malaysia. This hub is a foundational step toward becoming the leading B2B booking platform in Asia. We will continue to localize our product and ensure complete regional coverage.”

RateHawk’s entry into the region is supported by a dedicated commercial team of over 30 professionals, including business development and sales managers overseeing South-East, South-East, and East Asia. Each registered partner is assigned an account manager to assist with onboarding, customizing contract settings, and financial matters. Recognizing the immense potential of the B2B travel sector in Asia, the company plans to expand its team further to provide comprehensive support to travel agencies throughout the continent.

Jennifer Chua, Head of Business Development South-East Asia, added: “RateHawk is excellently positioned to meet the needs of travel agencies and operators of all sizes, including API and tech platform collaborations. Our vast inventory of 2.5 million accommodations 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. In 2024, we plan to strengthen our team and scale our business in Asia by increasing our local reach. RateHawk will also participate in major regional travel fairs, including ITB Asia, where we will showcase our advanced, localized solutions.”

Since its inception in 2016, RateHawk has grown to employ over 500 professionals in commercial roles worldwide, with offices in major cities such as London, Berlin, Milan, Lisbon, Warsaw, Dubai, Limassol, and Wilmington. The company’s partner network exceeds 70,000 travel professionals globally. RateHawk offers a web platform and a mobile app, enabling partners to manage their business remotely.

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