Ratehawk eyes expansion in second decade

RateHawk, the flagship B2B booking platform of UAE-based Emerging Travel Group, is marking its 10th anniversary in 2026 with an AI and application programming interface expansion strategy.

 

Astrid Kastberg said: “WTTC predicts the travel sector will generate more US$16 trillion and make up nearly 12% of global GDP by 2035. We believe travel professionals will largely contribute to this growth, and we’re committed to supporting them.

 

“We’ll keep expanding our flexible approach, launching localised infrastructure and payment solutions, and investing in local talent. We also plan to introduce new products, starting with insurance, and continue to develop features like our Quotes Selection Tools that help partners increase booking conversions via an automated offer-selling template”.

 

Launched in 2016, the platform now connects more than 110,000 travel professionals across 120 markets. Its inventory includes 3.2 million accommodation options from 250,000 directly contracted hotels and 350 global suppliers. The group also offers car rental, rail and transfer services, alongside flights from more than 400 airlines.

 

API integration remains central to growth, with bookings per API partner rising 40% in 2025 as demand increases from online travel agencies, travel tech platforms and agency groups.

 

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In the GCC, RateHawk expanded its network of connected agents by 12% to more than 9,000 professionals, while net booking value in the region increased 66% year-on-year.

 

The company is also scaling its use of automation, with agentic AI now handling around 50% of routine customer support requests. Unlike traditional automation, agentic AI can independently process queries, make decisions and trigger actions across systems, reducing manual workload and speeding up response times. For the travel trade industry, this shift could streamline booking workflows, improve service turnaround and allow agents to focus on higher-value, customer-facing tasks. 

 

The update builds on momentum reported in March, when the company said its global partner network had grown 37% to more than 110,000 travel professionals and gross transaction value had risen 30% to US$4.8 billion.

 

Felix Shpilman, President and CEO of Emerging Travel Group, said: “We launched RateHawk in 2016 as an experiment. Today, more than 110,000 travel professionals across 120+ markets use RateHawk.”

 

The company is also developing new products, including insurance, while expanding payment options and localisation tools to support partners across multiple markets.

 

As it enters its next decade, the focus is on scaling its role as a global API supplier and strengthening its multi-product offering for the travel trade.

 

For more information, visit www.ratehawk.com