In the fifth episode of our Impact10 series, we got talking with Ajay Kesavan, CEO of BiyaheKo.ph- one of Southeast Asia’s leading B2B travel solutions providers.
With over a decade of experience in global travel tech, Ajay talks about its evolution in the past few years, his long-standing appreciation for the people behind Vervotech, and how Vervotech’s mapping technology has played an essential role in improving the accuracy of their travel platform.
Here are some insights from our interaction with Ajay:
Thanks for joining me today, Ajay.
Let’s start with learning a bit about you. Tell us something about yourself- your journey as a technologist and in the travel industry.
I began my career in airline sales but was always fascinated by how technology could transform real-world experiences. The travel industry, in particular, intrigued me; it’s a space where user experience is everything, yet it relies on complex backend systems working seamlessly.
Over the years, I worked on several digital transformation projects for travel companies in the Philippines, and those experiences eventually brought me to Biyaheko, where I set out to transform the company with new technology. My mission has always been simple: to give travel agents and tour operators in our country world-class tools that enable them to compete and thrive in the digital age.
What were the challenges you were facing on your online travel platform?
As our hotel inventory grew, we started noticing duplicate listings, inconsistent property information, and mismatched content across suppliers. This not only confused our partner agents but also eroded trust in our platform. Manual clean-ups were eating up a lot of time and resources, and we knew it wasn’t scalable.
What led you to choose Vervotech’s mapping solution?
I’ve known the people at Vervotech for years, and I’ve always been impressed with their accommodation mapping technology, even before becoming a client. When the challenges started to impact our operations and customer experience, Vervotech was the obvious choice. Their technology wasn’t just accurate; it was built with the scale and intelligence we needed for our growing platform.
How was your experience with the implementation process?
Surprisingly smooth. We were expecting the integration to take a few months, but Vervotech’s team’s expertise and responsiveness made it quick and painless. They understood our business model and tailored the implementation so we could start seeing results faster.
What key improvements have you seen since using Vervotech?
The first and most obvious change was the drastic reduction in duplicate and mismatched hotel listings. Our platform’s search results are now cleaner, more reliable, and visually consistent. This has led to fewer support tickets from agents and a noticeable uptick in bookings.
Is there any feature or aspect of the product that you find particularly valuable?
The continuous content updates are a game-changer. It’s not just about mapping hotels once and forgetting about it, Vervotech keeps our database fresh and accurate without manual intervention, which means our agents always have up-to-date property information.
How has your experience been with Vervotech’s customer support team?
Exceptional. They’re proactive, not reactive. Any question we raise gets addressed quickly, and they also reach out with suggestions on how we can get even more value from the platform. It’s rare to see that level of commitment after onboarding.
If you were to describe Vervotech’s impact in one sentence, what would it be?
Vervotech has turned our hotel content from a messy liability into a competitive advantage.
Would you recommend Vervotech to others in your industry? Why?
Absolutely. In the travel industry, trust is currency, and that starts with accurate content. Vervotech’s mapping solution ensures that what you show your customers is exactly what they get, and that’s priceless for building long-term relationships.
About Biyaheko:
Biyaheko is the Philippines’ leading B2B online travel and tours solutions provider, offering a comprehensive platform for accredited travel agents. Integrating a wide range of travel products, including flights, ferries, buses, worldwide hotels, tours, and more, Biyaheko provides an easy-to-use, efficient, and effective platform that empowers travel professionals to streamline their operations and achieve business growth.