Press Releases
June 5, 2008
AWD and Wotif.com set sights on one million room-night target
— making them a leading online distributor for Asian hotels
BANGKOK, June 5, 2008: Australian-based accommodation website, Wotif.com’s acquisition of Asia Web Direct (AWD) earlier this year puts the Group on track to achieve its goal of selling one million room nights for its Asian hotel partners.
AWD Chief Executive Officer, Ms Jirapa (Sii) Eawsakul said: “Last year Wotif.com sold more than 190,000 room-nights for accommodation partners in Asia, representing a 65% growth, and AWD’s Asian hotel sales grew 40% to more than 450,000 room nights.
“With this significant sales base the combined Group is well placed to continue strongly driving sales in Asia, and we are well-positioned to hit sales of one million room nights this year,” she added.
Speaking at the 2008 Thailand Travel Mart in Bangkok, Ms Eawsakul said the company will roll out new innovations to meet customer needs and will work closely with its accommodation partners to ensure maximum exposure to the six million plus customers who visit the Group’s sites each month (www.latestays.com, www.smartstays.com and www.wotif.com).
“Thailand, Singapore, Hong Kong and Malaysia are four key destinations we are focusing on in Asia – not only by growing our range of accommodation properties, but also by marketing to local consumers. We have also set clear objectives for other emerging destinations across the region such as Vietnam and Cambodia.
“Our Asian sales will also benefit from Wotif.com’s dominant brand presence in the key source destinations of Australia and New Zealand, and despite challenges facing the travel market, such as the rise in oil and commodity prices, we remain optimistic,” said Sii.
With the online accommodation industry still in its infancy, Wotif.com CEO Robbie Cooke said Asian markets are a key focus for the Group as they present significant opportunities for growth.
“According to available research, the percentage of accommodation booked online in the key Southeast Asian markets ranges between 1% and 4%, which contrasts with more than 30% being booked online in the US.”
“Increased broadband penetration, increasing consumer confidence in booking online, improved intra-Asia flights and affordable international flights into Asia, particularly from Australia, mean that Wotif.com Group websites are in a great position to grow accommodation sales in Asia,” said Robbie.
Note to Editors:
Thailand-based AWD was acquired by Australia’s Wotif.com in February this year in a deal worth around AUD$ 34 million.
About Wotif.com
Wotif.com sells accommodation online in more than 44 countries.
Our great rates, broad accommodation range, easy-to-use site and 24/7 Customer Service Centre have made us the most popular way for business and leisure travellers in Australia and New Zealand to book accommodation online. Every month our site attracts 3.2 million visits with customers making more than 200,000 bookings through our 28-day booking window.
We launched in Brisbane, Australia, in March 2000 and now have offices in Canada, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore and the United Kingdom to support our growing international presence. Wotif.com is listed on the Australian Stock Exchange, trading under the code WTF.
About Asia Web Direct
At the forefront of online travel distribution since 1993, Asia Web Direct (AWD) provides web-based hotel reservations, travel information and related services to travellers worldwide.
Our popular reservation portals LateStays.com and SmartStays.com allow users to book their accommodation with instant confirmation. In addition there are also more than 100 websites in our stable that attract more than three million visitors monthly, including Bangkok.com and Phuket.com. Our partners number more than 50,000 hotels and resorts worldwide.
AWD’s head office is in Phuket with additional offices in Bangkok, Samui, Krabi, Kuala Lumpur and – most recently – London, to serve our growing number of customers and business partners alike.
For further information please contact Wotif.com’s Asia-Pacific PR Manager, Kirsty Harrison by email kirsty.harrison@wotif.com, phone +617 3512 9956 or mobile +61438 629 414
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