RateHawk Sees Strong Growth in Demand from Greek Travel Agents

RateHawk, an online system for booking hotels, air tickets, car rentals, group bookings and transfers for travel professionals, last year saw strong growth in demand from Greek travel agents for the company’s services.

According to Filip Kasum, Head of Business Development Balkans and Panagiotis Filalithis, Country Manager Greece & Cyprus, last year alone, the number of bookings on RateHawk’s platform made by Greek partners doubled compared to the previous year.

The most popular outbound destinations booked by Greek travel agents in 2023 were Italy, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Malta, Spain, the United States, Turkey, Belgium and the United Arab Emirates.

“In 2024 we expect even higher growth rates as international and domestic travel continues flourishing,” Kasum and Filalithis said.

RateHawk’s number of partners now counts over 62,000 travel professionals worldwide, a remarkable 61 percent increase from the previous year. Of these, over 1,200 are travel agents from Greece.

“Our main goal for 2024 is to make RateHawk the preferred tool for most local travel professionals, and we are well positioned to achieve this,” Kasum and Filalithis added.

RateHawk reports record-breaking year with doubled revenue

RateHawk recently reported record performance for the full year of 2023.

According to a company announcement, RateHawk’s net booking value doubled from the prior year, while the number of bookings saw an 85 percent growth. RateHawk, along with its parent company, Emerging Travel Group, achieved a gross transaction value of $2.6 billion in 2023.

RateHawk said the demand for its additional services, including air ticket and transfer bookings, showed a steady increase throughout 2023. Booked flights doubled in number, while transfer orders experienced a 67 percent increase compared to the prior year.

Moreover, in 2023, RateHawk experienced significant growth in its inventory. The company successfully connected more than 60 new global wholesalers and established direct contracts with over 20,000 accommodations. This expansion resulted in a total of 2.5 million accommodation options, marking a substantial 40 percent increase year-over-year.

CEO: Agents will face even greater traveler demand in 2024

Felix Shpilman, CEO of Emerging Travel Group.

Looking ahead to 2024, Felix Shpilman, CEO of Emerging Travel Group, RateHawk’s parent company, said the company is optimistic, aligning with the UN Tourism’s (formerly the UNWTO-World Tourism Organization) projections that international tourism is set to rebound to pre-pandemic levels fully.

“This means agents will face even greater traveler demand. Our platform equips travel professionals with everything they need to meet this growing demand – from extensive supply with competitive rates from over 230 suppliers to a comprehensive tool kit of travel services in a single, user-friendly platform, complemented by top-notch customer care,” Shpilman said.

In 2023, RateHawk introduced an innovative hotel selection tool, aimed at assisting travel agencies to optimize customer interactions and streamline workflows.

“Around 40 percent of RateHawk’s travel partners have already started using the selection tool and have come to appreciate its benefits,” Shpilman said.

RateHawk has offices in London, Berlin, Milan, Lisbon, Warsaw, Dubai, Limassol, and Wilmington. The company employs over 500 professionals in commercial roles globally.

Press here for more information on Ratehawk.