COMMERCIAL TRAVEL
Operto | March 21, 2023
Operto Guest Technologies, a leading provider of automated solutions for 50 million-plus rooms in the global hospitality industry, today announced that it secured US$25 million in a Series-B financing round. The financing was led by Centana Growth Partners, with participation from Thayer Ventures, FUSE, Blackpines Capital Partners and Derive Ventures.
Proceeds from the round will be used to further fuel Operto’s aggressive expansion in the global short-term rental and hotel markets, where it already works exclusively with Accor Hotels to power its global digital key program. This includes luxury hotel brands such Fairmont and Raffles, where Operto’s revolutionary contactless digital solutions can be leveraged to remove common friction points in the guest journey, while lowering operating costs and driving new sources of revenue for the hotel.
"We are delighted to announce our B-Round funding, which will enable us to build upon our exceptional company growth over the past 3 years. It will accelerate our company mission to build cutting-edge technology solutions that drive amazing guest experiences, across the entire accommodation spectrum. In addition, our solutions will continue to deliver huge operational efficiencies for property owners and hosts by lowering costs and driving additional in-stay guest revenues, which is becoming increasingly important in today’s macroeconomic environment,” said Operto CEO Steve Davis. “Hospitality is one of the last major industries to be disrupted by technology, and we believe there is a significant opportunity to bring the benefits of simple, affordable automation to the sector. We are excited about the future, and we look forward to making a real difference to the accommodation industry."
“Operto is leading the digital transformation of the hospitality industry by creating a seamless, automated check-in and check-out experience for its customers,” said Eric Byunn, co-founder and partner at Centana Growth Partners. “Centana has been following the digitization of the hospitality industry closely, and we are very excited about this sort of innovative disruption streamlining the experience of owners, hosts, and guests. We will leverage our expertise in the payments and commerce ecosystem to work with Operto as they continue to innovate in an industry with such enormous potential.”
In addition to the funding announcement, Operto is pleased to announce that Sam Shank has joined the company’s Board of Directors. Shank, who was previously CEO and founder of HotelTonight and former head of Airbnb’s Commercial Team, brings a wealth of hospitality and travel industry experience to Operto. "Operto's cutting-edge technology solutions are reshaping the hospitality industry, and I am excited to be a part of the journey,” said Shank. “I look forward to working with the team to help drive growth and innovation."
Operto’s automated, customizable platform enables hotels, property managers and others to remotely provide access as well as monitor and control a wide range of devices and systems, including smartphone-enabled guest verification, security deposit and payment, electronic elevator and room access. By providing property managers with real-time data and insights, Operto helps streamline operations, reduce costs and enhance the guest experience.
Operto Guest Technologies is well-positioned to continue its rapid growth and expansion into new markets. The company is committed to delivering innovative solutions that help property managers improve efficiency, reduce costs and provide a better experience for their guests.
About Operto Guest Technologies
Operto Guest Technologies is a Vancouver-based company that provides smart property automation solutions for the hotel and vacation rental sectors. Operto’s platform enables property owners and managers to remotely monitor and control their properties, enhancing the guest experience while improving operational efficiency. The company's solutions can integrate with existing property management software and are customizable to meet the unique needs of each property. Operto Guest Technologies' solutions have been adopted by property managers and owners in over 100-countries worldwide.
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COMMERCIAL TRAVEL
PRnewswire | May 10, 2023
Wego, the largest online travel marketplace in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), has announced its partnership with flyadeal, the true low-cost airline in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and a subsidiary of Saudi Airlines Group, to offer its users the chance to directly book flights on flyadeal through its platform. MENA is a key market for Wego, and always tops the searches from this region. flyadeal, one of the youngest and fastest growing low-cost airlines in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Middle East, continues its expansion to the region.
flyadeal currently operates scheduled flights to 17 domestic destinations across Saudi Arabia and six in Europe, Middle East and Africa. From June, the airline will triple its international footprint with 12 additional destinations in Europe and Middle East. These are Rhodes and Heraklion in Greece; Sarajevo (Bosnia); Larnaca (Cyprus), Tivat (Montenegro); Izmir, Antalya, Bodrum and Trabzon in Turkey; Baku (Azerbaijan); Tbilisi, (Georgia); and Sharm el Sheikh (Egypt).The new partnership includes all flyadeal flights to Wego's marketplace where users can book directly with the airline. Wego is looking to provide its users with a wider choice of airlines to book from, by adding such a renowned airline to its portfolio.Con Korfiatis, flyadeal Chief Executive Officer, said: "We are delighted to partner with Wego, the biggest and renowned online travel marketplace in the MENA region. This collaboration will allow our customers to directly book flyadeal's wide choice and growing number of flights through Wego's platform, giving us the opportunity to distribute our products to a bigger audience, and showcase our competitive everyday fares. This partnership will further enhance our customers' travel experience and help us to better serve them."
