AsiaRooms: TUI A&D division generates no profits in Q4 of 2009 but AsiaRooms conversion on the improve

Here at BOOT central we try to collect and collate information on Asia's online travel companies. One of those we are tracking is AsiaRooms, the Pattaya based online hotel company owned by the European travel giant TUI. As reported last year AsiaRooms is incorporated into the LateRooms part of TUI.

In May 2009 I managed to collect some information about the performance and results for the TUI Online Destination Services group - which included AsiaRooms, LateRooms, Hotelopia, Hotelbeds and a dozen offline destination brands. The group was renamed the TUI Accomodation and Destination (A&D) division in the second quarter of 09. With the new name comes with a slight realignment of brands and sub-divisions into the following.

B2C Division: LateRooms and Asiarooms.
B2B Division: Hotelopia, Hotelbeds, Holidays Services and TUI Espania
A&D Specialist Division: Intercruises, Aeolos, Pacific World, TUI China

I read this as a greater separation of the operations of the combined LateRooms/AsiaRooms and the other "online" businesses of Hotelopia and Hotelbeds. While the focus of the BOOT is on the B2C group it is worth noting that the A&D section of TUI is big business generating more than £552mm per year in Revenue and more than 8,000 employees. (one page pdf factsheet on the A&D division here)

Last week TUI published their results for the quarter to 31 Dec 2009 (pdf here). From it we can collect another little piece of information on the online activities of TUI and AsiaRooms turnover. Here's what the announcement says

"The A&D sector reported an underlying operating result of £nil (Q1 09 profit £1m) due to foreign exchange translation losses. Profitability in our Online B2C business improved due to better conversion rates in Asiarooms following its switch from a merchant model to a commissionable model. This was offset, however, by reduced volumes in our Destination Services business in Spain."

In one paragraph it is only AsiaRooms out of some dozen or more brands that gets a mention. Nothing specific enough for us to tell whether or not AsiaRooms is profitable or not but they are celebrating conversion improvements. Any other information you have on AsiaRooms?