Simone Large joins Emerging Travel Group as Head of Direct Supply

Monday, March 4, 2024

Emerging Travel Group, a prominent global travel entity known for its brands RateHawk, ZenHotels, and Roundtrip, has appointed Simone Large to a senior position within its direct supply development team. Assuming the role of Head of Direct Supply, Simone will spearhead the formulation of the company’s hotel and lodging strategy, overseeing a team of over 50 professionals. Based in Alicante, Simone will utilize her extensive experience to cultivate hotel partnerships on a global scale, drawing from her illustrious career spanning more than twenty years in the travel industry. Her previous roles include senior positions in destination management, business development, and partnership building at esteemed companies such as Dnata Travel Group and W2M.

Felix Shpilman, CEO of Emerging Travel Group, commented: “Aiming to provide our
customers with the broadest supply choice possible, our longstanding strategy focused
on consolidating numerous wholesalers and contracting hotels directly. While we have
mastered working with suppliers unlike anyone else in the market, we strategically
shifted towards developing direct connections in the European and Middle Eastern
regions. In 2023 these efforts led to a remarkable 32% growth in directly contracted
accommodations, reaching a total of 90,000 properties. Simone’s strong travel industry
background, deep industry knowledge and extensive experience that she brings to the
company will undoubtedly accelerate our growth further.”

Commenting on her new role, Simone Large said: “I am excited to join the ambitious
team of Emerging Travel Group during this pivotal time and to lead the Direct Supply
division. We are fostering collaboration with hoteliers willing to access tailor-made
distribution across the Group’s multiple platforms. I look forward to applying my
expertise to drive the company’s growth and long-term value.”

Emerging Travel Group (ETG) boasts an extensive inventory of over 2.5 million options, with 90,000 directly connected through its proprietary extranet system. Through ETG’s extranet, hoteliers and property owners can access distribution channels across all ETG brands, catering to individual travelers (ZenHotels), travel agents and industry professionals (RateHawk), and business travelers (Roundtrip). These platforms collectively serve over 10 million B2C consumers and 100,000 B2B customers. To enhance visibility among target audiences, the company offers the Top Stays program for directly contracted properties and collaborates with major channel managers, enabling property owners to seamlessly manage their distribution channels.

In 2023, Emerging Travel Group recorded a gross transaction value of $2.6 billion and currently employs over 2,800 individuals across 80 countries. The company maintains offices in Wilmington, London, Berlin, Milan, Lisbon, Warsaw, Dubai, and Limassol.

« Back to Page