Grab has launched new in-app travel features and partnerships to provide travelers with a safe, seamless, and hyperlocal experience as Southeast Asia embraces a travel comeback.
With the 1,706% increase in international tourist visits to Southeast Asia in 2022 compared to the previous year, Grab has also witnessed a steady rebound in traveler numbers. Rides to and from airports have grown 3x between January and December 2022, indicating the strong desire for travel within the region.
Southeast Asian travelers frequently travel within the region. Grab data shows that 40% of international travelers using Grab in the Philippines come from other Southeast Asian countries. Furthermore, the top Southeast Asian countries Philippine Grab users prefer going to are Singapore, Thailand, and Malaysia. North America, Australia, China, and South Korea are the top source markets for travelers using Grab regionally.
GRAB LAUNCHES NEW IN-APP FEATURES
Grab has designed an enhanced travel experience to provide all travelers with the assurance and confidence to explore their destination by enabling them to plan, get a smooth ride when they arrive, and experience their destination like a local.
The new app enhancements include the following:
- Traveller Homepage: To help travelers plan their trips, the new Traveller Homepage allows overseas travelers to explore a city within the Grab app as if they were at the destination. Available for 33 of the top cities tourists visit in Southeast Asia, users can check out the Grab services present in the city, search and save places of interest such as their accommodation address and landmarks they intend to visit ahead of time, and even explore the food options near their destination.
- The Grab app is now available in Chinese, Korean, and Japanese, providing a more intuitive experience for travelers from China, Korea, and Japan, key markets for international tourists visiting Southeast Asia.
- Translated merchant menus: Grab is working on translating merchant menus in key cities across Indonesia, Vietnam, and Thailand into English to help travelers explore the best local flavors around them. Grab will also provide Chinese menu translations across key Indonesian cities to serve the wave of returning Chinese travelers. This feature will be available in H2 2023.
- A revamped Venues experience: With the latest version of Venues, travelers can look at images of each pick-up point before selecting the one they want and get image-based turn-by-turn walking directions to guide them, even before they book their ride. The Venues feature is available at all major airports in Southeast Asia. It can also be used at over 4,000 locations across the region, such as malls, hotels, office buildings, parks, and more. It includes popular tourist attractions like the Singapore Zoo, the floating market in Pattaya, and the National Monument in Jakarta.
- A currency converter feature that will automatically display fares in travelers’ preferred local currency will be available by H2 2023 so that they do not have to do manual conversions.
ACCESS GRAB THROUGH YOUR EXISTING APPS
For travelers who prefer not to download another app, Grab has partnered with some of the world’s most popular apps to provide them with options to access Grab’s ride-hailing services through platforms they already use and are familiar with. WeChat, AliPay, Ctrip, Kakao T, and Booking.com users can access Grab’s ride-hailing services across Southeast Asia through these apps. They can select their pick-up and drop-off point, see the full range of vehicle types available locally, with the estimated fare displayed in their home currency, and pay via their preferred payment method in those apps.
From Q2 2023, Uber users who open the app in Southeast Asia will also see a message directing them to Grab as Uber’s recommended travel route.
In support of the traveling revival, Grab has also announced a new exclusive offer to its GrabUnlimited subscription plan, giving subscribers access to discounted airport rides at 89 airports.
GRAB INTROS NEW OFFER
Additionally, Grab has announced a new exclusive offer for its GrabUnlimited subscription plan to support the traveling revival. Subscribers to the program can now enjoy discounted airport rides at 89 airports across Southeast Asia. In the Philippines, GrabUnlimited users can get up to 15% off airport rides to their intended destination. Filipino GrabUnlimited users can also access exclusive airport-ride discounts when traveling in other Southeast Asian countries. GrabUnlimited is free for the first month and renews at Php49 every month thereafter, making it an affordable and convenient option for avid Grab users.
What can you say about these new updates from Grab? Let us know what you think in the comment section!
