A new on-demand ride-hailing service that has been introduced to a digital travel website may make it easier for travellers to get around Southeast Asia.
The service aims to remove the language and currency barriers that can deter visitors from using local transport providers, and will make it easier and safer for them to experience the region.
Booking.com has launched the new facility in partnership with super app Grab, which allows travellers to book taxi rides directly through the Booking.com app. It's available now in Singapore, in Indonesia and Thailand by the end of the year, and in Cambodia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Vietnam and the Philippines by early 2020. The app users will have access to three million Grab drivers drivers across these eight countries, hailed instantly and directly through the app.
The new service will offer live feeds, real-time route maps, customer services translated in 40 languages and in-app cashless payments in the traveller's currency. It aims to deliver greater security and confidence, while removing the worry and expense of haggling, language difficulties and currency conversion.
"Millions of Southeast Asians rely on us every day to get to work, home and play," says Mark Porter, chief technology officer for Transport, Mobility, and Core Technology at Grab. "We’re very happy to work with Booking.com to give international travellers the ability to explore this beautiful region more freely and with greater peace of mind."
