Adding value as a GDS amid change
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By Ritesh Gupta (EyeforTravel.com)
How GDSs adapt and react to change would be a key challenge ahead for them, said Don Birch, President & CEO, Abacus International.
He said this at the inaugural session of Travel Distribution Summit Asia’s Executive Conference, held in Singapore.
“GDS along with travel agents and all industry players face considerable challenges in the coming months and years, driven by tighter economic conditions and increased competition following a sustained period of economic growth,” said Birch.
“For us all the ability to roll with the punches will be determined by three key factors – Adaptation, Innovation and Segmentation.”
Specifically, Asia is considered to be a complex and diverse market.
“We are still in the early stage of developing a credit culture, journeys are more complex, and there are numerous currencies, visas and IT platforms to contend with. These factors make comprehensive coverage expensive and risky, which in turn enhances GDS’s value as a distribution channel,” said Brett Henry, Vice President Agency Marketing, Abacus International.
Peter Smith, VP eCommerce, Amadeus said Asia’s dynamic mix, while posing challenges for the operators in the travel industry, also provides endless opportunities for new technology to be developed to fulfill the needs of travellers.
According to Smith, agencies need to tap into new strategies, such as optimising technology, to harness their business model for sustainable growth.
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