- “Many Western hoteliers are completely unaware of the Golden Week period – they have just heard of Chinese New Year it seems – but this is a significant travel period which many Chinese people use to travel abroad,” said DidaTravel’s Chief Commercial Officer, Nicky Ussamarn.

  - Driven by favorable visa policies, increased flights, and interest in global destinations, Chinese outbound travel has rebounded.   - DidaTravel advises Western hoteliers to showcase high-quality room photos and detailed descriptions, accept Chinese payment methods, offer visa services, focus on B2B retail sales, and target young, wealthy Chinese travellers, among other things.   As we approach the longest holiday season in China, DidaTravel – China’s largest outbound wholesaler of accommodation and flights – is helping hotelier partners around the world to prepare by highlighting the Golden Week (also known as National Day) festival in October.   The company is firstly drawing attention to the fact that the national holiday calendar this year is different from last year's, which saw a combined Mid-Autumn Festival and Golden Week period to create one of the longest ever holiday periods suitable for extended travels.   Instead this year the Mid-Autumn Festival runs from Sunday, September 15th, to Tuesday, September 17th, making a short holiday period that creates a long weekend, meaning Chinese travellers are likely choose short domestic getaways to visit family.   However, 'Golden Week', will occur from October 1st to October 7th, 2024, making this seven-day holiday one of the busiest travel periods in China, as tens of millions of people make the most of the break to go on vacation and take advantage of long-haul trips.   Typically in China travellers tend to book hotels and flights within a week for domestic travel and 2-4 weeks in advance for long-haul trips. Hence, in order to attract Chinese travellers for international travel during the Golden Week, it’s essential for Asia Pacific, Middle Eastern and Western hoteliers to prepare now.   This year, moreover, China’s outbound travel has bounced back, driven by more favourable visa policies, increased airline capacity, and a growing interest in diverse global destinations. As the demand for international travel rises, Dida Travel advises Western hoteliers to take the following steps to cater to Chinese travellers’ preferences during the Golden Week:  

1. Showcase Room Photos: Use high-quality images to attract potential guests.
2. Detailed Room Descriptions: Clearly state room sizes in square metres.
3. Room Amenities: Ensure each room has a kettle and tea, and clearly state this on the website.
4. Payment Methods: Accept Chinese payment methods such as WeChat Pay and Alipay.
5. Social Media Presence: Open WeChat and other relevant social media accounts for customer service.
6. Visa Services: Provide visa arrangements for Chinese travellers where available.
7. B2B Retail Sales: Focus on B2B retail sales, not just B2C channels.
8. Last-Minute Bookings: Be prepared for last-minute bookings, as Chinese travellers often make spontaneous travel decisions.
9. Targeting Young Travellers: Market to younger travellers, as China has a higher percentage of wealthy Millennials and Gen Z compared to Europe and the Americas.

  “Many non-Chinese hoteliers are completely unaware of the Golden Week period – they have just heard of Chinese New Year it seems – but this is a significant travel period which Chinese people use to travel abroad and as such these hoteliers could be missing out,” said Nicky Ussamarn, DidaTravel’s Chief Commercial Officer “Understanding what Chinese travellers want is crucial for Western hoteliers to tailor offerings and experiences that match these changing preferences. Our insights and recommendations are designed to help hoteliers align their services with the specific needs and expectations of Chinese tourists, ensuring a more enjoyable and satisfactory experience for this fast growing market segment.   “Simply having a Chinese language website or even employees on your property is just not enough. We want to remind hoteliers looking to attract Chinese travellers for the Golden Week festival period that there is still time to adapt – even if this is the first they hear of the festival – as travellers plan their long-haul trips only two to four weeks in advance!”

Germany hotels have reaped the benefits of the UEFA Euro 2024 tournament. Tech-driven global travel wholesaler DidaTravel has crunched the hotel booking numbers, highlighting how the tournament has significantly boosted local economic impact. Based on DidaTravel bookings, Gelsenkirchen has experienced a huge 786% increase in year-on-year bookings. Other cities experiencing a significant uptick include Leipzig (570%), Dortmund (329%), Munich (124%), and Frankfurt (62%). Cities such as Cologne, Düsseldorf, Stuttgart, Berlin and Hamburg have also benefited from this surge. Overall, the average daily rate (ADR) for Germany hotels based on DidaTravel’s bookings  increased by more than one-third during the tournament compared to last year. DidaTravel booking data revealed that the average length of stay remains consistent with last year, averaging about two days per destination. There has however been a notable shift in the average booking window, which increased from 17 days in advance to 28 days. Gareth Matthews, CMO of DidaTravel said: "Smaller cities such as Gelsenkirchen, a destination not used to such high demand have much to celebrate.” For travel sellers around the world this underscores the importance of working with a B2B accommodation partner who can source hotels in secondary and tertiary destinations.” All data was based on bookings made through DidaTravel's platform and distribution channels. 

