New luxury OTA to “disrupt traditional agency model”

A new travel website is hoping to make luxury products more accessible to everyday Aussie travellers, and it’s brought former Miss Universe Jennifer Hawkins on board to help.

Bon Voyage kicks off today, with the aim of providing luxury travel products from an array of wholesalers but at a more affordable price.

Brands involved in the venture include Mulia Resort Bali, Royal Caribbean & Celebrity Cruises, Warwick Resort Fiji, Vinpearl Golf Land Nah Trang, Nikki Beach Resort Dubai and Centara Grand Bangkok.

Under the Bon Voyage umbrella, these brands offer travellers curated holiday packages to some of the world’s plushest destinations.

The site is operating in partnership with major Australian ecommerce player, Catch Group.

Catch Group chief executive Nati Harpaz told The Australian the luxe offerings are all five-star, and go well beyond just affordable plush hotel rooms.

“This has been on the works for quite a few months now and this is more than just booking accommodation,” he said.

“Our experts go in and negotiate special deals that include other activities that you would usually need to buy separately.”

Bon Voyage even managed to snag its own celebrity to come onboard for the launch. Jennifer Hawkins describes the experience as a great opportunity that allows her to combine her love of travel with a new business idea, but Catch Group co-founder Gabby Leibovich also told The Oz that Hawkins was more than just an ambassador.

Both Harpaz and Leibovich told The Oz they were looking to disrupt the traditional travel agency model.

“When you go on a booking website you have to commit to the dates you want to travel, what we are doing is that our customers can buy the deal but they don’t have to commit to when they need to go,” Harpaz said.

“There’s very little curated experience out there, where someone else does the legwork to ensure the property, the deal and the services are right.”

Bon Voyage’s General Manager Jon Beros said, “With Bon Voyage we wanted to make luxury travel accessible to all Australians.

“All experiences have been handpicked by our team, bringing travellers five star experiences from the world’s best destinations.”

“I have been lucky enough to have travelled to some amazing destinations and travel to me not only is about enjoying quality downtime with friends and family, but is also an enriching life experience,” said Hawkins.

Beros added, “We loved working with Jen to build out the travel experiences on offer.

“Her passion for travel and unique insight into some of the world’s most unique travel destinations as well as popular getaways brings an informed and exciting perspective to Bon Voyage.”

To celebrate its launch, Bon Voyage will feature select, limited offers to destinations such as Bali, Fiji, Thailand and Dubai, available exclusively to members.

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Email the Travel Weekly team at traveldesk@travelweekly.com.au

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