SBC Travel turns focus towards Chinese travel market with controlling interest in Planet Holiday Media Limited

Continuing to strengthen its industry positioning ahead of its online launch later this year, Singapore-based travel agency SBC Travel has announced it will invest in powerful Chinese media platform, Planet Holiday Media Limited.

In a bold move that will enable the travel agency to build momentum in the lucrative Chinese travel market, SBC Travel has entered into terms to take a controlling interest in Planet Holiday, a Chinese digital media platform that enables tourism organisations, including hotel chains, airlines, cruise companies and event and attraction operators, to explicitly market themselves to Chinese tourists.

Drawing on social media platforms such as WeChat and Weibo, Planet Holiday aggregates these platforms with Chinese video streaming sites such as Tencent Video, iQiyi, and Youku under one media brand – Planet Holiday. Here, overseas tourism organisations and operators are able to place their promotional videos, travel articles, advertising, and informational content on the digital media platform in high definition for consumers to access.

Swissbloc Capital and SBC Travel Chief Executive Officer, Mr Daryn Griggs, commented on the partnership with Planet Holiday, which was finalised at the end of October, 2018.

“Promoting travel and destinations to Chinese consumers has long been somewhat fragmented and difficult. Planet Holiday is a one-stop promotions and marketing solution that will allow us to directly market and sell our SBC Travel packages and services to Chinese audiences in a compelling way in order to capture maximum uptake,” he said.

International media expert and Chief Executive Officer of Planet Holiday Media Limited, Mr Doug Fraser, also commented.

“The investment made by SBC Travel marks an exciting milestone and logical connect that will enable both companies to cross-leverage Chinese tourism opportunities, share China audiences and memberships, and innovatively stitch together the promotional platform of Planet Holiday with the travel services of SBC Travel.

“Moving forward, SBC Travel will have enormously high visibility in China on the Planet Holiday digital platform, with exposure across multiple Chinese video portal platforms that host over 1.7 billion monthly active users,” he said.

In addition to the syndicate with Planet Holiday, SBC Travel has further cemented its position in the industry with the acquisition of multi-platform travel agency Dream Holidays Planner, and distribution agreement with GTA Travel and Hotelbeds Group, which will give customers access to over 175,000 hotels and accommodation providers in more than 185 countries.

Mr Daryn Griggs commented on the momentum of SBC Travel ahead of its digital launch.

“We are harnessing opportunities that we know will catapult us forward in the key travel markets and complement SBC Travel’s offering seamlessly. It’s an incredibly exciting time for SBC Travel and we stand in good stead to deliver the best travel products and services in the most innovative way possible.”

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