The internet is now playing a bigger role more than ever when it comes to researching and planning for travel. Where we get our inspiration to travel, how we gain information, where we book the nitty gritty details of travel is all done online now, without us even having to leave our homes or from the comforts of our office chairs. We can book our flights while commuting home via train or bus with the ever increasing existence of apps and mobile-friendly sites.
Major banking player United Overseas Bank (UOB) Malaysia recently revealed that they have observed a shift in the way their customers plan and book heir travels with 81% of their travel-related spend last year taking place online. This in fact a 35% increase from the previous year. Furthermore, majority of that spending goes into booking and purchasing flights (99%), hotels (58%) and travel agency services (85%).
Insights revealed at the launch of UOB's new online travel marketplace, The Travel Insider showed that travellers' today want to travel at the best deal and value but find the planning and research aspects of it cumbersome and tedious. It's no surprise considering that travellers spend hours trawling through online and offline resources just to create their ideal itinerary. On top of that, they also face the chore of comparing prices for hotels, tours or airfares, the volume of information needs to process can be cumbersome and time consuming.
Recognising a void to be filled and to provide added service and value to ts travel-oriented customer base, UOB announced the Malaysian arm of The Travel insider, the first online travel marketplace to be designed by a bank. The Travel Insider was first launched in Singapore in 2018 and has been extended to travellers in Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand.
The Travel Insider, first online travel marketplace by a bank
Serving as an all-in-one destination site, the Travel Insider aims to take the pain out of the process by gathering top insider tips, curated content to create travel guides and proposed itineraries. Travellers can also benefit from the pool of deals from UOB's travel partners. Of course, UOB members get additional benefits when they book or purchase via The Travel Insider. Amongst some of the over 100 partners on the new site are such as Agoda, Booking.com, Expedia and Singapore Airlines.
UOB members can also look forward to accessing the Marketplace once it has been integrated with the revamped UOB app in the near future.
To find out more, travellers can visit https://thetravelinsider.co/