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5 Creative Travel Industry Partnerships To Get You Inspired and Ready for Take Off

Bryan Koh
November 7, 2023
August 13, 2024
Influencer marketing strategies with micro-influencers for Sake Singapore

Effectively capturing and engaging audiences, stirring up interest, and compelling them to take action can pose a notable challenge, especially in today's competitive global landscape for travel and tourism.

In the current landscape, distinguishing themselves, many companies in the travel and tourism sector are focusing on building connections, and choosing strategic collaborators is becoming more crucial than ever.

Last week, we introduced the types of partnerships the travel and tourism industry can leverage. Now, let's delve into five unique collaborations between travel companies and other brands.

1. Singapore Tourism Board Teams Up with Warner Bros. Discovery for Travel Inspiration

Photo credits: Warner Bros. Discovery

Last year, the Singapore Tourism Board and leading global media and entertainment firm Warner Bros. Discovery revealed a three-year collaboration. This partnership aims to create engaging entertainment and lifestyle content and launch joint marketing efforts, all aimed at highlighting Singapore as an inspiring travel destination.

The collaboration will offer unique localised narratives across various genres, including scripted content like drama series and animation, as well as reality-based productions like short documentaries. These stories will serve as a global showcase for Singapore. 

In addition, to reach a broader audience and introduce them to Singapore as a destination, the two partners will collaborate on marketing initiatives and campaigns.

Why does the partnership work?

By merging the storytelling prowess of a global media and entertainment giant with a national tourism board, the partnership unlocks the potential to engage audiences with compelling, diverse narratives. These narratives, spanning various genres, serve as an effective vehicle to spotlight Singapore as a captivating travel destination. 

The blending of original content creation with joint marketing efforts ensures that their message resonates with a global audience, effectively amplifying the appeal of Singapore as a must-visit location.

2. Agoda's 'GoLocal' Campaign to Empower Domestic Travel

Photo credits: Agoda

In 2020, Agoda initiated its extensive "GoLocal" campaign, a comprehensive effort to revitalise domestic tourism in Asia Pacific and worldwide, securing numerous hotel partnerships during the campaign's pre-launch stage.

Participating accommodation providers stand to gain from its comprehensive approach to assisting partners in reaching and persuading travellers seeking exceptional domestic travel offers. Agoda has crafted an integrated sales and marketing effort to bolster its GoLocal program, including synchronised social media promotions, digital brand activities, video content, focused public relations initiatives, customised customer marketing, and a dedicated landing page.

GoLocal partners are providing exclusive domestic offers, and, as a reciprocal gesture, these engaged collaborators will be showcased across multiple Agoda platforms and marketing channels, strategically selected to amplify the campaign's influence.

Why does the partnership work?

Through a collaborative effort with multiple hotel partners, this initiative rekindled travel enthusiasm and encouraged travellers to discover their local surroundings. Employing a multi-channel strategy, the campaign presented a win-win situation for Agoda and its partner hotels, appealing to travellers searching for enticing domestic travel offers.

3. airasia Superapp and foodpanda Collaborate for an Innovative Partnership

Photo credits: airasia

In May 2023, airasia Superapp and foodpanda joined forces in an innovative partnership, uniting the strengths of both platforms to enhance value and convenience for users in Asean and beyond.

This strategic collaboration allows each platform to leverage the other's capabilities. Specifically, the Superapp's ride-hailing service, airasia ride, is seamlessly integrated into the foodpanda app, providing users with a seamless travel and dining experience.

Conversely, foodpanda will power the food delivery service of the airasia Superapp. This partnership connects millions of airasia Superapp users with foodpanda's extensive network of over 100,000 merchants and thousands of delivery partners. As a result, the airasia Superapp's food offerings will transition to a dine-in model, enhancing the overall user experience.

Why does the partnership work?

This dynamic collaboration unlocks a multitude of advantages. Firstly, the seamless integration of airasia Superapp's ride-hailing service, airasia ride, into the foodpanda app eliminates the hassle of switching between platforms, streamlining the travel and dining experience for users.

Customers can look forward to exclusive ride-hailing and food delivery deals, and it also offers enhanced convenience and efficiency to users, promoting satisfaction and loyalty. 

4. Trip.com Promotes Awareness for ULTRA Beach Bali

Photo credits: Trip.com Group

Trip.com Group, in collaboration with Endeavor China, has become the exclusive travel partner for ULTRA Beach Bali and RESISTANCE, global EDM giants, as of September 2023.

Their partnership combines travel services and event packages, ensuring a hassle-free experience for festival-goers. Utilising their all-in-one app approach, Trip.com simplifies bookings for a seamless blend of music and adventure, epitomising the fusion of remarkable events and top-notch travel services. 

It's a testament to the potential of creating unforgettable experiences by combining exceptional events with premium travel solutions.

Why does the partnership work?

By offering comprehensive travel services and event packages through their all-in-one app, Trip.com Group has seamlessly integrated the worlds of music and adventure. This strategic move enhances the user experience, providing festival-goers hassle-free access to hotel accommodations, dining options, and leisure activities during the event. 

5. Creating Experiences with Airbnb and Flipboard

Photo credits: Flipboard

Flipboard is a unique news aggregator that scours social media to gather the latest news and trending content, presenting it in a format that resembles flipping through social media.

Airbnb has joined forces with Flipboard to introduce a feature known as "Experiences." This innovative collaboration brings curated lifestyle content to Airbnb users, tailored to their individual interests and shared by people who share common passions and hobbies. 

This integration offers a fresh and engaging way for Airbnb users to discover content that resonates with their preferences and connects them with a like-minded community of readers.

Why does the partnership work?

The continuous campaign has resulted in the development of yet another collaborative product, aptly named "Trips." Trips enables Airbnb users to seamlessly connect with hosts who share similar interests, enabling them to not only discover but also book unique experiences during their travels. This partnership serves as a remarkable illustration of how businesses can effectively align their customers with content that caters to their unique preferences, ultimately driving increased product engagement and usage.

The takeaway

Unlock the potential of synergistic partnerships in the travel industry. The above are mere examples to inspire you to get creative. The key points are to keep it simple and leverage your strengths to benefit your brand and your partner. 

Start brainstorming and reach out to Partipost for a collaborative journey that's bound to inspire.