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Part 2 of a conversation with Founder/President Philippe Kjellgren
With a mission to serve the 5million unique viewers each month in search of the best in luxury travel experiences, and more than 2100 luxury hotel brands who make up KIWI's Invitation Only Collection eager to book KIWI consumers,---- and with no direct revenue to be derived from the agent channel, what would motivate KIWI to now pay special attention to the 1000 travel agencies that currently access KIWI offerings?
Certainly, a luxury economy under duress is part of that picture, because smart KIWI hotel clients want more than ever to capture upscale agents selling upscale clients. So, very simply, KIWI wins much good will with an initiative that encourages agents to window shop at the KIWI store.
What is KIWI doing to win the hearts and minds of this growing agency cohort in the KIWI space? Among other things, KIWI will soon offer a Premium level of participation ($1,000 a year) that assures KIWI will share information in its database including contact details of general managers, directors of sales and marketing; GDS codes, tapping into added values that KIWI has negotiated with hotels.
As a Premium participant, KIWI says, your clients will automatically be regarded as VIP. Premium agents will also receive, via newsletter or online messages, information about special values and packages that KIWI negotiates with the hotels -and more, which KIWI will release with its official announcement
(Please note that if you read Part 1 of our KIWI story at www.luxurytravel360.com, you won't have trouble finding how KIWI's revenue model is nonetheless served through this new direction in entrepreneurship).
We also talked with Kjellgren about their recent deal with Forbes Traveler that opened up an even larger audience to KIWI, while giving the Forbes audience a chance to book trips without leaving the Forbes site. (More on this at our web site).
And finally, back to The Keys to KIWI, with Kjellgren's "always ready" summing up on Why Kiwi? We think it's worth the trip back to KIWI basics.
"We started this business because we felt that there was a big need for someone to go out there and provide trusted advice and actually review hotels, visit hotels in person, and especially exclude hotels that did not meet our standards, so you know that what you see on our website is actually the proven best places to stay regardless of size or affiliation, regardless of style, as long as they cater to what we call the high end audience. It doesn't mean that they are the most expensive places, they're just the best places to stay".
By Hershel Sarbin
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