The Advantage Travel Partnership travel management company (TMC) consortium has announced a partnership with HBAA – the trade association for the hotel booking agency, apartment and venue community.
HBAA has around 225 venue members and over 100 agency members.
Among the mutual benefits of the partnership, HBAA agency members will have access to the Global Accommodation Programme leveraging its preferential rates and Advantage TMCs will be able to utilise HBAAโs highly rated Code of Practice for Meetings and Events.
The partners say their agreement will also add value to membership across both organisations and will work in collaboration with other bodies to combine forces on key activities including thought leadership and initiatives to further drive awareness of this sector and influence decision-makers.
Julia Lo Bue-Said (pictured, above), CEO, The Advantage Travel Partnership, said: โThe Advantage Travel Partnership and HBAA share many common goals, including working to collaborate on elevating best practice for those offering services and product in this area. Our aspirations are to be working jointly on campaigns and further strengthen our united voice.
โEvery year Advantage, through its global travel network WIN, enrols hotels and other accommodation providers for its Global Accommodation Programme; last year more than 35,000 properties enlisted and as well as stating the number of hotel rooms, meetings and eventsโ facilities are also detailed.
“The Programme is an invaluable resource for HBAA members and additionally due to the Advantage and WIN membersโ buying power we are able to secure extremely advantageous rates and we are delighted to invite HBAA members to utilise these. This provision will be in place for HBAA agencies to book from 1 October 2020. As we are imminently launching the RFP for the 2021 programme, it is great timing to open up the ability for more users to capitalise on the content and to offer this to their customers. The 2021 programme has a keen focus on flexibility, duty of care, as well as wellbeing of the end guest.โ
Juliet Price, Consultant Executive Director HBAA, said: โWe are delighted to be working in collaboration with Advantage Travel Partnership. We absolutely see this will bring mutual benefits to our members.
โ Whilst navigating the disruption to businesses caused by Covid-19, it is critical that both organisations continue to provide new tools, new ways of working and in some cases new platforms for diversification. Currently some of our members do not book accommodation for their customers and some Advantage members do not book meetings and events; this partnership will enable new service provisions and maximise business to our partners.โ
โAs we continue to seek out and drive new opportunities for HBAA members and extend the professional standards within the Code of Practice to Advantage members, this is a great time to focus on delivering value to both organisations.โ