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• Year-to-date USA destination hotel sales (TTV*) from source markets worldwide have grown by +205% compared to the previous 12 months.
• The top 5 source markets booking the USA on Dida’s platform are China (+277%), Brazil (+229%), UK (+110%), Italy (+125%) and South Korea (+310%).
• The top 5 most popular US destinations include New York, Miami, Las Vegas, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.
• DidaTravel has a portfoilo of 10,000 directly contracted hotels in the US (+60% growth year-on-year), with a healthy average ADR** growth of +21%.
• This announcement comes just ahead of the IPW show in Los Angeles, where DidaTravel’s America’s team will be exhibiting.

  DidaTravel – a tech-driven global travel wholesaler – today announced impressive year-to-date sales growth to USA destinations.   For DidaTravel - the leading wholesaler in China and APAC - global expansion, and the USA in particular, have been a key strategic focus over the past few years and the year-to-date TTV* growth of +205% inbound to the US, outstripping the wider market, is testament to the success of this strategy.   This inbound US growth has been generated from Dida’s global client portfolio that features more than 35,000 travel trade clients, including tour operators, travel agents and airlines, distributing to the 125 source markets in which DidaTravel is active. The current top five markets driving the fastest growth into the US, via Dida’s platform include China (+277%), Brazil (+229%), UK (+110%), Italy (+125%) and South Korea (+310%).   The most popular US cities booked on Dida’s platform include New York, Miami, Las Vegas, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. The company has expanded rapidly across all key US destinations, with a +60% year-on-year increase in the size of Dida’s directly contracted US portfolio, which now stands at 10,000 properties and continues to grow, many of them contracted under unique or differentiated conditions.   Average, year-on-year ADR increases in the US of +21% complete the positive picture for DidaTravel’s hotel partners.   Suman Khan – Director of International Chains commented "As one of the most visited countries in the world, offering such iconic destinations, the US is clearly of key strategic importance to a global travel wholesaler like DidaTravel. We are therefore delighted that we continue to go from strength to strength and register such rapid sales growth across US destinations.   For our hotel partners, Dida’s global B2B reach and distribution capability, fully aligned and complementary to their direct marketing strategies, helps them to effectively meet their occupancy targets while attracting high value guests from hard-to-reach markets.   We are very grateful to all our partners for their continued confidence in Dida and we look forward to meeting many of them at the upcoming IPW show".   DidaTravel will be exhibiting at IPW in Los Angeles, booth 751, May 3rd – 7th   *TTV = Total Transaction Value **ADR = Average Daily Rate All data is based on bookings made via DidaTravel’s platform and distribution channels and compares the full year performance up to 15^th April 2024, versus the prior 12 months.

 

• Year-to-date outbound TTV* sales from across the GCC source markets have grown by an average of +104% compared to the 12 months previous.
• The fastest growing source markets were Saudi Arabia (+202%), Qatar (+199%), Kuwait (+157%) and Bahrain (+104%).
• Top international destinations booked by GCC travellers included the UK, Turkey, Thailand, USA, Indonesia and Malaysia.
• From an inbound perspective, the top international source markets booking to the GCC region on Dida’s platform included China, India, UK and USA, with strong average ADR** growth of +31% being recorded across the region.

  DidaTravel – a tech-driven global travel wholesaler – today announced, strong year-to-date sales growth from across GCC source markets and destinations ahead of the ATM show.   For DidaTravel, the leading B2B travel wholesaler in China and APAC, the GCC region has been of increasing strategic focus over the past few years and the year-to-date growth is testament to the success of this strategy with an average outbound sales increase of +104% from GCC source markets.   The fastest growing GCC markets were Saudi Arabia (+202%), Qatar (+199%), Kuwait (+157%) and Bahrain (+104%), while the most popular destination countries were the UK, USA, Turkey, Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia.   From an inbound perspective, the most popular GCC destinations continue to be Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Riyad, Doha and Jeddah. Year-to-date average daily rates (ADRs), for GCC destinations booked through DidaTravel’s platform and distribution channels have grown by a very positive average of +31%.   In addition, DidaTravel’s flight distribution business has been growing very fast across the GCC region with average regional outbound sales growth of +556% year-to-date.   Jinyan Li - VP of Global Account Management at DidaTravel commented "For DidaTravel, the GCC region is of paramount strategic importance from both a source market and destination perspective, so it is great to see such positive results over the past 12 months after all the hard work of both our sourcing and distribution teams.   We are grateful to all our hotel and distribution partners in the region for their continued confidence in Dida and we look forward to meeting everyone at the upcoming ATM show".

