TL;DR:
- Travelport integrates Deem, a leading corporate travel management platform, with Travelport+.
- This integration caters to business travelers’ need for a modern retailing experience.
- The collaboration offers a unified platform with rich, relevant content and advanced AI capabilities.
- Deem achieves milestones post-acquisition, including customer satisfaction and global expansion.
- Travelport outlines Deem’s future plans, including international expansion and user interface evolution.
Main AI News:
In a significant stride towards transforming the landscape of corporate travel, Travelport, the global technology powerhouse facilitating travel bookings across myriad suppliers worldwide, has officially announced the seamless integration of Deem, a prominent corporate travel management platform, with its cutting-edge innovation, Travelport+. This momentous collaboration, unveiled merely months following Travelport’s groundbreaking acquisition of Deem, underscores a strategic move to fulfill the burgeoning demand for a comprehensive and tightly integrated solution that grants access and end-to-end serviceability for a diverse array of multi-source content, including the heralded NDC.
John Elieson, the Chief Operating Officer and Deputy CEO of Travelport, underscores the importance of this development, stating, “Business travelers deserve a modern retailing experience akin to that enjoyed by leisure travelers. The acquisition of Deem in March was predicated on the aspiration to equip the corporate travel domain with groundbreaking, harmonious tools that mirror the revolutionary and user-friendly nature of Travelport+. Our commitment to this vision is now solidified with the integration of Deem and Travelport+ platforms.“
The synergy between Deem and Travelport ushers in a new era of contemporary corporate travel experiences. By harnessing the capabilities of Deem and Travelport+, travel management companies (TMCs), corporations, and their discerning travelers can access a diverse repository of pertinent and captivating content within a unified platform. Augmented by the innovative Content Curation Layer (CCL), a hallmark feature of Travelport+, driven by potent artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) technologies, this amalgamation delivers swifter search responses, more contextually relevant outcomes, and heightened precision. When harmoniously fused with Deem’s lauded, contemporary user interface, this integration empowers travelers to adhere to corporate policies while ensuring seamless servicing of bookings, encompassing the realm of NDC.
In the wake of the acquisition, Deem’s flourishing trajectory is evident, marked by several significant milestones:
- Attaining the coveted Champion status in the 2023 Travel Management Emotional Footprint Awards by Software Reviews.
- Expanding its global outreach to cater to customers across 60+ countries.
- Garnering an exceptional customer satisfaction score of 9.5, surpassing industry benchmarks by nearly two points.
- Earning the highest CX score (9.7) among all corporate booking tools.
- Embarking on a rebranding journey that christened the Etta platform as Deem, encapsulating the brand’s commitment to innovative corporate retailing.
- Securing a prestigious Stevie Award for its pioneering Diversity and Inclusion campaign.
Peering into the immediate future, Travelport has outlined ambitious plans for the GDS-agnostic marvel, Deem. Anticipating the year 2024, Travelport envisions Deem to:
- Propel international expansion, effectively doubling its global footprint, with EMEA as the primary focus, followed by a strategic penetration of APAC markets.
- Continue the evolution of its user interface, further revolutionizing the corporate travel retailing experience and fortifying its competitive lead.
- Integrate advanced emissions data, an initiative already set in motion on the Travelport+ platform.
Elieson underscores Travelport’s dedication to addressing corporate customers’ core requisites, stating, “Our corporate clients have voiced two essential needs. First, a centralized hub for all content through a singular tool. Equally vital is seamless traveler servicing, ensuring content consistency with that available to their TMC partners. By amalgamating human-centric design with a user experience par excellence, we have brought the ease and pleasure of leisure trip bookings to the corporate travel realm. The accessibility and manageability of this content, both for travelers and their TMC counterparts, guarantee comprehensive coverage, even accounting for novel offerings accessible exclusively via NDC or alternative content sources.”
Conclusion:
In the dynamic landscape of corporate travel, the strategic integration of Travelport+, Deem, and advanced AI represents a significant milestone. This fusion not only addresses the modern expectations of business travelers for streamlined experiences but also symbolizes a broader shift towards AI-powered innovation within the travel industry. The collaboration reflects a proactive approach by industry leaders, setting a precedent for enhanced efficiency, content accessibility, and seamless servicing. For the market, this signals the direction of future competition and development, urging stakeholders to embrace AI-driven strategies to remain competitive and deliver exceptional value to corporate travelers and their partners.
