Tourism is growing at an unstoppable pace. It has been severely affected by the pandemic but it is still strong enough to expand. This growth is possible through the adoption of new tools that simplify daily processes. Top Group Express, finalist in Alhambra Venture 2022 offers an added value.
The online platform is used to manage and confirm groups in hotels by this Malaga company. With a quick response, they can handle all your requests from agencies, including reservations, bookings, payments, and invoices.
Rocio Plaza, a doctor in artificial intelligence from the University of Malaga, created the startup. Ting Ting Yu is an expert in international trade. They all have previous experience in tourism and are familiar with each other's work. Together they create their "life insurance", knowing they can rely on each other for help when they need it.
This enterprise has an Andalusian accent. It began as a need for reconciliation, which is a common theme on many occasions. Plaza says it this way: "Motherhood drove us to where are now. I quit my job to become a Super Mom. After cleaning out the house, I realized that this was not what I wanted. His confession is that he started the adventure with a baby of two weeks, no job and the support of an old coworker.
So I noticed that the tourists sector was lacking technology. They were prepaid, so there was a potential. Plaza offered Ting Yu the company and he accepted it. Becerra's urge was something that they met through a common link. They formed Top Group Express.
These tools are for travel agencies or receptive agents that make group hotel reservations. It automates the entire process of reservation, quotation and management. It functions just like a hotel booking on any website but it can be used for more than seven rooms. They can reach the desired result in seven hours or less using wholesale rates.
They are able to focus on one market and solve a huge problem. They explain that it was difficult to make group reservations at any destination until now. The agency sends the request to 20 hotels. Each hotel must respond. Each hotel then returns the rate in a different manner: with or without VAT, with breakfast, per head, per unit, with VAT. Top Group Express standardizes the process. This allows hotels and agencies to provide more accurate and quicker quotes and is more efficient.
They also allow travel agencies to get real quotes in local currency. Travel agencies contract directly with the provider. Hotels also charge local currency rates. This allows for a single currency exchange to be applied to all quotes, which saves time and money. It is available in English and Spanish, and supports 15 currencies.
They believe speed is the key to their success, along with the ease of the tool and the ability to manage a lot more efficiently. They know that tourism is fiercely competitive, but they insist that they are ahead of the pack in their niche.
Andalusians currently are in a growth phase. They recall that they didn't generate much trust in 2017 during the initial phase, but have been organically growing since then. The pandemic struck just as they were about to make a huge leap in their growth.
Tourism has been the most affected sector in recent years. They have weathered the storm and now hope to be "the Airbnb for hotel groups." This is their long-term goal. They hope to become an indispensable tool for travel agencies and hotels worldwide. They are looking to increase their resources, improve distribution, and develop the company. They believe that Alhambra Venture will allow them to reach investors interested in the project and learn how to position their company to show interest in the market in "the best square of the south of Spain".
