Welcome to Safe2Travel on Zafiros
Safe2Travel, 166.241.25, Zafiros, Second Life – that’s the address of the new virtual travel agency launched by Abacus International and Safe2Travel, the Singapore-based corporate travel specialist, launched last week at the Abacus International Conference.
The shop is located in an ultra-modern, double-storied building with staff ready to handle travel enquiries from the eight million residents who claim to inhabit the virtual world of Second Life. Up to 300,000 are active at any one point in the community.
Taking the media on a tour of the virtual store front, Safe2Travel staff showed how a customer request made on Second Life could be handled in the virtual world and how the booking could then be translated to, and transacted in real life.
While fairly life-life in situation, thanks to the high-quality animation of Second Life “avatars”, the interaction between client and agency can be time-consuming – a lot of typing, for one – for any one unfamiliar with the workings of the site. And one can sense the challenges involved if it were a complicated request for, say, a multi-itinerary.
But it showed the possibility of how the virtual world can become another travel distribution channel for suppliers.
Lim Joon Kiat, general manager, commercial, from Safe2Travel, said the agency “decided to explore the boundaries of traditional travel distribution channels with this venture into Second Life”.
“Besides enjoying the full range of travel packages on offer, customers can also be assured of the highest standards of customer service and attentiveness that Safe2Travel provides to the customers in the real world.”
Mr Brett Henry, Abacus’ vice president, agency marketing, said the joint move into Second Life was more for research and development than a commercial initiative.
“With all online travel bookings in Asia Pacific projected to grow from US$15.9 billion in 2005 to US$55 billion by 2010, it is vital that we explore new frontiers of online booking and also find ways to connect with the alternative economies such as Second Life growing around the Internet.
“Rather than viewing the Internet as a threat to the travel agency business, Abacus believes that this channel is an excellent platform for travel agents make the most of this channel.”
Noting that Second Life was one example of a new generation of sites with user-generated content, he said, “We wish to explore Second Life because we know there is a close link between social networks and travel; and also between social networks and transactional networks. We are most interested in how these trends are coming together and how they could provide opportunities for travel agencies.”
Both Abacus and Safe2Travel however were unclear at this stage of the business model that would evolve in Second Life and how the VTA would evolve.
“We are exploring ideas at this stage,” said Safe2Travel’s Lim.
Corinne Wan
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