[Case Study] Zeldiva Luxury, Maldives

Zeldiva is an award-winning luxury travel concierge – a one-stop shop for travelers that handles everything to ensure their guests have the best possible trip in the Maldives. Payment has become an increasingly important aspect of the experience for their tech-savvy international guests and Zeldiva needed to respond to stay ahead of its customers’ needs and to optimize its own cash flow.

Zeldiva Luxury, Maldives

Challenge

Zeldiva plans exceptional experiences in the Maldives for international clients from all over the globe, with the Middle East and Europe being their biggest origination markets. Guests run the gamut — from individuals, couples and small groups to large destination weddings and business meetings. Zeldiva’s staff are highly trained, and the company created the region’s first and only travel mobile app to enable a personal concierge to assist guests with their plans and travels wherever they are.

Since most of Zeldiva’s clients are international, their payments are too. Zeldiva had been working with the central bank in the Maldives to process those payments. Most came via bank transfers and payments that were typically credited to Zeldiva’s bank account within seven days of receipt. Customers paid a fee to make the payment and Zeldiva paid a hefty $35 - $50 per transaction on top of that. There were also complaints about foreign exchange rates from travelers.

In late 2019, new payment verification requirements were implemented by the central bank. This required extensive paperwork and manual effort on the part of Zeldiva and further delayed the crediting of funds to Zeldiva’s accounts. The negative effect on Zeldiva’s cash flow created a ripple effect in its ability to secure accommodations in advance for its guests.

Zeldiva Luxury, Maldives

Solution

Owners Abdulla Iswan and Mae Madanlo first met Flywire in the Fall of 2020. They had not heard of Flywire before but really liked what it offered—a one-stop service with significant savings on foreign exchange rates and transaction fees, and much faster reconciliation and crediting of client payments. Still, they weren't quite ready to hand everything over to Flywire.

Zeldiva was planning a big destination wedding for a client with over 200 guests in December and cash flow became a big consideration. So, they decided to try Flywire and saw immediate results—no cumbersome paperwork, faster crediting of payments, and big savings on transaction fees.

Clients are happier too. They can pay quickly and easily online, in their local currency which saves them additional monies. And the transaction fees and foreign exchange rates are completely transparent, so they know exactly what they are paying for. Flywire also provides 24/7 multi-lingual support to answer any questions payers might have.

Flywire also made dealing with refunds much easier for Zeldiva – especially during COVID when the number of refunds was higher than usual. There was no need to reinput all the payer information. Flywire quickly identifies the source of any payment and follows through on the refund to make sure it is delivered directly to the client account from which it was paid.

Zeldiva Luxury, Maldives

Results

Flywire makes Zeldiva more efficient and more profitable. Since Dec. 2020, Flywire has moved over US$800,000 for Zeldiva and transformed the payment experience for both its clients and the company.

  • Client payments are credited to Zeldiva in much less time after using Flywire
  • There is no paperwork or manual process required
  • Zeldiva is saving 90% on bank charges for international payments
  • Customers are saving on transaction fees and foreign exchange rates

Zeldiva has expressed its satisfaction by Introducing other travel businesses in the Maldives to Flywire.

Payment should be an invisible part of the travel experience. Our customers don’t want to worry about how they are making their payment. They want to focus on making their experience everything it can be.

Mae MadanloCOO, Zeldiva Luxury
COO, Zeldiva Luxury

Meet Zeldiva Luxury

Zeldiva is an award-winning luxury travel concierge in constant search of the best boutique and luxury resorts in the Maldives. They are constantly researching and checking all aspects of resorts and related services to deliver exceptional Maldives vacation and destination event experiences.

They offer hand-picked collections with unmatched ambience and all the right style notes for each guest. The resorts have to tick that ‘something special’ box: warm welcomes without fuss or formality; seductive “villa” rooms supplied with thoughtful extras; perfectly mixed drinks and delicious meals; and crucially, memorable stays for all the right reasons.

To imagine your special Maldives experience, visit https://www.zeldivaluxury.com/.

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