Agoda Maps Travel Interest Ahead of Major Events
Agoda is using data to map travel interest ahead of major events, combining deep Asian market expertise with global inventory partnerships to predict tourism trends.
This approach influences destination marketing strategies across Southeast Asia and helps travelers find accommodation that suits their trip regardless of where their search begins.
Data-Driven Mapping of Travel Interest
Agoda is a Southeast Asian online travel agency that facilitates reservations for lodging, flights, ground transportation, and activities. The company was acquired by Booking Holdings in 2007, which allowed it to scale its marketing systems and automate operations.
In January 2026, Agoda partnered with Mastercard to enable travel bookings through loyalty programmes, further expanding its reach for customers planning trips globally.
The company co-founded in 2005 by Michael Kenny and Robert Rosenstein launched iOS and Android mobile apps in July 2011. After Booking Holdings acquired Israel-based startup Qlika in 2014, the Qlika team joined Agoda to automate and scale its marketing systems.
In November 2014, the company opened a research center in Tel Aviv. In May 2016, Booking Holdings acquired Taipei-based startup WooMoo, the creator of POP, a mobile app that focused on prototyping. Its team relocated to Bangkok.
In May 2018, CEO and co-founder Rob Rosenstein became the chairman of Agoda and a strategic advisor to Booking Holdings. John Wroughton Brown, the COO, was promoted to CEO, with Chief Product Officer Omri Morgenshtern named as the new COO.
Agoda launched airport transfers via a partnership with Mozio in November 2018. In September 2019, Agoda launched a brand refresh including a new logo, custom font, and cartoon mascots called Agojis based on the circles in the logo.
In October 2019, Agoda began offering flight bookings. In November 2019, Agoda launched B2B products including a white-label platform.
In May 2020, Agoda announced the layoffs of 1,500 people due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In June 2022, John Brown resigned as CEO, and was succeeded by chief product officer Omri Morgenshtern.
Strategic Partnerships Expanding Global Inventory
Digital travel platform Agoda and Emerging Travel Group (ETG), a global travel technology company operating the RateHawk, ZenHotels, and Roundtrip brands, have entered into a strategic partnership to expand accommodation supply and distribution across their respective platforms.
Under the partnership, the two companies will cross-sell their services, leveraging each other’s extensive inventory and strong customer demand. As part of the agreement, Agoda will connect to ETG’s global hotel supply through the RateHawk API.
This integration adds millions of accommodation options across Europe, the United States, Latin America, and the Middle East to Agoda’s marketplace. This will broaden Agoda’s offering for travelers from Asia and beyond whilst providing more choice for those planning trips to popular destinations globally.
RateHawk enables travel industry partners to connect efficiently with ETG’s accommodation portfolio through its API. For ETG, the partnership supports its strategic expansion in the Asia-Pacific region by strengthening its hotel supply.
The agreement will see the two travel technology companies cross-sell services, combining their hotel inventories and customer bases to broaden accommodation choices across their respective platforms.
Under the deal, Agoda will access ETG’s global hotel supply through the RateHawk API. The integration is expected to strengthen Agoda’s offering for travelers from Asia and other markets, providing more options in popular destinations worldwide.
Southeast Asia as a Top Growth Market
East and Southeast Asia rank among ETG’s five largest destination markets with bookings increasing by an average of 30% in 2026. Agoda has a particularly strong hotel portfolio in the Asia-Pacific region.
The agreement supports ETG’s strategic expansion in the Asia-Pacific region by strengthening its hotel supply. Bookings to the Asia-Pacific region are growing at a double-digit annual rate for ETG customers.
The partnership combines Agoda’s deep understanding of Asia with Emerging Travel Group’s diverse supply. RateHawk enables travel industry partners to connect efficiently with ETG’s accommodation portfolio through its API.
Nikita Elagin, Managing Director for Consolidator Business Unit at ETG, commented that the Asia-Pacific region is an important destination market for their customers, across both leisure and corporate travel, with bookings growing at a double-digit rate annually.
He added that Agoda has a particularly strong hotel portfolio in the region, and by combining their supply, they can offer ETG customers a wider choice of accommodation and better serve their travel needs across APAC.
Erik Akhmetgaliev, Regional Director APAC at RateHawk, commented that ETG’s hotel inventory offers extensive geographic coverage and is highly valued by their B2B partners. The RateHawk API enables them to connect this inventory with partners efficiently and seamlessly.
Our partnership with Agoda will further extend the reach of this portfolio to travelers worldwide, while supporting our continued growth and strengthening our presence in the Asia-Pacific market.
Response to Travelers Using Multiple Platforms
Danil Dachkevitch, Vice President of Strategic Partnerships at Agoda, stated that travel discovery is becoming less linear as travelers turn to a wider range of platforms. Wherever their journey begins, they want them to find accommodation that suits their trip.
This partnership combines Agoda’s deep understanding of Asia and global customer reach with Emerging Travel Group’s diverse supply, giving travelers more choice across both platforms.
Agoda cooperated with the Taipei City Government in June 2018 to remove illegal and unregistered hotels from its listings. In April 2017, the Tourism Minister of Thailand called for travel agencies, most notably Agoda, to delete illegal and unregistered hotels from the platforms.
In September 2018, Agoda was one of 20 online travel agencies that faced legal action from the Turkish Travel Agencies Association due to alleged unfair competition. In January 2026, regulators in Turkey filed a lawsuit seeking to ban Agoda as well as many other travel agencies including Airbnb and Expedia.
In October 2017, Agoda was one of six major online travel agencies that was subject to a probe by the Competition and Markets Authority in the United Kingdom. The probe was related to concerns about hidden charges, pressure selling tactics, misleading discount claims and the order in which results appear.
The partnership reflects both companies’ efforts to expand their distribution networks and respond to travelers’ growing use of multiple booking platforms. This ensures that customers can find suitable lodging regardless of where their travel search begins.
Sources
- Agoda
- Agoda and Emerging Travel Group Enter Strategic Partnership
- Agoda adds millions of hotels through ETG partnership
Photo: Sonnie Hiles / Unsplash (Unsplash License)