Additionally, Wego's users will benefit from flyadeal fares which will be promoted across all Wego's marketing channels and will be able to search and book the most competitive deals online.Ross Veitch, CEO and Co-founder of Wego, said: "As the largest online travel marketplace in MENA we are delighted to announce our partnership with flyadeal, the fastest growing airline in KSA. We look forward to offering flyadeal's attractively priced fares to Wego's audience both in The Kingdom and also across our regional points of sale as flyadeal opens new international routes."Around 10,000 monthly bookings for flyadeal have been conducted.The top destinations searching for flights to Saudi were Egypt, India, Kuwait, UAE, Sudan, Oman, Turkey, Jordan, Morocco, and Qatar.Wego data also shows that 79% of travelers are staying up to 3 days with the remaining percentage staying 12 days or more. This collaboration ensures Wego users are always getting the most comprehensive selection of flight options possible across all its platforms.
About Wego
Wego provides award-winning travel search websites and top-ranked mobile apps for travelers living in the Asia Pacific and the Middle East regions. Wego harnesses powerful yet simple to use technology that automates the process of searching and comparing results from hundreds of airlines, hotels, and online travel agency websites.Wego presents an unbiased comparison of all travel products and prices offered in the marketplace by merchants, both local and global, and enables shoppers to quickly find the best deal and place to book whether it is from an airline or hotel directly or with a third-party aggregator website.
About flyadeal
On 23 September 2017, national day of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, flyadeal made its historic maiden flight from Jeddah to Riyadh marking a regional first for a low-cost airline to be launched only across digital and social media channels. Being the sister airline of full-service national carrier Saudia — both under the umbrella ownership of Saudi Arabian Airlines Corporation — flyadeal was created for the price conscious and tech savvy consumer in mind in a market where 80 per cent of the Saudi population is less than 40 and has at least two mobile phones.
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TRAVEL TECHNOLOGY
Apple Leisure Group | March 06, 2023
Apple Leisure Group (ALG), a travel services provider, has recently launched a new platform ALG Vacations (a part of Hyatt), dedicated for its customers’ vacation planning, connecting experts from travel industry.
Vacation planning for most Americans is arduous, and their travel gets complicated. With expert travel advisors, ALG Vacations help its customers with the ins and outs of travel, solution to every travel problem, and solve any issues during the journey. Its new platform ‘Travel Advisors Get You There’ offers resources and step-by-step guidelines for utilizing its network of professionals, helping with vacation planning without any tension. It is beneficial in current economic situations where airline inventory can be meager than expected.
ALG Vacations (ALGV) is a part of Hyatt, managed under Apple Leisure Group (ALG). It is a North American resort brand management, leisure travel, and hospitality group. It connects with growing vacation brands to transform the leisure travel experience worldwide. It was voted the ASTA Tour Operator Partner of the Year in 2020 and 2021.
The travel advisor from ALGV’s directory is an invaluable expert who can be trusted for customized vacations, reducing the stress of guesswork and the period of travel selection. With complete knowledge of deals and perks, they have the best insider tips, recommendations, and support for unexpected happenings. This solution empowers travelers with travel anticipation without any anxiety and offers support in any misfortune.
Executive Vice President of Apple Leisure Group Vacations, Jacqueline Marks said, “From the moment you start planning, put your getaway in the hands of someone who will be there to answer your questions and solve any issues.” She added, “From recommending the right hotel to coordinating entire wedding groups, travel pros can make your dream vacation a reality.”
(Source – Business Wire)
About ALG
Headquartered in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, ALG, a hospitality company, provides services for end-to-end Unlimited-Luxury vacation experiences, Luxury resort brand management, sales and marketing, partnering with hotel owners and developers to enhance the AMResorts brand, destination management, distribution channels, charter flights, and packaged vacations. Its infrastructure consists of travel industry innovators for exceptional travel experience and luxury. Its Vacation brands include Apple Vacations, BeachBound, Blue Sky Tours, CheapCaribbean, Funjet Vacations, Funway Holidays, United Vacations, Travel Impressions, and Southwest Vacations.
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