Sabre Corporation has announced a new agreement with Japan-specific luxury travel platform and business-to-business membership portal Bear Luxe Japan, to better connect its hoteliers to global markets while creating elevated experiences for travellers.

Inspired by the companions who accompanied aristocrats on their Grand Tours in the 17th to 19th centuries, who were known as Bear-leaders, Bear Luxe Japan is a global network of luxury travel designers, and leading Japanese luxury hotels in Japan. It aims to develop and deliver a luxury travel ecosystem to enable the international market to access the rich traditions and culture of Japan.

The new relationship will further cement Sabre’s growing footprint in Japan, while opening up further access for Bear Luxe member hoteliers – primarily consisting of independent Japanese luxury hotels – through the Sabre SynXis hospitality platform and Bear Luxe Japan’s international reach of the luxury travel market, to the markets and channels high-end travellers use to book their luxury trips to Japan. Bear Luxe will be utilizing a comprehensive suite of Sabre SynXis solutions to grow geographic reach, target the corporate travel market, drive increased bookings, and create personalized travel experiences.

“The absence of connectivity with the international luxury travel market has long been an industry-wide dilemma for Japanese luxury hotels. The anticipated partnership will be a game-changer in bridging the market gap,” said Hiro Miyatake, co-founder and chief operating officer of Bear Luxe. “We’re also expecting that post-pandemic luxury travellers to Japan will have a more slow and deliberate approach to their trip and a desire for meaningful travel. As such, it is vital to us that we have the right technology partner, one that offers the right solutions in opening up new markets for our hoteliers, all while ensuring that luxury travellers are able to access the personalized experiences they want and expect on their trip.”

With this agreement, Bear Luxe hospitality members will be linked to hundreds of thousands of travel agents across the world through the Global Distribution System (GDS) connectivity solutions powered by Sabre SynXis, ensuring they can reach domestic and international travellers; strategically targeting markets which are able to travel, or have a desire to travel once borders re-open.

The new alliance will also enable the Bear Luxe platform to drive direct bookings, increase engagement and trigger conversions through the deep retail focus of the Sabre SynXis Booking Engine. Sabre’s corporate booking tools will provide Bear Luxe with the ability to connect with corporate travel buyers. Meanwhile, SynXis Voice Agent will elevate the call centre experience for potential guests, equipping Bear Luxe agents with the tools they need to minimize call handling times while increasing opportunities for ancillary sales.

“We’re thrilled that Bear Luxe has selected Sabre as its trusted, strategic technology partner in Japan,” said Frank Trampert, Global Managing Director, Sabre Hospitality Solutions. “We look forward to supporting them in their endeavours to open up further domestic, regional and international markets to Japanese hoteliers while helping visitors to experience the unique characteristics Japanese destinations have to offer.”