Sabre Corporation has its eyes on the prize following the acquisition of Abacus International last month, with the GDS heavyweight making no secret of plans to step up its game in the Asia Pacific market.
Newly appointed senior vice president Sabre Asia Pacific Roshan Mendis has big plans following the $411 million deal, telling travelBulletin that significant investment in products and service remains the company’s first and foremost commitment.
While the ownership transition is still ongoing, Mendis vowed that no disruptions will occur for agents as he also pointed to bigger picture plans for the company. “The acquisition means that we can now participate directly in this region’s growth [and] manage the business in a way that best aligns the business strategy with the opportunities we see in this region,” he said.
Without going into detail, Mendis singled out online as an “engine for growth” for the company, with a particular focus on Online Travel Agents (OTAs).
With many Australian OTAs now looking to branch out to international markets, he claimed that Sabre was “uniquely placed” to support their expansion plans with its new technology advancements and breadth of products and services.
But when it comes to the Asia Pacific business, he remained bullish that growth was within reach following the Abacus acquisition.
“Asia Pacific as a market for travel and distribution is growing at a healthy clip. Just participating and being exposed to it will result in attractive growth rates,” he said.
And with the combined assets providing customers with a broader range of products and services, he is confident that expansion will follow at a “premium” rate.
Mendis said Australian travel agents remain at the core of his vision as he touched on plans to customise Sabre’s existing products for the Australia market.
“We will expand on our portfolio [and] over time, agents can expect the core product development effort to be more informed about Australia’s specific market needs,” he said, adding that the Pacific was an “important and growing region” that featured highly on Sabre’s agenda.
Mendis claimed that growth was likely to be the most significant change Australian travel agents can expect to see in the future: “As we help our existing customers grow and attract new accounts, we expect the local business to expand. Australia is a top Asia Pacific market and we’re very focused on its development and growth.”
