Bali Means Business for Wotif Group

May 06, 10 | 1:52 am

Wotif Group, operator of leading travel brands in the Asia Pacific such as Wotif.com and AsiaWebDirect.com, last week celebrated the official opening of its fifth Asian office in Indonesia's popular tourist destination, Bali.

More than 120 General Managers and staff from Wotif Group's top supporting Indonesian hotel partners gathered at the office in Kompleks Perkantoran Ikat Plaza, Denpasar, Bali to celebrate the latest local members in the industry. Following a blessing of the office by a local Hindu priest, guests were feted with traditional delicacies as they toured the new office.

Said Robbie Cooke, Wotif Group CEO and Managing Director:

"We've seen constant and steady growth in sales for Indonesian properties through our sites, particularly in bookings for Bali as it's a consistently popular destination for Asia/Pacific based travellers, where our websites are most popular. Most recently, political unrest in Bangkok has also proved a boon for tourism in Indonesia as travel demand has shifted to alternative locations such as Bali and Jakarta.

"We're pleased and proud to make our presence in Bali more official with an office and bigger team who can better cater to the needs of our growing base of Indonesian properties and the increasing demand from the customers on our brands in Asia - Wotif.com, AsiaWebDirect.com and LateStays.com."

Indonesia ranked as Wotif.com's fifth most popular Asian region, based on bookings for 2009. Bali was also one of Wotif.com's top five Asian destinations in 2009, together with Singapore, Hong Kong, Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur.

Impressed with Wotif Group's focus on Indonesia as a destination, Gerard Guillouet, VP Operations for ACCOR Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore said:

"It's great news that Wotif Group has consolidated its presence in Indonesia. In Bali and Lombok alone, Accor Hotels has 7 properties operating and 4 under construction. We have enjoyed a very fruitful relationship with the Group, which is one of our longest and most valued distribution partners. Now that Wotif Group is focusing more resources on the country, we'll be able to collaborate with them even more effectively to attract visitors to Indonesia and help develop the local travel market."

Robbie added:

"More Indonesian hoteliers today are harnessing the benefits of online distribution, and are choosing to partner Wotif Group, as it offers low commission costs, free promotion and access to the millions of visitors on our websites. Wotif.com is the most popular accommodation website for Australian travellers who have always loved to travel to Bali, and AsiaWebDirect.com and LateStays.com attract a strong following within Asia, where Bali is also treasured. Being locally based means we can work more closely with our hotel partners to ensure they attract the right mix of our customers for their properties."

Over 800 Indonesian properties are currently listed on Wotif Group's websites (66% of which are in Bali). Earlier this year, Wotif Group received awards from hotel partners in Indonesia recognising its outstanding contributions as an online partner. These included:

• Excellence in Partnership 2009 and 10th Best Production from Discovery Kartika Plaza in Bali

• Best Growth - Asia Pacific Online Travel Agent for Accor Hotels in Bali & Lombok from the Accor Hotel Group

"These awards are a testament to our dedication to our hotel partners and the tangible value we bring to their business. With an increased focus on the region we hope to achieve many more in the next 12 months," said Robbie.

About Wotif Group

The Wotif Group operates leading online travel brands around the world, with emphasis on the Asia Pacific region.
 
We provide both business and leisure customers alike with a highly convenient booking service for all their travel needs. Our services are simple to use, value-focused, and provide a wide range of choice whether for accommodation, flights, car rental, insurance, travel packages or tours.

Our family of brands includes Arnold Travel Technology, Asia Web Direct, GoDo.com.au, lastminute.com.au, LateStays.com, travel.com.au, Wotflight, Wotif.com, as well as approximately 100 other travel-related websites.
 
We strive to be the first choice for business and leisure consumers travelling to, from and within the Asia Pacific region. Wotif Group sites offer our partners access to more than 7.5 million consumer visits every month. With each site offering unique advantages and access to different target markets, our travel and accommodation suppliers can tailor their online marketing and distribution strategies to suit their needs.
 
Since launching in 2000, we have grown to be a truly international company, employing over 450 staff in 13 countries on five continents. Our head office is in Australia, and we have additional offices in New Zealand, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, the United Kingdom and Canada. We listed on the Australian Securities Exchange in June 2006, trading under the ASX code "WTF". In 2008 the Company's operations expanded with the takeover of travel.com.au Limited and the purchase of the businesses conducted by Asia Web Direct (HK) Limited.