Galasys Plc, a leading provider of ticketing systems and solutions to the Asian theme park market, has announced the launch of its Cloud Online Travel Agent CLOTA platform.
CLOTA is a middleware platform that connects theme park ticketing systems with online travel agencies (“OTAs”), allowing customers to buy tickets online in real time. On completion of the transaction an electronic QR™-coded ticket is sent to customers’ mobile phones and email, allowing them to gain entry to the theme park either by validating the QR™-code at the park admission gates or at self-service ticketing vending kiosks.
The development of CLOTA is in line with Galasys’ strategy to develop a fully integrated B2B online sales and distribution network that connects OTAs with theme park operators and owners in Asia. The Intelligent Cloud, one of Galasys’ key software modules, was developed in 2011 enabled theme park clients to generate substantial new online ticket sales and created a new sales channel through the OTAs.
Galasys’ IPO in May provided the funding necessary to accelerate the CLOTA development programme.
Over 100 million tickets are sold through Galasys ticketing systems in theme parks across Asia. The launch of CLOTA introduces both new sales channels and a new revenue model, based on a share of revenue per ticket sold, providing the group with the opportunity to capture a share of the revenues generated by those ticket sales.
However, CLOTA is a universal platform that can be employed by all theme park operators regardless of whether their ticketing system is from Galasys.
Galasys already has five OTAs (Ctrip.com International Ltd, Beijing Qunar Software Technology (Qunar.com), Shanghai Lvmama International Travel Agency Co. Ltd, Sichuan Brigade Butler Network Technology (Lvxiaobao) and Chengdu Chenyu Culture Communication Co., Ltd.) signed up to CLOTA providing coverage of most of China’s online travel traffic.
In addition eight theme parks representing 3.5 to 4 million visitors a year are also on board and fully integrated into CLOTA. These incude Wugang Xianglong Valley Water Park, Gui Lin Yugui Park Universal theme park, Seven Colour Sand River Water Park, Wuhan Mulan Park and Shanxi Water Park.
Commenting on the announcement, Mr. Seah, Chief Executive of Galasys, said, "This is a significant step by Galasys into the online sphere and is part of our planned transformation to correlate our revenue and growth more closely to the number of visitors to our installed sites. We will continue to grow our CLOTA platform by signing up more parks and OTA partners in the coming months. The tie up with Qunar and Ctrip, the two OTA giants in China, is a testament to Galasys’ track record in China and an endorsement of our CLOTA platform.
“With 98 installed sites and over 100 million tickets printing via our ticketing system annually, we are excited by the possibility of channeling the sale of some of these tickets through CLOTA.”