Travel distributor DidaTravel has inked a deal with Visit Oman to help boost inbound tourist arrivals to the Gulf state. A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed at ITB Berlin. The partnership outlines areas of collaboration which include DidaTravel offering Visit Oman's contracted hotels, transfers, and experiences to China based travel partners via API integration. It will give Visit Oman access to DidaTravel's portfolio of Chinese travel trade customers. They will embark on joint marketing initiatives to increase brand awareness and drive travel demand from China to Oman. Jinyan Li, VP Global Account Management at DidaTravel said "This collaboration holds immense potential to foster cultural exchange and strengthen ties between our nations". DidaTravel works with over 30,000 travel buying clients around the world, including travel agencies, tour operators, wholesalers, OTAs and TMCs.

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• DidaTravel, the global B2B travel distributor, has achieved rapid growth rates in its European source markets with Europe now representing over 20% of its total business.
• DidaTravel’s sales acquisition team, including Frank Wöller, Patrice Vales, Paul Riches, and Jessica Cifuentes provide Dida with a breadth of experience in this market and have been instrumental in driving DidaTravel's growth across Europe.
• DidaTravel's Flight business is also rapidly growing, serving 500+ global airlines and 20,000+ routes, with substantial growth across Asia, Europe, Americas and the UK.

  DidaTravel – a tech-driven global travel distribution company, is pleased to announce remarkable sales growth across key European source markets as part of its highly effective global expansion strategy first launched in 2018.   DidaTravel, a leader in China and Asia Pacific source markets embarked on its global expansion strategy in 2018, and the results since have been exceptional with year-to-date 2023 sales significantly outperforming the same period comparing both 2019 and 2022. This growth highlights Europe's increasing significance in the companies’ business which now represents over 20% of its total revenue and continues to grow in significance. The top four European source markets for the company are Spain, UK, Italy, and France.  

• Spain: In the Spanish market, DidaTravel has witnessed an extraordinary surge in growth. Comparing year-to-date (YTD) 2023 sales figures with YTD 2019, the growth rate stands at an astounding 358%. Even comparing the same period of the previous year (2022), the growth rate is still a remarkable 182%. The top five destinations for the Spanish market booked via DidaTravel’s platform are the USA, Japan, Thailand, Italy and UAE.

 

• United Kingdom: The UK is another source market where DidaTravel is making a big impact. Its YTD 2023 sales growth rate versus 2019 stands at an impressive 341%, indicating a steady ascent in its influence in this important market. Even comparing to the year prior (2022), Dida has achieved a remarkable growth rate of 224%. The top five destinations for the UK market, include the USA, Italy, UK, Thailand and Turkey, highlighting the global appeal of DidaTravel's

 

• Italy: Italy has also witnessed a steady upward trajectory within DidaTravel's portfolio. YTD 2023, the growth rate versus 2019 hit 312%. And comparing 2022, DidaTravel posted a sales growth rate of 97%. The top five destinations for the Italian market, include Italy itself, USA, France, Spain and UK.

 

• France: DidaTravel's entry into the French market (which commenced after 2019), has been nothing short of remarkable with the growth rate comparing YTD 2022 standing at an impressive 356%. This rapid rise highlights the company's ability to establish a strong presence in new markets quickly. The top five destinations for French travellers are: France, USA, Italy, Spain and the UK.

  DidaTravel's growth rates across top European markets reflects not only the quality of Dida’s technology and product portfolio but also its client acquisition team which includes the following industry veterans:  

• Frank Wöller, VP of Business Development, EMEA leads the EMEA client acquisition team. Frank joined DidaTravel in April, focusing on new API client acquisition, with a special emphasis on the UK, Germany, France, Spain, and Italy.
• Patrice Vales, Sales Director South Europe. With over 30 years of experience in the tourism and tech industries, Patrice brings a wealth of knowledge to DidaTravel, having held key roles in various prestigious industry companies.
• Paul Riches: Serving as a sales consultant, Paul’s experience is helping to develop DidaTravel's client acquisition efforts across the UK and Ireland.
• Jessica Cifuentes: Jessica plays a key role as a Sales Development Representative for EMEA, contributing to the company's new client acquisition approach across the region.

