BUSINESS TRAVEL
Mondee | April 11, 2023
Mondee Holdings Inc.a technology-driven, next-generation marketplace in a $1 trillion segment of the travel market, today announced a new partnership with TISSINI, a social selling platform empowering U.S. Hispanic women. As part of Mondee's Affiliate Network program, TISSINI’s micro-network of 55,000 U.S. Hispanic women, who have to date been focused on selling products to their local communities, are now expanding into services with the opportunity to sell travel through Mondee's platform.
"We are excited to welcome TISSINI to our Influencer and Affiliate Network program and expand our reach to the growing Hispanic market," said Mondee's Chairman, CEO, and Founder, Prasad Gundumogula. "TISSINI's network brings a unique opportunity for us to connect with a community of consumers who frequently and consistently book travel as a way to connect with family and friends.”
Founded in 2015, TISSINI has quickly become a leading social selling platform focused on empowering U.S. Hispanic women, many of whom are single-mother entrepreneurs. The company offers a range of high-quality fashion and beauty products, and now, with Mondee’s partnership, will be able to expand its offerings to include travel services. TISSINI’s network of women entrepreneurs will now have access to Mondee’s vast inventory of travel products, including flights, hotels, car rentals, and vacation packages.
“We are thrilled to partner with Mondee and bring travel opportunities to our community of entrepreneurs and customers,” said Sion L. Tesone, Founder and CEO of TISSINI. “Travel is an important part of the Latin American culture, and now, with Mondee’s platform, we can provide our customers with even more ways to explore the world and visit their loved ones.”
Mondee’s modern Influencer and Affiliate Network program is designed to enhance the product line-up and increase growth and profitability for the growing closed groups of expert and influencer global travel affiliates. The program provides affiliates with access to Mondee’s inventory of travel products, as well as fintech, marketing and technology support to help drive sales and increase revenue.
“We believe that partnerships like this with TISSINI are the future of the travel industry,” said Mr. Gundumogula. “By leveraging each other’s strengths and expertise, we can create a win-win-win situation for everyone involved – from our affiliates to their customers, as well as our suppliers, offering unique and highly-targeted sales channels.”
ABOUT MONDEE
Established in 2011, Mondee is a travel technology company and a modern travel marketplace with its headquarters based in Austin, Texas. The company operates 17 offices across the United States and Canada and has core operations in India, Thailand, and Greece. Mondee is driving change in the leisure and corporate travel sectors through its broad array of innovative solutions. The company’s platform processes over 50 million daily searches and generates a substantial transactional volume annually. Its network includes 55,000+ leisure travel advisors and gig economy workers, 500+ airlines, and over one million hotels and vacation rentals, 30K rental car pickup locations, 50+ cruise lines. The company also offers packaged solutions and ancillary offerings that serve a global customer base.
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TRAVEL TECHNOLOGY
Marriott International | May 26, 2023
Marriott International announced today that it has signed an industry-first agreement with Rappi, Inc., the multilatina technology company. The collaboration aims to increase everyday earning opportunities and offer an elevated travel experience for both Marriott Bonvoy members and Rappi users.
Marriott Bonvoy members will soon be able to link their Rappi and Marriott Bonvoy accounts, which will result in exclusive benefits, like earning Bonvoy Points for qualifying Rappi purchases while offering additional benefits to Rappi Prime users. This unique arrangement marks the first time that a global hotel company has entered into a strategic collaboration with a Latin American technology company, showcasing Marriott International's continued commitment to innovative and tech-forward collaborations that meet the evolving needs of its guests.
"As the largest hotel company in the Caribbean and Latin America, we continue to be committed to enhancing the travel experience of our Marriott Bonvoy members, from booking to check-out, ensuring we are meeting our guests where they are. Working with one of the most innovative startups will allow us to keep our promise of providing more everyday earning opportunities for members and introduce us to Rappi users who may still be unfamiliar with our award-winning travel program," said Diana Plazas-Trowbridge, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer for Marriott International in the Caribbean and Latin America.
Marriott Bonvoy, Marriott International's award-winning travel program and marketplace, currently has over 5.8 million users in the Caribbean and Latin America. The collaboration with Rappi will enable Marriott International to offer its services to Rappi's more than 30 million users across nine countries in Latin America, including Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, and Uruguay.
