Do you travel internationally? The trade press is now paying a lot of attention to UBI, the best online booking tool in the market. In this article you can read how Uniglobe positions itself in the market and what advantages UBI has when you travel internationally or book international travel for your organization. Interested in a DEMO? You can do so in 20 minutes. Click here To sign up!
Originating from: TravMagazine September 2020
'We want to be back to where we were by 2022'
'If video calling becomes more firmly established in business as a result of the corona crisis, we will have to look for new customers to grow,' says Cees Klinkenberg, director of Uniglobe Travel Holland. 'Our ambition is to be back to our old level by 2022. We are well positioned for this.
By: Theo de Reus
Like many other travel companies, Uniglobe recorded good sales at the beginning of the year. 'January and February were top months. In April we suddenly had weeks of minus 98 percent. Everyone seemed paralyzed. I remember hearing on CNN in mid-March President Trump's announcement that America was closing its borders. Then I thought: once countries lock up, it's bad business.'
Klinkenberg expects to have one-third of normal annual sales by the end of 2020. 'So two-thirds has evaporated. While airline bookings are at minus 80 percent, hotels and car rentals are doing relatively 'well.' Trouble remains that within Europe we are once again up against big differences in travel restrictions, which moreover change by the day. A joint and unified EU agenda in this area would be welcome.'
So where does the one-third revenue that does come from?
'We were in good shape in the first few months of the year. And we still have customers who do travel. Think of the marine and offshore segment, sailors who need to get to and from ships worldwide. Not all of our customers have stopped traveling. A greenhouse builder in the Netherlands who has taken a job in Canada has to fulfill his contract. He takes the quarantine upon arrival in Canada for granted. But even committing to machine maintenance requires travel. For some professions, business travel remains necessary. In addition, personal meetings remain essential for doing business successfully.'
Uniglobe Travel has no problem with continuity, according to Klinkenberg. 'We are going to survive this crisis. We have used recent months to prepare for the period after corona and to position ourselves well with existing and new customers. We will be ready when everything picks up. We are currently recovering dozens of percent, but yes, we are coming back from a big deficit. All in all, the underlying economic values are still good. So if a rapid testing method becomes available, followed by a drug or vaccine, then business travel will soon be back on track. This is also what our customers tell us. With this ambition, we want to be back to 2019 sales levels by 2022.'
Back to the old level by 2022. Isn't that a bit ambitious?
'Yes, it certainly is, which means not only adding new clients but also growing through acquisitions. The beauty of our organization is that it is a healthy club of real travel entrepreneurs. Those are determined to come out stronger.'
Is there much left to take over in the business travel market?
'Earlier this year, Panta Zakenreizen was acquired from Peter van Vliet, who is now concentrating on his leisure travel agency. We expect to announce more acquisitions in the near future. We don't want to wait for existing business customers to start traveling again. That's too uncertain. After all, you have to deal with travel advice, available capacity at airlines and, above all, whether the business customer thinks it is safe and responsible to travel again.
Uniglobe launches online booking platform
Under the slogan "Travel Well," Uniglobe Travel recently launched an online booking platform for business traveling small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The platform will be named Uniglobe Booking Intelligence (UBI). UBI provides access to global airline offerings, millions of accommodations from Expedia, Booking.com and others, rental cars, cabs and international trains. UBI is available 24/7 on laptop, tablet or smartphone and, if desired, with personal support from Uniglobe Travel experts.
'When soon countries open their borders again we will be able to travel for business, we are already taking an important step in innovation and launching UBI now,' says director Cees Klinkenberg. 'UBI offers a unique, user-friendly one-stop shopping experience and seamlessly matches what our customers need. For one, UBI simplifies the search and booking process by making all global travel content available on one platform. This not only saves time but also up to 20 percent on travel and accommodation costs. On the other hand, our Uniglobe Travel experts offer their personal support, which allows us to offer our distinguished for nearly 40 years.' 'This customer-oriented approach is summed up in our new motto: Travel Well. With this unburdening message, Uniglobe Travel wants to position itself as the Travel partner of SMEs. Our new look and feel completes the packaging of this message.