  DidaTravel's flight business is also experiencing rapid growth. The company's product portfolio includes 500+ global airlines and 20,000+ routes. In the first nine months of 2023, the airline ticketing business saw remarkable growth, especially in its Asia, Europe, North America, and the UK markets with growth rates respectively of 388%, 195%, 188% and 174% quarter-on-quarter in Q3.   DidaTravel is thrilled to showcase this outstanding growth at WTM, underscoring its commitment to be a leading B2B travel distributor across Europe and worldwide. The company's dedication to leading technology, global expansion and customer satisfaction continues to drive its success.   Visit DidaTravel at WTM London, stand N10-311, from November 6th to November 9th, hosted at the ExCeL centre in London.

 

• DidaTravel announces hotel bookings surpassing pre-pandemic 2019 volumes by 93% this summer season.^*
• Global ADR (Average Daily Rate) has also increased by 35% YOY and surpassed 2019 level by 7% when comparing the same period.^*
• Return of traveller confidence with increasing booking lead times across all outbound markets globally.

  DidaTravel – a tech-driven global travel distribution company – reveals that their global hotel bookings for the summer season (June 1 - August 31) have already surpassed 2019 levels by an impressive 93% increase compared to the same period in 2019.   This surge in bookings signals Dida’s expansion and growth globally as well as the strong recovery of the wider hotel sector, including most recently the APAC region.   Summer Bookings Reach New Heights   When looking at reservations made for the August period through DidaTravel’s platform they have skyrocketed by 214% year-on-year, indicating a strong rebound in travel demand.   Meanwhile hotel bookings in European destinations have witnessed a remarkable 123% increase in reservations year-on-year for the June, July and August arrival period. While hotel bookings for the same period in destinations in the APAC, Middle East & Africa, and Americas have seen growth rates of 68%, 65%, and 16% respectively, contributing to the global recovery.   Average Daily Accommodation Rate (ADR) on the Rise   As a global average, the ADR has increased by 35% year-on-year for the period, surpassing 2019 levels by 7%.   However, APAC and Americas are trailing just below 2019 levels, with ADR year-on-year increases of 55% and 14% respectively.   Nonetheless Europe and the Middle East & Africa have exceeded 2019 levels, with ADR increases of 29% and 23% respectively year-on-year, showcasing a strong recovery in these regions.   Extended Advance Booking Window   With the relaxation of travel restrictions in APAC, travelers are displaying increased confidence to book hotels further in advance – rising to an average of 23 days from just 10 during the same period last year, and even surpassing the average of 21 days in 2019.   However, for other markets whilst the booking window has increased significantly it has still not returned to 2019 levels yet. For example Europe is at 31 days, up from 24 last year but below the 2019’s level of 41 days. Meanwhile Americas is at just 19 days, up from 12 last year but well below the 37 days of 2019. Finally, the Middle East & Africa is at 12 days, up from 8 last year but also below 2019’s level of 18.   Top Summer Destinations   Ranked by accommodation bookings.     Rikin Wu, CEO DidaTravel commented, “As the summer season progresses, the hospitality industry across APAC and worldwide has undergone a remarkable recovery. We are excited to witness such incredible growth numbers, even compared to pre-pandemic. This is testament to the success of Dida’s international expansion strategy as well as the wider rebound in both short-haul and intercontinental travel this summer.   “With the increasing confidence of travelers and the relaxation of travel restrictions in APAC we expect the positive trend in hotel bookings to continue."   *All figures quoted in this press release are based on DidaTravel's accommodation booking data for reservations made for the 2023 summer season of June, July and August.  

 

• Frank joins as VP of Business Development to further grow DidaTravel’s client base of travel distribution companies across the EMEA region.
• Over 50% of DidaTravel’s sales are now generated outside of APAC, offering hotel partners access to high-value incremental bookings from around the world.
• With almost 30 years of industry experience, Frank joins from Nezasa and has held senior commercial roles at Hotelbeds, GTA, Kuoni Destination Management and TUI.

