Expedia has announced the launch of Expedia Add-On Advantage, a new product offering for consumers to save time and money on hotel bookings. The Expedia Add-On Advantage allows customers to enjoy discounted bundled rates, even when they book their flights and hotels separately.

The new feature will allow travellers to add on a hotel deal at any time after purchasing their flight up until the day of the trip. On average, Indian travellers can secure up to 44 percent off the cost of their hotel purchase.

Add-On Advantage solution is ideal for travellers who prefer to have more time and flexibility to book their hotel before their trip starts. With a package, the traveller pays the entire cost up-front, while with Add-On Advantage, consumers have the flexibility of availing a hotel deal on the same trip at a convenient time, until your day of departure.

Expedia’s research and testing indicates that some travellers prefer to book a flight and hotel separately and with Add-On Advantage they can do just that. In a survey commissioned by Expedia this year, Indian travellers ranked number 3 as the most frequent flier, with an average of 7.6 flights taken in an year, compare to other countries in APAC region.

In an additional recent Expedia survey it also indicates that only 21.6% Indians would bundle their flight and hotel while the rest 78.4% book hotels post booking the flights in their convenient time, ranging from 24 hours to a month, missing out on potential savings by not bundling them together. The Expedia Add-On Advantage offers travellers a unique and flexible proposition to bundle and save, which Expedia believes will attract savvy travellers requiring more time and flexibility to book their trip.

Manmeet Ahluwalia, Marketing Head, Brand Expedia in India says, “As a consumer today with multiple online options, it is natural to spend time researching in order to bag great deals on anything we purchase. Consumers booking online travel products end up spending over 14 hrs on an average to find great deals on a vacation. Understanding the Indian traveller psyche well, we wanted to empower our consumers with the option of selecting great deals without spending countless hours on research. Add-On Advantage allows just that – saving money and time – together.

In a fast paced city, this option will help our travellers spend time on things they love to do – be it to pursue individual passions or to spend time with loved ones, while indulging during the holiday through cost savings. We want to make booking a vacation a hassle-free, relaxed experience for our consumers.

According to the study conducted by Expedia, 93% Indian travellers book their hotel within a week of booking their flights tickets. And if they get a hotel discount, 27% will book immediately, while a total of over 90% will book within the offer period.

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While rising Internet and smartphone access fuelled growth in Asia Pacific (APAC) in 2016, varied infrastructure development, digital payments adoption and regulations make for an uneven e-commerce landscape across the region. Phocuswright’s Asia Pacific Online Travel Overview Ninth Edition: Online Travel Agencies analyses the competitive dynamics throughout APAC, with insight into online travel agency (OTA) gross bookings and growth rates. The report takes a deep dive into the four major OTA trends in APAC.

APAC is the world’s third-largest OTA region: Gross bookings hit US$44.5 billion in 2015, up 15% over 2014 and are forecasted to reach $96.5 billion by 2020.

1- APAC Is the Fastest-Growing Major OTA Region Worldwide

Internet and smartphone penetration continue to rise, supporting travel bookings’ migration from offline to online channels in the region. With relatively underpenetrated online travel markets such as China, India and Southeast Asia fueling OTA growth, APAC OTA gross bookings grew 21% in 2016.

The supplier market structure also adds to OTA growth in the region. Broadly, the APAC air market is crowded and the hotel segment is highly fragmented, offering OTAs an advantage in aggregating and distributing varied content in one place.

2- Mobile Is the Norm

With ever-increasing smartphone penetration, APAC OTAs are allocating more resources toward mobile product development and marketing. Abetted by sales via apps, mobile share of OTA gross bookings in China hit 45% in 2015 – the highest in the world.

As technology companies, OTAs have a strong lead over suppliers across markets when it comes to mobile development and products. While suppliers largely focus on and distribute a single product/segment, most OTAs distribute an array of products within a single mobile platform, thus appealing more to consumers.

OTAs accounted for the majority of mobile gross bookings share in the region in 2016: India (86%), Japan (54%), China (52%).

Combined OTA mobile gross bookings for China, India and Japan were $14.7 billion in 2015, up 52% year-over-year. Continued discounting and price wars on mobile, however, dragged down transaction values (and put pressure on revenues) particularly in China and India, restraining OTA mobile gross bookings from growing at a faster rate.

3- Online Travel Funding Swells, Competition Intensifies

Aggregate publicly disclosed funding to APAC digital travel startups exceeded $14 billion from 2005 through 1Q16, accounting for 43% of global funding. New entrants are challenging the established order and deploying capital toward price wars to win customer loyalty.

Funding to the region’s online travel companies has accelerated dramatically in the last decade; Chinese startups attracted 75% of the total regional funding.

Incumbent OTAs face competition – and a threat of displacement – from emerging intermediaries, which are tapping into new categories, attracting investor dollars and gaining consumer traction.

4- Consolidation Hits APAC Shores

As the region’s online travel industry matures and growth softens, major e-commerce players and OTAs have made notable investments and acquisitions to strengthen their positions in several markets.

As consolidation looms in the region, it’s eat or be eaten for APAC OTAs.

