Nol Universe will enter into a strategic partnership with Apple World Inc., a Japan-based hotel distribution company, to expand distribution of Korea's lodging products in Japan.
Nol Universe said on the 13th that it will supply about 30,000 Korean lodging inventory items it holds to Apple World's Japanese travel agencies and global sales network. This collaboration is the first global hotel distribution partnership signed with corporations in Japan.
Korean lodging providers will secure new overseas sales channels, including local Japanese travel agencies. Japanese travelers will be able to book Korean accommodations more conveniently through local agencies, which is expected to help boost demand for travel to Korea.
Apple World is a company that operates a global hotel booking platform for Japanese travel agencies. It distributes more than 400,000 accommodations in over 200 countries worldwide, has built a business-to-business (B2B) distribution network centered on local Japanese travel agencies, and has recently been increasing Korean lodging products.
After completing system integration in the third quarter, the two companies plan to sequentially link Apple World's Japanese hotel inventory to Nol Universe's travel platform Nol (NOL). As a result, Nol customers will be able to book a wider variety of Japanese lodging products than before.
This collaboration was promoted as part of Nol Universe's strategy to expand its global B2B distribution network. The company said it will continue to broaden cooperation with global distribution partners to strengthen business competitiveness that spans both inbound and outbound.
Oliver Libutzki, head of global business at Nol Universe, said, "This partnership will serve as a springboard to provide new global growth opportunities for Korean lodging partners," and added, "We will support Korean travel content so it can reach more overseas travelers and contribute to revitalizing travel to Korea."
Fukada Takeshi, a director at Apple World, said, "By partnering with Nol Universe, we can provide accommodations in the rapidly growing Korean travel market to global partners, including those in Japan," and added, "By mutually supplying the accommodation inventories held by both companies to the Korean and Japanese markets, we expect to offer more choices to both travel agencies and travelers."