Advantage Travel Partnership and WIN Global Travel Network have agreed a partnership with AI technology provider Grapevine to use their Marvin AI engine to target travellers who have booked a flight but not an associated hotel or other in-destination spend.
Advantage says 70 per cent or more of bookings have no attached hotel and TMCs often capture little to no in-destination spend. Marvin will make personalised recommendations to travellers that are in-policy and in the preferred booking channel.
The organisations say the tie-up will “deliver a consumer-grade, total-trip user experience for travellers, enhanced duty of care for TMC customers and increased revenues for TMCs”.
Advantage Travel Partnership’s head of business travel services and events Sonia Michaels said: “Increasing accommodation and other ancillary attachment rates and capturing in-destination spend will be core to TMC recovery post-pandemic. Duty of care is also higher than ever on corporate customers’ agendas and having a single channel for all these bookings is critical to delivering value to TMC clients.”
Grapevine launched its accommodation recommendations product with Advantage member Gray Dawes in February, and the TMC will soon be rolling out other ancillaries such as airport parking, car hire, meeting rooms and transfers, in-trip offers, such as fast track security and lounge access before introducing in-destination ‘bleisure’-focused recommendations, such as restaurants, ground transportation, live entertainment, attractions or guided tours.
Gray Dawes CEO, Suzanne Horner, said: “Post-pandemic, TMCs will need to adopt a proactive retailing strategy to survive. Grapevine offers a unique turnkey solution at a very attractive ROI to help them achieve this.”