  DidaTravel – a tech-driven global travel distribution company – has announced today that Frank Wöller has joined as VP of Business Development for EMEA to further strengthen and grow the company’s global position as a leading player in the accommodation distribution market.   In this newly created role Frank will be responsible for new API client acquisition in EMEA to help further grow DidaTravel’s current base of over 23,000 B2B buyers – including travel agents, tour operators, OTAs, TMCs and MICE – that already provide over 50% of all sales globally from outside of the company’s traditional APAC home.   Focusing in particular on the UK, Germany, France, Spain and Italy (while expanding into many other markets), Frank will ensure that the companies portfolio of over 51,500 competitively sourced direct hotel contracts – as well as 700,000 hotel products provided by 600+ global suppliers – gain access to high-value, hard-to-reach and incremental bookings from Europe’s most important outbound markets.   With almost 30 years of senior level experience in the travel industry, Frank joins from Nezasa where he was VP of Sales and has previously held senior commercial positions at industry leaders such as Hotelbeds, GTA, Kuoni Destination Management and TUI.   Rikin Wu, DidaTravel’s Founder & CEO comments: “We have had a long and very productive industry relationship with Frank over the years and we are very excited to now have him join the team. His relationships with the whole of the travel community across the EMEA region is first class and he is well known for his industry experience and expertise”   Whilst Frank Wöller, VP of Business Development for EMEA added: “Speaking as both a former partner and competitor, I have been a huge admirer of the company for many years and it gives me enormous pride to take on this important role just as travel looks set to outperform 2019 volumes. Leaving aside the unparalleled portfolio of directly contracted hotels around the world, the real differentiating factor for me here is the unbeatable technology and innovation that DidaTravel offers to all partners.”    This news follows the announcement late last year by DidaTravel of the launch of a B2B flight booking multi-GDS portal – including access to full-service carriers, low-cost carriers (LCCs), and new distribution capability (NDC) content – featuring 500+ airlines flying to more than 20,000 destinations around the world.

Global hotel wholesaler DidaTravel announced its latest senior appointment. Gareth Matthews joins as Chief Marketing Officer with responsibility for developing the company’s brand positioning, digital marketing and PR worldwide. Effective April 3 2023, it is a key role in scaling DidaTravel’s growth and global reach. Matthews is a marketing executive with over 22 years of experience in the travel and technology sectors. He held senior marketing leadership roles in both TUI Group and Hotelbeds, where he led international marketing teams. Rikin Wu, DidaTravel's founder and CEO said: "We are really pleased to have Gareth at this pivotal moment in our success story.” "I’m really excited to be joining a really dynamic, ambitious and fast-growing company,” Matthews said.  

 

• DidaTravel develops multi-GDS flight booking portal giving access to 500 plus airlines offering 20,000 destinations globally, including both legacy and low-cost carriers.
• Launch provides DidaTravel’s 23,000 B2B customers with the added option of combining flights and accommodation to boost their ancillary revenues using dynamic packaging.
• Jason Guan joins the company as Flight Business Unit General Manager, reporting directly to Rikin Wu, DidaTravel Founder & CEO.

  DidaTravel – A tech-driven integrated travel service provider – has today launched its B2B flight booking multi-GDS portal, including access to full-service carriers, low-cost carriers (LCCs), and new distribution capability (NDC) content.   DidaTravel’s 23,000 B2B buyers around the world – such as travel agents, tour operators, OTAs, TMCs and MICE – can now access flights from 500 plus airlines to fly to more than 20,000 destinations around the world.   Going forward clients will have the added option of combining flights with accommodation to boost their ancillary revenue thanks to dynamic packaging technology that also includes in-path and post-booking cross-selling tools.   Packaging of flights with accommodation is already available through the company’s new flight booking engine or as an XML / API integration, with dynamic packaging to be integrated at the end of 2022. In addition, currently there is an option for clients to query flight prices manually.   To lead this new area, Jason Guan – who joined DidaTravel last year – has now been appointed as Flight Business Unit General Manager, reporting directly to Rikin Wu, DidaTravel Founder & CEO. This new team consists of specialists with expertise in the area of system analysis and design, system architecture and modelling, development and coding, testing and implementation.   Rikin Wu, DidaTravel’s Founder & CEO comments: “Following years of partners asking for flight products, during COVID we put aside the time and resources to prepare for this properly and I´m excited that we are now ready to launch. Given our network of 23,000 B2B travel sellers globally and our unique dynamic packaging capabilities I feel confident that we will be able to grow and scale our flight business under the leadership of Jason.”   Jason Guan, DidaTravel’s Flight Business Unit General Manager added: “I am so pleased to join DidaTravel. We have put together a team of top-notch professionals to provide our 23,000 B2B travel selling clients with the best booking technology and customer support available. We have an ambitious expansion plan that adds value to all tourism stakeholders.”  

