Published on the 19/08/2015 | Written by Newsdesk
Kiwi business travel booking and expense management software vendor Serko has partnered with Expedia…
Serko said the partnership will give its customers the ability to search and book Expedia and Wotif branded content through its Serko Online booking tool.
In a statement, the company said the agreement allows it to offer Expedia’s Australia and New Zealand property inventory, as well as hotels globally which use the Wotif and Expedia brands.
CEO Darrin Grafton said the partnership ‘marks the beginning of a major transformation in the global market for hotel rooms’. “Serko has been successfully transforming the corporate travel booking value chain since 2007, and this is the next evolution.”
The agreement provides corporate travellers with expanded inventory and rates, leveraging Expedia’s dynamic supply and competitive pricing models. That, said Serko, should translate into a reduction in travel costs for its customers.
Expedia business development director Gabriel Garcia said the companies would jointly be looking to make a difference in the market, while “Continuing to position Expedia as a trusted supplier of hotel inventory to corporations across the Asia Pacific region.”
Grafton added that with the ongoing drive for cost savings in travel programs, and changes in Health and Safety legislation in Australia and New Zealand (which requires organisations to know exactly where employees are staying), the ability to book Expedia inventory through Serko Online ‘makes perfect sense’.
