Emerging Travel Group Appoints Astrid Kastberg as RateHawk MD
Company - People | Jun 24, 2025 | Zawya
Emerging Travel Group, an international player in the travel tech industry, has appointed Astrid Kastberg as the Managing Director of RateHawk, its B2B booking system. Based in Dubai, Kastberg is charged with leading and expanding RateHawk's operations amid rapid market growth. Her previous roles at Yalago, Juniper, and Hotelbeds, combined with her extensive experience in travel management, will support the strategic consolidation of RateHawk's expansion across a network of 110,000 retail and 1,100 API partners. Emerging Travel Group's continued growth is underlined by hitting a transaction milestone of $3.7 billion in 2024, driven significantly by RateHawk's increased net booking value and global booking growth. Kastberg's leadership will further enable the company to maintain its growth trajectory and enhance its B2B market presence.
Sectors
- Travel Technology
- Business Services
Geography
- United Arab Emirates – Based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, the geographic hub for Emerging Travel Group's strategic operations and its new managing director.
- Global – Emerging Travel Group has a global presence with offices across several countries and services provided in over 120 countries.
Industry
- Travel Technology – Emerging Travel Group operates within the travel technology sector, providing online booking services through its platforms like RateHawk.
- Business Services – RateHawk operates as a B2B platform that services travel professionals worldwide, fitting into the business services sector.
Financials
- $3.7 billion – Gross transaction value achieved by Emerging Travel Group in 2024.
- 1.8 times – Increase in RateHawk's net booking value compared to 2023.
- 67% – Global growth in the number of bookings for RateHawk.
Participants
| Name | Role | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emerging Travel Group | Parent Company | Company | A global travel tech company that owns brands like RateHawk, ZenHotels, and Roundtrip. |
| RateHawk | B2B Platform | Company | A B2B booking platform under Emerging Travel Group providing travel-related services. |
| Astrid Kastberg | Managing Director | Person | Recently appointed Managing Director of RateHawk, bringing extensive experience in travel management and technology. |
| Ilya Kravtsov | Chief Commercial Officer | Person | CCO of Emerging Travel Group, commenting on the strategic appointment. |
| Anita Gusich | Head of PR | Person | Press contact for Emerging Travel Group. |