Global hotel wholesaler DidaTravel has expanded its partnership with Thailand based Centara Hotels & Resorts As part of the agreement, 48 of Centara Hotels & Resorts properties globally are now available to DidaTravel’s B2B buyers at preferred rates. Thirty-nine of these properties are in Thailand with the other 9 in Oman, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, the Maldives, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam. DidaTravel’s B2B buyers around the world will continue to gain access to real-time inventory from all of Centara Hotels & Resorts’ brands, including: Centara Reserve, Centara Grand, Centara, Centara Boutique Collection, Centra by Centara and COSI. The the expanded agreement will include closer cooperation on marketing campaigns such as online promotions and roadshows to help reach more offline travel sellers in China. Additionally, the hotel chain will now benefit from DidaTravel’s business intelligence (BI) reports to provide in-depth market data and insights. Through the partnering, the hotel chain expands its global B2B reach by 23,000 B2B buyers, including travel agencies, tour operators, airlines and TMCs. Rikin Wu, DidaTravel Founder & CEO said, “Through these special discount rates we´ll now be able to deliver Centara Hotels & Resorts even more incremental bookings from international travellers that are now starting to venture abroad again.” This deal forms part of DidaTravel’s plan to increase the number of directly contracted hotels by the end of 2022 to 74,000, with over 30 hotel chains already in the pipeline. DidaTravel’s B2B buyers are based in more than 50 source markets worldwide.

 

• DidaTravel’s travel agencies, tour operators, airlines and TMCs access special rates at 48 of Centara Hotels & Resorts’ properties globally.
• Centara Hotels & Resorts accesses DidaTravel’s 23,000 B2B buyers in 50 source markets globally, half of whom are now non-APAC.
• Deal also includes closer marketing cooperation and supply of business intelligence (BI) services.

  DidaTravel – a leading global hotel wholesaler – has today announced an expansion of a long-standing partnership with Centara Hotels & Resorts, Thailand’s leading hotel operator who delivers gracious Thai service and family values.   As part of the agreement 48 of Centara Hotels & Resorts properties globally are now available to DidaTravel’s B2B buyers at special rates – with 39 of those properties in Thailand and the other 9 in Oman, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, the Maldives, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam.   Meanwhile DidaTravel’s B2B buyers around the world will continue to gain access to real-time inventory from all of Centara Hotels & Resorts’ brands, including: Centara Reserve, Centara Grand, Centara, Centara Boutique Collection, Centra by Centara and COSI.   Other important aspects of the expanded agreement will include closer cooperation on marketing campaigns such as online promotions and roadshows to help the hotel chain reach more offline travel sellers in China. Plus the hotel chain will now benefit from DidaTravel’s business intelligence (BI) reports to provide in-depth market data and insights on sales channels to target, along with accurate pricing suggestions.   Through partnering with DidaTravel, the hotel chain significantly expands its global B2B reach by accessing 23,000 B2B buyers, including travel agencies, tour operators, airlines and TMCs – who all together have helped DidaTravel become one of the top 12 suppliers of hotel bookings for the destination of Thailand, based on recent data from Siteminder.   Rikin Wu, DidaTravel Founder & CEO said, “Through these special discount rates we´ll now be able to deliver Centara Hotels & Resorts even more incremental bookings from the international travellers that are now starting to venture abroad again. A big part of the value we add at DidaTravel though also comes in the form of data and insights based on our BI services and we’re really excited that Centara Hotels & Resorts will be using these too.”   Tabatha Ramsay, Executive Vice President - Corporate Commercial of Centara Hotels & Resorts said, “We have gained great value out of partnership with DidaTravel since 2019 and recognize its significant ability to put heads on beds in Thailand (and other destinations) that might not otherwise have come. We are excited to start benefiting from DidaTravel’s BI technology to help us gain even more incremental sales and raise yields higher still.”   This deal forms part of DidaTravel’s recently announced plan to increase the number of directly contracted hotels by the end of 2022 to reach 74,000, with over 30 hotel chains already in pipeline.   DidaTravel’s B2B buyers are based in more than 50 source markets worldwide and over half of them are now based outside of APAC.   Such B2B buyers typically offer hotels incremental bookings from long-haul guests who often stay for longer, book further in advance, cancel less and spend more at the property.