US travel tech company KAYAK Software Corporation announced that it has set up KAYAK Asia Pacific Limited in Hong Kong as the group’s local headquarters to strengthen its foothold in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region amid strong demand.

KAYAK searches other travel sites to help travellers find information on the right flights, hotels, rental cars and vacation packages. It also offers a variety of travel planning and trip management tools including price forecasts based on historical data and trips, price alerts and itinerary management.

The group started in the US in 2004 and launched in Asia in 2013. It currently has 12 local sites in the region.

The President of KAYAK, Mr Keith Melnick, said that the timing of the Hong Kong regional headquarters was a response to “explosive growth” in this part of the world. “APAC is already on track to becoming the world’s largest digital travel sales market next year. That, coupled with the prevalence of smartphones and consumers’ voracity for e-commerce, makes this region a great business opportunity for us. 

“Hong Kong is at the heart of this fast-growing region. The talent pool of Hong Kong makes it a clear choice for our first office in APAC. Geographically it also makes a lot of sense. KAYAK has 12 local sites in the APAC region and it’s important for us to be more connected with our partners there,” said Mr Melnick.

Associate Director-General of Investment Promotion Dr Jimmy Chiang lauded KAYAK’s choice of Hong Kong. He said, “Hong Kong is an international city connected very conveniently with major markets in the region. KAYAK, like many other international brands setting up regional headquarters in our city, can make good use of Hong Kong’s unique location and manage its regional operations from here with a lot of ease and efficiency.”