Happy meetings with WebBeds, one of the world’s largest B2B accommodation providers. Photo Credit: WebBeds
WebBeds, which acts as an intermediary connecting hotels and other
travel service suppliers to a distribution network of global travel
buyers, recently staged two “speed dating” events in Indonesia that put
the country’s travel buyers in contact with leading hoteliers from
Singapore and Malaysia.
The events took place at Pullman Jakarta Central Park and at
DoubleTree by Hilton Surabaya. This came in response to the latest
insights from WedBeds’ booking data, which underlined the importance of
Indonesia as a key source market for Singapore and Malaysia.
In 2023, Indonesia accounted for close to 15% of business at
Singapore’s hotels and experienced a growth of more than 50%
year-on-year for Malaysian hotels. Within these totals, arrivals from
Jakarta and Surabaya comprised more than 75% of Indonesian visitors.
Armed with these statistics, WebBeds aimed to empower hoteliers in
Singapore and Malaysia to maximise the opportunities presented by the
all-important Indonesian source market by organising these two events in
Jakarta and Surabaya, in partnership with Tourism Malaysia and the
Singapore Tourism Board.
Each event followed the same fast-paced, high-energy format.
Representatives from 38 hotels, resorts and hospitality companies in
Singapore and Malaysia were able to meet face-to-face with top
Indonesian travel agencies in a round robin format, where every buyer
met every hotel, ensuring that all attendees found their match. Tourism
Malaysia and WebBeds also gave presentations of the latest updates and
attractions in each destination.
“With their proximity, shared cultural links and strong connectivity,
Indonesia has always been an important source market for Singaporean
and Malaysian hotels. These connections will become even more important
in the coming years, as rising intra-ASEAN travel drives demand. We are
happy to be able to use our business intelligence to identify major
booking flows, and to empower our partners to capitalise on these
trends,” said Cyndi Ng, senior VP of sourcing, APAC, WebBeds.