Hotelbeds and high street travel retailer Flight Centre have struck a distribution deal that will see the leading global bedbank supply its portfolio of 180,000 properties.
The Flight Centre deal will see Hotelbeds increase its reach in Australia, New Zealand, the UK, South Africa, Canada, the US, Indian, Hong Kong and Dubai.
The agency, which has 550 retail stores in those markets, will integrate a feed of Hotelbeds supply through its Bedsonline retail channel to sit alongside its directly contracted stock.
In addition, Flight Centre will now also offer ancillary services from Hotelbeds’ Beyond The Bed portfolio of 25,000 transfer routes and 18,000 activities in more than 680 destinations, and 30,000 pick-up locations in 170 countries.
León Herce, global sales director at Hotelbeds, said: “We are very excited to announce our preferred partnership with Flight Centre.
“Not only is Flight Centre one of the largest retail travel in Australia but it also has many outlets on high streets in leading source markets worldwide.
“This is great news for our 180,000 hotel property partners worldwide, all of whom place great value on retail travel agency guests – not least from long-haul source markets such as Australia, New Zealand, UK, South Africa, Canada, the USA, India, Hong Kong, and Dubai.”
Michelle Connolly, global procurement leader – leisure at Flight Centre, added: “We’re very excited to start this preferred partnership with Hotelbeds and its retail travel brand, Bedsonline.
“We have ambitious plans to grow further and extend our sales reach to more international markets, and Hotelbeds is the right partner to do so due to its extensive global portfolio with some of the most special deals and rates.
“We feel certain that our retail customers will provide the perfect guests for Hotelbeds’ hotel partners, making this a great win-win situation for everyone.”