TDME talks to Ashley Monteiro, Managing Director of Pathfinders
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Elaborate on the on Pathfinder’s partnership with Centre Hospitality?
We have partnered with Centre Hospitality to represent ourselves in the Middle East. Concept Hospitality is a marketing, representation and consultancy company based in Dubai, looking after the Middle East market, particularly the GCC. The company connects suppliers to the travel agent, providing them unique products and services. As a company, we are very well established in the Indian sub-continent. We also understand that though close both the Indian sub-continent and the Middle East are quite different. We needed connect with the agents in this region and that is what Concept Hospitality will provide. We believe that this partnership with Centre Hospitality has that connect with the agent. We look forward to merging our strengths and interest while delivering excellent service to the Arabic market.
Which are your key target markets for the region?
We would start off with the UAE which would be our biggest market followed by Qatar, Kuwait. Having worked extensively in the Thailand market, we also see visitors from Bahrain, Oman and Saudi Arabia.
What unique offerings would the partnership bring to the region?
Pathfinders have built a reputation of doing destinations differently. We have a blog which focuses specifically on Thailand and while creating inputs for this blog, we consider new products that we can offer to our various markets. The Middle East is a very dynamic market and Thailand has some very unique offerings for the Middle East travellers. We would take Centre Hospitality’s understanding of the market, create and customize products for the Middle East market. We are looking at customizing on-ground services in Thailand which includes a welcome pack in English and Arabic and 24-hour assistance. We are also considering having an Arabic speaking staff to welcome guests in Thailand.
Which are your target segments?
We are looking at targeting the family, FITs, Groups and Honeymooners as well as the long-stay segments and expat communities.
What would be your unique tourism offerings?
We would like to focus on providing a unique experience of Bangkok, Phuket and Chiang Mai. In Chiang Mai, we want to bring out the cultural aspect of the region such as an experience of the night market and many more attractions.
What is your target growth?
We are initially looking at building the awareness in this region. Our target for the first year would be around 5,000 plus room nights. Once established, by the end of the second year, we will look at having a market share of around 10-12%.