"With this strategic partnership with Marriott Bonvoy we continue to strengthen our position as a leading multi-vertical technology company in Latin America, ensuring the best offer and experience when booking travel through Rappi, and continuing to make our Prime subscription the highest value program in Latin America," said Guido Becher, Global Head of Rappi Travel.
The collaboration between Marriott Bonvoy and Rappi will roll out first in Mexico, Marriott's largest market in the region, and will be followed in the upcoming months by Colombia and other markets where Rappi operates.
Rappi, which has quickly become one of the most popular and trusted technology companies in Latin America, is a leader in digital services that offers innovative solutions to unmet needs, as it manages to connect users, commerce and courier in a strong digital ecosystem. Among its verticals, Rappi offers restaurant, grocery & pharmacy delivery, courier, Fintech, ecommerce and travel, and a Prime subscription service offering free delivery and numerous other benefits. Rappi is headquartered in Bogota, Colombia, and currently services over 350 cities in 9 Latin American countries.
About Marriott International
Marriott International, Inc. is based in Bethesda, Maryland, USA, and encompasses a portfolio of more than 8,500 properties under 31 leading brands spanning 138 countries and territories. Marriott operates and franchises hotels and licenses vacation ownership resorts all around the world. The company offers Marriott Bonvoy, its highly awarded travel program.
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BUSINESS TRAVEL
prnewswire | May 03, 2023
Travelpass Group, a leading provider of travel technology and booking solutions, announces the launch of its new trip-planning platform, a wanderlust-inspired site that delivers both public and private discounted room rates and curated experiences for all explorers. By leveraging a multi-supplier network of hotels, Travelpass.com unlocks lodging prices and serves up support, inspiration and community along the journey.
The Travelpass platform provides users with tools that simplify and enhance the trip-planning experience. Anyone visiting the site will have access to discounted hotel rates within North America. To browse its extensive inventory pool, travelers can create a free member log-in for access to lodging deals that are otherwise not publicly available. A 24/7 team of agents are also reachable via phone to unlock the deepest discounts possible and provide customer support. Once a traveler finds the just-right destination, bookings are processed directly on the Travelpass site.
"The modern traveler demands a straightforward platform that delivers transparent pricing and customized trip-planning tools, so they can efficiently book an incredible getaway," explains CEO Ryan McCoy. "The travel industry is known for its lethargic approach to innovation we haven't seen major disruption since the advent of rideshare apps. What sets Travelpass apart is our access to multiple supply channels, allowing us to provide insider rates as well as technology-enhanced, personalized trip-planning tools."
With summer travel starting to heat up, certain cities are already experiencing an influx of bookings by travelers attempting to get ahead of the inflation and availability curve of hotel rates. Travelpass Group found the top five most popular U.S. cities being booked between May 1 to Sept. 30 this year are:
Las Vegas
Orlando, FL
Nashville, TN
Seattle
New York
No matter where you choose to explore this summer, Travelpass is creating better travel experiences with transparent pricing and easy-to-access support. According to 2022 data from Google, 43% of travelers stated that the length of the research cycle before completing a booking was at least one month. The company's platform streamlines the typically arduous trip-planning process so travelers can plan their whole vacation in one place, with 59% of summer travelers opting for the ease of booking over the phone with the support of the Travelpass team.
"Travelpass is for the explorer-at-heart. We are passionate about enriching people's lives through travel and that sentiment drives every aspect of this company," says Austin Lowe, Travelpass President. "This platform opens new doors while gathering a growing community of curious and fun travelers who want to inspire one another through their experiences. The adventure is just beginning."
Travelpass plans to roll out several new tools in the coming months, including an itinerary planning tool and a travel management app, as well as booking options for destination activities, such as concerts and sporting events. The platform will also host personalized travel agent support and complement its domestic inventory of hotels with international offerings. Explorers hankering for trip-planning guidance can turn to Travelpass for AI-fueled travel recommendations leveraging ChatGPT. Users will have the option to create and save draft itineraries and share them with friends and family to collaborate on.
About Travelpass
Travelpass Group unlocks adventure for all explorers, changing the landscape of travel planning by delivering a vast inventory of hotels and vacation experiences worldwide. Our mission is to open new doors and enrich people's lives through travel. We're not afraid to challenge ourselves and the status quo in order to create a better travel experience, and we love the thrill of finding the best possible value. We promise the straightforward, inside scoop on every destination, starting with great rates and supporting travelers throughout the journey.
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