WEB BRIEFINGS: adMart Travel sends shockwaves in SAR
<p>Sending cyber shockwaves through bricks and mortar travel agents in
</p><p>Hong Kong, adMart Travel (www.admarttravel.com) was recently launched
</p><p>Web-wise with a real-world branch network.
</p><p><BR><BR>
</p><p>The Hong Kong-based travel retail chain offers consumers the option to
</p><p>reserve flights and packages on the Web, shop around for the best flight
</p><p>deals and even check weather forecasts.
</p><p><BR><BR>
</p><p>Swift payment of tickets is then possible by telephone, with free
</p><p>delivery or the choice to pay and collect from any of the 13 outlets
</p><p>scattered around Mass Transit Railway Stations (MTR) and city
</p><p>centres.
</p><p><BR><BR>
</p><p>AdMart Travel vice-president Harriet Chong told MEDIA that online
</p><p>booking capabilities would be in play this month, positioning the chain
</p><p>in direct competition with local travel agents, due to its reduced fare
</p><p>rates and use of the Galileo computerised reservation system.
</p><p><BR><BR>
</p><p>Customers in Hong Kong were, she added, still reluctant to divulge their
</p><p>credit card details over the phone, with call centre bookings raking in
</p><p>only 30 per cent of total bookings.
</p><p><BR><BR>
</p><p>"Sooner or later, people here will get used to ecommerce payment - it's
</p><p>just a matter of time," Ms Chong said.
</p><p><BR><BR>
</p><p>Injecting HK$20 million into advertising and marketing for 2000,
</p><p>the MTR outlets were, she noted, "the best retail exposure we can
</p><p>get".
</p><p><BR><BR>
</p><p>The budget also encompasses travel brochures, regular "value-deal" pages
</p><p>in Apple Daily and advertising in the Chinese-language lifestyle
</p><p>magazine Eat & Travel Weekly (also owned by adMart boss Jimmy Lai).
</p><p><BR><BR>
</p><p>While the website has not yet attracted major advertisers, Ms Chong
</p><p>believes that once auction, chatroom, budget tour and member newsletter
</p><p>facilities are established, the overall package would be "more
</p><p>attractive". With English and Chinese versions of the adMart Travel
</p><p>online, she said potential alliances with overseas agencies or website
</p><p>providers were also in the offing.
</p><p><BR><BR>
</p><p>"The future in the next year is eticketing, so (profit) margins will be
</p><p>getting slimmer - as it stands, more than 1,000 travel agents in Hong
</p><p>Kong are already scared by our presence."
</p><p><BR><BR>
</p><p>But Ms Chong said that adMart Travel was not a threat to local players -
</p><p>instead, it aimed to corner "the high-tech end of the business" and
</p><p>expand into overseas markets to drive traffic to the site.
</p><p><BR><BR>
</p>
by
|
03/17/2000
Sending cyber shockwaves through bricks and mortar travel agents in
Hong Kong, adMart Travel (www.admarttravel.com) was recently launched
Web-wise with a real-world branch network.
The Hong Kong-based travel retail chain offers consumers the option to
reserve flights and packages on the Web, shop around for the best flight
deals and even check weather forecasts.
Swift payment of tickets is then possible by telephone, with free
delivery or the choice to pay and collect from any of the 13 outlets
scattered around Mass Transit Railway Stations (MTR) and city
centres.
AdMart Travel vice-president Harriet Chong told MEDIA that online
booking capabilities would be in play this month, positioning the chain
in direct competition with local travel agents, due to its reduced fare
rates and use of the Galileo computerised reservation system.
Customers in Hong Kong were, she added, still reluctant to divulge their
credit card details over the phone, with call centre bookings raking in
only 30 per cent of total bookings.
"Sooner or later, people here will get used to ecommerce payment - it's
just a matter of time," Ms Chong said.
Injecting HK$20 million into advertising and marketing for 2000,
the MTR outlets were, she noted, "the best retail exposure we can
get".
The budget also encompasses travel brochures, regular "value-deal" pages
in Apple Daily and advertising in the Chinese-language lifestyle
magazine Eat & Travel Weekly (also owned by adMart boss Jimmy Lai).
While the website has not yet attracted major advertisers, Ms Chong
believes that once auction, chatroom, budget tour and member newsletter
facilities are established, the overall package would be "more
attractive". With English and Chinese versions of the adMart Travel
online, she said potential alliances with overseas agencies or website
providers were also in the offing.
"The future in the next year is eticketing, so (profit) margins will be
getting slimmer - as it stands, more than 1,000 travel agents in Hong
Kong are already scared by our presence."
But Ms Chong said that adMart Travel was not a threat to local players -
instead, it aimed to corner "the high-tech end of the business" and
expand into overseas markets to drive traffic to the site.
