If not for the internet, where do you think travel junkies can book their trips for free and without any sweat? What other sources they can use to share their photos and experience in a snap and without a fee? The use of the internet, therefore, is a major help and the best resource that anyone can get from getting information while planning a trip to booking and sharing the story behind the trip after.
Agoda.com has conducted a study and found out that more and more travelers are wired online in terms of finding information and sharing their experiences. The survey, conducted in April and May 2015, asked over 5,500 Agoda.com customers from all over the world which sources they found most reliable when making travel plans. Online forums were the most popular, with 34% of respondents choosing them. Blogs and independent websites came in second with 28% of the vote. Online sources combined, which includes forums, blogs, and travel apps, took 71% of the vote.
Agoda.com is the leading online accommodations provider in Asia and is known for its extensive network of 600,000 hotels globally. Agoda users can search, select the best price, and confirm booking instantly. SafeZone on the other hand is billed as “the free side of Internet.” These two recently collaborated to offer free data access for hotel bookings for Smart, Sun, and Smart Bro subscribers.
It is said that the use of digital services by Filipinos is really growing which is why the addition of Agoda.com to SafeZone’s roster of mobile apps and sites is indeed significant. Benjie Fernandez, the CEO of Voyager Innovations Inc., believes that the partnership can even lead to a measurable boost in the Philippine travel sector.
“Making it free and easy to book accommodations through Agoda.com via SafeZone means that Filipinos will be more mobile. They will visit other islands and travel to other countries. This will most directly help our local hotel industry, but Philippine companies in related fields, such as in air travel, should also see a boost,” Fernandez said.
Fernandez’s prediction is rooted in the fact that the SafeZone portal gets millions of visitors per month, empowering digital businesses that depend largely on web traffic. Publications get the page views they need to appeal to advertisers and e-commerce platforms get a larger funnel from which to convert visitors into users.
“We are excited to partner with the new innovation, SafeZone. And look forward to working closely together on strategic initiatives that empower even more Filipinos to securely and conveniently book their accommodation of choice online,” said Lennart Van der Beek, VP for Partner Development at Agoda.com.
Karina is not your ordinary supermom. She juggles her time bonding with her three amazing kids while being in the loop on the latest happenings in the tech and lifestyle scene. Follow me on Instagram (@digitalfilipina) regularly visit www.digitalfilipina.com for daily dose of updates not just for moms but for everyone!