Want more information on OTA trends in the region? Get it straight from the leaders of APAC’s biggest OTAs at Phocuswright India (February 28 – March 2, 2017, in Gurgaon, NCR, India). This year’s program features several sessions with APAC’s leading OTAs including a Joint Interview of MakeMyTrip and ibibo Group, Keynote by Yatra.com and Joint Interview of Fliggy (Alitrip) and Paytm among others.

View the full program here.

Phocuswright India provides an unmatched opportunity to meet, learn from and collaborate with Asia Pacific’s top decision makers. It brings together a good mix of speakers and attendees carrying wide experiences boosting the value for attendees. You can find details about all speakers here.

Register now to network and learn from Asia Pacific’s most innovative thinkers and leaders in the hospitality, travel and tourism industry.

The post Here are the top four Asia Pacific OTA trends to help you plan ahead appeared first on TravHQ.

Asia Pacific (APAC) continued to fuel the global economy last year, which was otherwise stifled by geopolitical uncertainties, the Zika virus endemic, multiple terrorist strikes in Europe and the related refugee crisis in the Middle East. APAC’s middle class population is at the core of the booming regional economy. Their rising discretionary income makes them a highly attractive demographic for lifestyle and service-oriented companies, including travel suppliers.

Phocuswright’s Asia Pacific Online Travel Overview Ninth Edition analyses the competitive dynamics throughout APAC, providing travel companies and marketers with a comprehensive view of the region’s travel market performance from 2014 – 2020.

Online outpacing total market growth

Varied market and segment online maturity will allow the APAC online market to grow at a faster pace than the total market through 2020.

With China accounting for 39% (and increasing) share of the APAC travel market, its online dynamics – and progress – will significantly influence regional online travel growth.

Most online travel markets within APAC will grow in double digits through 2020, with the exception of Japan and Australia – New Zealand (ANZ). Once the online frontrunners in the region, these countries are experiencing slowing growth due to high online penetration. Japan’s share of the APAC online travel market will shrink eight points to 18% by 2020. ANZ’s share will also reduce, from 10% to 6%, during the same period.

Supplier websites lead online travel distribution

Three out of five online dollars were transacted on supplier websites in 2015. Skewed by direct online distribution mechanisms already in place for low-cost carriers (LCCs) and railways, supplier websites have an upper hand in online distribution.

APAC supplier website gross bookings will climb 89% from US$60.7 billion in 2015 to $114.8 billion by 2020. Chinese airlines will add to supplier websites’ momentum. Per the new government policy, state-owned airlines have to sell at least half of their tickets through online direct channels by 2018.

However, by focusing on underserved segments, OTAs will grow faster than supplier websites and the online travel market. Supplier websites will steadily lost share through 2020.

APAC has the world’s highest mobile travel penetration

With a rising number of APAC travelers having access to the Internet and digital banking via their smartphones, mobile will be the fastest-growing online platform in the region. Combined mobile gross bookings of China, India and Japan will reach $105.9 billion by 2020, up 325% over 2015.

OTAs win at mobile

In APAC, online travel agencies are at the forefront of mobile innovation, development, marketing and distribution relative to the suppliers. In India, OTAs accounted for 88% of the mobile travel market in 2015, while their counterparts in China delivered 60% of the market’s mobile gross bookings in the same year. OTAs will remain the major force behind mobile bookings in APAC.

You can purchase the full report here for the trends, individual market dynamics, projections through 2020 and key findings from various segments and countries.

Want more information on APAC trends? Get it straight from the leaders of APAC’s travel companies at Phocuswright India (February 28 – March 2, 2017, in Gurugram, NCR, India).

Phocuswright India provides an unmatched opportunity to meet, learn from and collaborate with Asia Pacific’s top decision makers. Explore the trends, technology and turmoil affecting Asia Pacific travel market. See industry innovators during Battleground. Hear from the most influential travel leaders during Center Stage. Find practical advice you can put to work in your own business during workshops.

This year’s program features several sessions with APAC’s largest OTAs:

• Joint Interview: MakeMyTrip and ibibo Group. Two of india’s largest online travel companies have merged. Hear from their CEOs, Ashish Kashyap and Rajesh Magow, on where they go from here and what it means for the rest of the market.
• Keynote: Yatra.com. Hear from Yatra’s co-founder and CEO, Dhruv Shringi, on distribution, competition, discounting and running an OTA in the public eye.
• Joint Interview: Alitrip and Paytm. Step by step, Alibaba has emerged as a prominent force – and investor – in the Chinese digital travel distribution space. Hear about Alibaba’s travel ambitions through a combined interview with the heads of its travel businesses in China and India, Tony Duan and Abhishek Rajan.

View the full program here.

This year’s speakers include:

• Oliver Hua, Managing Director, APAC, Booking.com
• Dhruv Shringi, Co-Founder and CEO, Yatra Online Pvt. Ltd.
• Amanpreet Bajaj, Country Manager, India, Airbnb
• Albert Pozo, President, Amadeus Asia Pacific, Amadeus IT Group S.A.
• Geeta Jain, CEO, India, Carlson Wagonlit Travel
• View all speakers

Register now to network and learn from Asia Pacific’s most innovative thinkers and leaders in the hospitality, travel and tourism industry.

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