Hence the launch of your online booking platform for SMEs?
'In recent months we have been able to make good use of the crisis to set up our online booking platform. Last week we launched this tool under the name Uniglobe Booking Intelligence, referred to as UBI for short. Our SME clients and travel experts use the same one-stop shop platform, which gives 24/7 access to Amadeus content, but also that of low-cost carriers as well as NDC airlines. In addition, there are direct links to Expedia and Booking.com. Furthermore, we offer international trains to and from the Netherlands and you can book a cab worldwide. Also all known car rentals, including Sunny Cars can now be booked in one effort.
With the advent of UBI, we are taking an important strategic step as a travel retailer, having control over what travel content we offer. This also offers tactical opportunities. Uniglobe's entrepreneurs are also making plans to scale down, says Klinkenberg. 'Fortunately, the NOW scheme continues until next summer. Partly because of this, we fortunately do not have to downsize so drastically. Moreover, our business model is based on personal service. Our travel experts are our capital. When business starts up again soon, we will need people with expertise.' That personal approach also applies to the new online booking platform, according to Klinkenberg. 'Through our new tool, customers can easily arrange everything for their business trips themselves. That offers convenience and saves a lot of time, because as a customer you don't have to search, compare and book on different websites, which gives the overview where travelers find themselves abroad is lacking. An additional benefit is that with the setting of travel policies and personal preferences in UBI, there can also be substantial savings on travel costs.'
Where does the personal come in?
'Our travel experts provide personal support if the customer wants it. UBI offers this assisted self-service. The combination of online and offline is Uniglobe's strength. You can buy technology, but we mainly look at the human mate. There are many online providers that have it technically sound, but if you want to speak to a human being you get hopelessly lost in Voice Response menus, if you can find a phone number at all. Mailing with a noreply sender doesn't shoot up either. The same goes for an empathetic conversation with a robot. What sets us apart is the combination of state-of-the-art technology and a personal approach. If the customer wants it, our travel experts look with him/her.
According to Klinkenberg, it remains important to emphasize the added value of Uniglobe Travel services. 'We do a lot of work behind the scenes for which there is no reward. After all, we have a lot of up-to-date travel knowledge. For example, a customer books a cheap ticket directly through the Internet with a foreign airline, which we know has just filed for suspension of payment. The role of the travel agent is further emphasized when things go wrong. In this kind of crisis situation, we are sometimes more of a relief worker than a travel agent. Your can even speak of a personal travel assistant.'
How do you explain that to a customer who looks first at the service fees?
'Especially in times when everything has to be cheaper, business travel is too often seen as an expense. Then attention quickly turns to our service fee. The amount of this fee is determined by the client's service needs, after all, business travel is customized. We first talk to companies about our service, the value we can add and the savings on the travel budget. In the end, a fair reward always rolls out for our work.'
How do you plan to get new customers in this day and age?
'Our travel entrepreneurs are responsible for acquisitions and do so in part through intensive networking. In addition, our existing customers are good ambassadors. Our customers, who work primarily in small and medium-sized businesses,
are cost-conscious and service-sensitive. They already travel pragmatically and efficiently; that is, not more often, longer or more expensive than necessary or with too many people.'
Have you ever thought about a different business model?
Yes, but we will continue to do what we do best: provide customers with user-friendly tools and personal service. During a crisis you should not simply change your business model. It's best to stay focused on your core business and not let yourself be distracted. lead by the delusion of the day.'
Are we dealing with a temporary abnormal or a new normal?
'Whatever normal emerges, one thing is certain, we will remain a trading nation. We will continue to travel to do business abroad. And as the economy grows, so will the number of air travel movements. However, flying in the future more economical, quieter and also cleaner. No one is against that. Business travel is also a constant in our lives'
Read here The original source article by Theo de Reus in TravMagazine.
