Michael Gaebler, Chairman & CEO, Aviareps revealed that the company has an ambitious target of tripling its India business by 2020. The company has 12 clients in India so far, ranging from attractions to airports and airlines, including Dallas Airport and Air Namibia, among others. Speaking to the media during his recent visit to Mumbai, Gaebler stated that the company will try and push its IBCS and Avianet service for airlines and airports, and also work with GDS’s to grow hotel businesses in India. The IBCS program provides an opportunity to profitably participate in marginal market BSPs with negligible capital risk.
Speaking about their focus for the Indian market, Joseph Fernandes, General Manager India, Aviareps said that the company will focus on building its aviation portfolio in India to form a balance in their tourism client base. He further added that, in addition to their Mumbai and Delhi offices, Aviareps hopes to soon have a Bengaluru office to have a strong pan India presence.
“Our Agenda 2020 is to triple our growth in India in the next seven years and we are taking steps towards the same. We are also studying Sri Lanka and Bangladesh markets with the intention of handling clients in these countries from the India office. We are also mooting the possibility of offering India as a South Asia country and are gauging the market’s reaction towards the same,” said Fernandes.
Speaking about the India market and their modus operandi here, Gaebler opined that India is a special market in some way, but the method for marketing products is not so different. “People say that the biggest challenge in India is that is is a more price-centric market out on a bargain hunt, but I don’t know of a single market that doesn’t look out for a better price. Also, I believe that the convenience of booking and transacting online is overtaking this habit, making it less of a hindrance in business,” he said.
