Orbitz, one of the largest OTAs (Online Travel Agencies) in the world, alongside the likes of Expedia and Travelocity, paid a visit to The Tourism Academy @ Sentosa to share with some students about its global operations. Mr Larry Tan, Regional Director of Strategic Accounts in Orbitz shared with the DHTB students about how the company receives over 50 million unique hits in a month, and how Orbitz had built its foundation in the US and Europe, and now targets Asia. The students learnt about distributing distressed inventory, SEO (search engine optimization), and new ways to enhance customer experience such as allowing an online customer to ‘talk’ to a real person 24/7 whilst browsing its site. Mr Tan also shared how the company adds value to clients using real-time information through its Tender Loving Care (or TLC) programme, how students with a knack for entrepreneurship could become an associate via its ‘white-labour’ site and much more. In turn, the students asked several ‘tough’ questions too, like how Orbitz manages the brickbats thrown up in the blog community. Mr Tan not only answered them patiently, he also reinforced the importance of service recovery when things sometimes go wrong. What was especially interesting and reassuring to the students (in terms of future career prospects) was the fact that, despite the advent of technology, Mr Tan continues to believe and see value in brick-and-mortar travel agencies. All in all, it was a great learning experience for the students to meet up with such an experienced industry practitioner, all part of The Tourism Academy’s continued push to provide real education and foster genuine learning for the students.
Back (L_R) Nara, Calista, Jonathon, Ms Ng Lee Li Front Jennifer, Mr Larry Tan, Clara Orbitz Worldwide, one of the world's largest and most geographically diverse travel companies, is dedicated to creating the exceptional travel experiences the world demands. Across more than 130 countries and through a network of over 8,000 local travel professionals, Orbitz Worldwide delivers greater choice, tremendous travel content and cost savings to travelers, travel professionals and travel suppliers every day. Orbitz Worldwide offers a wide range of business and consumer services, from distribution technology and travel packaging to retail sales and solutions. Orbitz Worldwide operates over 20 leading brands, including Orbitz, an online travel agency; Galileo, a global distribution system (GDS); and GTA, a wholesaler of global travel content Reference http://www.orbitz.com/ | | Students Say: Jonathan Ong (Singapore) “I can now see the big picture of how an OTA works with her suppliers, the corporate companies, their customers.” Narantuya Mishigdorj (Mongolia) “Working with Orbitz sounds like fun!” Jennifer Chin (Singapore) “Heartening to know service recovery and the personal touch still counts for a lot!” Calista Ong (Singapore) “I saw how global companies strive to keep their edge over competitors.” Clara Chong (E Malaysia) – on liaison with the industry “When working in the real world, we need to be swift and responsive to be professional.” |
