First read is on us.

Subscribe today to keep up with the latest travel industry news.

Shakeup of Marginalized Booking Sites in Europe and Asia


Skift Take

Some of the weaker online travel agencies in Europe and Asia are getting squeezed out. Sabre sold LastMinute.com to Bravofly Rumbo Group for next to nothing, and TUI Group gave up on AsiaRooms.com in the face of stiff competition.

Two struggling online travel agencies, Sabre's LastMinute.com and TUI Group's AsiaRooms.com, have met their disparate fates.

Sabre announced today that it closed on its previously announced sale of UK-headquartered LastMinute.com to Switzerland-based Bravofly Rumbo Group for a transaction value of $120 million.

However, Sabre, which acquired LastMinute.com in 2005 for nearly $1.2 billion, essentially sold LastMinute.com to Bravofly Rumbo Group by transferring liabilities and winning a long-term commitment for Bravofly's brands to continue using the Sabre global distribution system.

LastMinute.com had been part of Sabre's Travelocity unit and had been for sale for an extended period as Sabre dismantled Travelocity, selling its North America operations to Expedia Inc. and now its European operations to Bravofly Rumbo Group.

AsiaRooms.com

If LastMinute.com gets a reprieve, TUI Travel PLC, which is now part of the TUI Group, has decided to shutter AsiaRooms.com, which offered rooms throughout Asia and Europe.

"In a highly competitive market, AsiaRooms.com has struggled over the years to perform in line with expectations and we have not seen the improvements needed in order to support further investment," said a TUI spokesperson. "Coupled with ever-changing consumer habits, this has meant that AsiaRooms.com no longer represents our biggest opportunity for growth and we have therefore taken the decision to close the business."

When TUI AG of Germany announced last June that it would be acquiring the UK's TUI Travel, of which AsiaRooms.com was a part, TUI AG revealed that TUI Travel's online travel agencies, including LateRooms.com and AsiaRooms.com, were considered non-core assets.

There presumably were no significant buyers for AsiaRooms.com while LateRooms.com continues operations.

Up Next

Experiences

How Travel Brands Can Seize the ‘Q5’ Opportunity on TikTok

Driven by increased spending on experiences and the digital habits of younger audiences, TikTok has emerged as a key platform for inspiring and shaping travel decisions. Leveraging the platform’s reach early in the year presents a unique opportunity for travel brands to connect with eager travelers.
Sponsored
Hotels

New Loyalty Program Journey Targets Independent Boutique Hotels

The new startup Journey faces significant challenges in building consumer adoption and achieving the necessary scale to compete with established loyalty programs. But its notable backers believe it's addressing critical pain points in today's loyalty system.