Hutchison Travel: Unbound
Sphere
#38
2015
26
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It also means that Hutchison Travel
can grow to its full potential. While
the previous company was limited to
Asian markets due to its relationship
with Priceline, Hutchison Travel has the
freedom to elevate the travel experience
for globetrotters everywhere.
hutchgo go go!
hutchgo.com is the new brand that is going
to compete on a global scale. Fresh, young,
and free to cater to a worldwide audience,
the growth of this newly branded OTA, as
it enters new markets, will be driven by the
decade-plus experience and network of
Hutchison Travel.
It may surprise some in Europe or the
Americas to learn that the travelling Asian
public can be extremely particular and
more brand conscious than their Western
counterparts. Tony Ma, CEO of Hutchison
Travel, explains that people in Hong Kong,
Singapore and Taiwan often forego lower
prices in order to maximise convenience,
and to stay at their favourite hotels and fly
with their favourite airlines.
“People have a preference for which
airlines and hotels they pick, choosing
beautiful hotels or local guesthouses
with distinguished characteristics
rather than some random hostels,”
says Mr Ma.
hutchgo.com crafts comprehensive
packages incorporating flights, hotel
rooms, theme park tickets, rental cars,
travel insurances, pocket Wi-Fi – and
soon – travel accessories and tourist SIM
cards. It offers not only high-value travel
experiences, but also high-value customer
experiences. This means including a
multi-channel customer offering. Many
are happy to complete their transactions
online only, but some want to have a real
person to speak to over the phone, often
while looking at their computer.
Hutchison Travel is totally committed
to the user experience and ensures that
when clients visit the website they have
the best possible buying experience. The
same goes for those who transition to, or
mix their browsing experiences with, a
phone call. While scrupulously following
local rules and norms regarding privacy,
hutchgo.com delivers not only the travel
experience but also an enjoyable buying
experience.
“Whenever a hotel or
an airline offers us
a discount, we announce it
on our website and social
media within four hours. ”
