Online B2B travel booking system RateHawk marks nine years of excellent operations with strong growth in its business results over the past year.
In 2024, RateHawk’s net booking value increased by 1.8 times compared to 2023, while the number of bookings saw a 67 percent growth on a global scale. Its UAE-based parent company Emerging Travel Group likewise hit a new milestone of $3.7 billion gross transaction value in 2024 with RateHawk as a major growth driver.
Over the past year, RateHawk continued to develop the variety of its inventory. The company successfully connected with more than 70 new global accommodation suppliers, exceeding 300 wholesalers worldwide, and established direct contracts with over 34,000 accommodations, counting up to 120,000 properties in total. As a result, the amount of accommodation options reached over 2.6 million.
The demand for RateHawk’s transportation booking services, including flight tickets and transfer bookings, also doubled during 2024. Today, RateHawk has offices in London, Berlin, Lisbon, Warsaw, Dubai, Limassol, Singapore, and Wilmington, employing over 500 professionals globally.
Welcome additions It should be noted that the company introduced train travel service across Europe in the past year, which was welcomed with enthusiasm by RateHawk partners. Within three months of its launch, over 25 percent of travel professionals who frequently book hotels on the platform have utilized its railway services.
According to Emerging Travel Group CEO Felix Shipman: “According to the latest UN Tourism report, 1.4 billion people traveled internationally in 2024, almost reaching pre-pandemic levels. At RateHawk, we have been witnessing this trend firsthand through increased demand and significant growth in our company’s and partners’ businesses.”
Shipman added that the company continues to deliver unparalleled support to its partners during this exciting period of travel industry growth, enhancing both platform services and API integrations. He stated: “In 2024 alone, we doubled the number of API integration contracts, partnering with over 500 new entities including Ctrip. This year, we aim to maintain this momentum, focusing on OTAs and innovative travel tech platforms.”
Greater localisation In 2024, the service was localised through eight more languages, bringing the total to 32. RateHawk also launched its new headquarters in Singapore, strengthening its position in the Asian region and its relationships with local partners.
The number of partners increased by 50 percent, now exceeding 93,000 travel professionals worldwide. In Asia, the company tripled the number of travel agents connected to the platform, reaching over 13,000 professionals.
According to RateHawk, the most popular outbound destinations booked by travel agents from Asia in 2024 were the UAE, France, Switzerland, the USA, and Italy. Additionally, a significant portion of bookings remained within Asia, with Japan, Malaysia, Thailand, and India being top choices.
APAC regional director Erik Akhmetgaliev expressed optimism for 2025, considering the impressive figures RateHawk achieved in the first quarter and insights on the expected post-pandemic recovery, driven by increased flight availability and simplified visa procedures. This year, they are focusing on API development, especially in East and South Asia, where the concentration of OTAs is very high while optimizing their technology and providing support through their internal tech hub and API optimisation team.
