World Monitor Mag, Digitalisation WM_June 2019 web | Page 35

EXPERT OPINION
of Kazakhstani companies, because this
is a great opportunity to optimize their
budgets.
Surely there is always something
new in your business to keep your
customers happy and interested?
Please tell us what new products you
plan to introduce in the near future?
In the near future, we are launching a
great product for self-booking hotels
worldwide. This is the development of
our global partner BCD travel – Trip
Source Hotel. A feature of this product
is that service providers are the largest
hotel consolidators, such as Booking.
com, Expedia, HRS, Totalstay, plus there
are corporate customer rates and special
BCD travel prices. This resource provides
the opportunity to access the best offers
in the world, giving customers the chance
to book hotels at the most attractive
prices. The product is available on any
device, 24 hours a day, while providing
around the clock support by our team.
So for lovers of self-booking a new
convenient and safe tool has appeared.
And corporations will be sure that all
reservations are made by reliable staff in
accordance with travel policies.
We also prepared a technology platform
where we loaded our own contracts
with hotels and transport companies
in Kazakhstan. Now our customers can
quickly and easily book services at the
best prices in the most remote corners
of our homeland.
We strive to provide our customers with
the most comprehensive travel content
services at the best prices and are very
pleased that we have made significant
progress in this matter.
You are a very active member of the
EUROBAK Travel, Hospitality & MICE
Committee. I know that you have a
significant number of different ideas
TRAVEL POLICY
Cooperation with
suppliers
Safety
Travel expenses
on how to improve the situation
in the Travel, Hospitality & MICE
market to attract tourists. What
difficulties do you face now in the
market, and what key proposals
would you like to make to improve
the situation?
First of all, I would like to note that
the usual tourist product and the MICE
product are significantly different.
Kazakhstan has a very good corporate
market, which for many years has taught
us how to organize business events at
the highest level. Our customers from
Russia, Europe, the Middle East and
India appreciate this very much. Now
they are turning to us for organizing
programs for business travelers not only
in Kazakhstan, but also in Kyrgyzstan and
Uzbekistan, despite the fact that there
are a significant number of excellent tour
operators who provide a quality tourist
product.
We have been providing assistance to get
to Kazakhstan for five years now and are
seeing a growing interest in our region.
We often have to compete at the country
level. Clients, choosing destinations for
travel, as a rule, consider, along with
Fares, limits, budgets
Travel order rules
and restrictions
Approval process
Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, the
Caucasus countries, as well as Turkey
and Egypt as possibilities. To our regret,
the prices for flights to Kazakhstan are
quite high, which does not give us the
desired level of confirmation of orders.
In regards to hotel infrastructure, then
we have a pretty good selection of
hotels and sites. We can comfortably
accommodate groups of up to 200
people. If the number of participants is
greater, then you have to accommodate
guests by putting them in different
hotels. At the same time, it is not
always possible to organize a business
party and provide food for a large group
within walking distance. Therefore, at
the initial stage we are forced to refuse
requests from groups of 1,000 people
and above.
Over the past few years there have
been positive changes in visa issues. But
of course, this is not an ideal process
for attracting tourism. Our nearest
neighbors, citizens of such countries as
India and China, have certain difficulties
in obtaining visas to Kazakhstan. It
would be ideal if we continue to work to
simplify the visa regime.
supported by EUROBAK
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