Amadeus expands investment in technology, people and expertise to grow in Indonesia

• Amadeus will open new offices in Jakarta adding expertise to its local workforce
• Amadeus will directly take over travel agency distribution sales and customer service activity

INDONESIA, the world’s fourth most populous country, boasts almost 90 million air passengers and will reach the same number of smartphone users by 2019.

Holding considerable standing as a travel destination and with huge potential as a source of outbound tourism, the Indonesian travel industry must embrace technology innovation if it is to unleash its growth potential.

On May 11, Amadeus announces plans to boost its presence in Indonesia, growing its investment in technology, people and expertise here to support the growth and development of the Indonesian travel agency community.

Amadeus, a player in travel technology and the largest R&D investor in European travel and tourism, has been present in Indonesia since 2003 when it first entered the travel distribution space here in partnership with MF Permadi, a businessman and entrepreneur.

As it moves into a new phase, Amadeus will open new offices in Jakarta, adding additional and specialised expertise to its local workforce and ensuring that Amadeus’ global knowledge and reach can be delivered with a renewed customer focus.

While Amadeus will directly take over travel agency distribution sales and customer service activity from MF Permadi, both parties will continue to collaborate to localise technology in the market.

Amadeus Asia Pacific president Albert Pozo (pic) said, “The world’s fourth most populous country is on the cusp of a technological boom, fuelled by rising mobile penetration and one of Asia’s youngest populations. The nation’s emerging middle class is incredibly technology-savvy, and the local travel industry needs to be prepared to cater to these needs.

“Amadeus has enjoyed considerable success in Indonesia, in partnership with MF Permadi, but we do not intend to rest on our laurels. We are excited to invest in this important market, with a focus on shaping the future of travel.”

MF Permadi commented, “We have enjoyed a solid partnership with Amadeus for 13 years, and we are excited to continue a technology relationship for many to come. Indonesia is embracing tourism and technology in an astounding way, and the opportunities presented to us as a member of the AEC region are endless.

“As the Indonesian government opens its doors wider to foreign investment, we are very pleased to see global leaders like Amadeus take centre stage to deliver innovation, scale and reach to the travel industry, while local players like us provide invaluable local insight.”

Amadeus will not only deliver the world’s leading travel technology to Indonesia, it will provide global distribution reach to the burgeoning local travel industry.

More than 700 airlines worldwide distribute their flight content through the Amadeus system, which processed more than 595.3 million travel bookings in 2016.

In addition, more than 130 of the world’s major airlines, including the large majority of Asia’s top airlines, use the Amadeus Altéa Passenger Service System.

When an Amadeus travel agent makes a booking on an Altéa airline, both the travel agent and airline share a single reservation number and the same view of the passenger name record (PNR). This means that Amadeus agents see airline updates to the PNR immediately and vice versa, reducing errors and allowing agents to provide the best service and duty of care to their customers.

With the Indonesian government recently launching its “1,000 start-ups movement”, aiming to foster 1,000 start-ups by 2020, the hunger for innovation is clear.

As Southeast Asia’s largest economy pursues its vision of becoming a regional cradle of technology entrepreneurs, Amadeus Next, the start-up community, will play an important role in Amadeus’ amplified presence in Indonesia. 

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