The luxurious travel agency Smiling Albino announced that from August 1 it will start accepting bitcoins as a form of payment. That decision makes them one of the first travel planning companies in Southeast Asia to accept the popular cryptocurrency.
Smiling Albino is defined on its portal as "a group of travel enthusiasts who offer personalized adventures in Asia. We offer attractive activities in stunning locations, and the most fabulous cuisine, all brought together in a well-designed adventure. "
The Thai-based company, specifically based in Bangkok, plans to receive the digital currency in a peer-to-peer (P2P) relationship. Direct negotiations with the customer facilitate transactions as they become rapidly effective on the network and do not give rise to errors, unlike what could happen when an intermediary comes into play, whether it is a bank or a house of exchange for cryptocurrencies.
They have suggested that this method is a more efficient and economical way to book their packages, where they promise to be guides and companions themselves, and even give support to the community they visit. In addition, as most of its customers pay from abroad, the costs of gaining exchange rate entities that serve as intermediaries for this type of payment are quite reduced, in addition to other implicit costs.
The decision was announced on June 22 through a press release that they announced on Twitter, which explains that staying ahead with financial transactions is just one way to demonstrate that they are innovating and leading in the Way of luxury travel.
This payment service will be available from Tuesday, August 1 of this year for destinations in Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam, according to the statement. The company offers trips to other destinations, such as Nepal and China, but apparently they will have to wait a little longer to enable the same type of payment.
It should be mentioned that this initiative is not unique. Among the various Asian companies that have adopted the technology is the Japanese travel agency, Evolable Asia, which has partnered with the payment company BITPoint to offer its customers the possibility of paying with bitcoins; And also in America is the agency Destinia, where Venezuelans can make their reservations with the cryptocurrency.
Image SOURCE