Amadeus signs 35 independent travel companies
London, 08 September 2008: Amadeus, a global leader in technology and distribution solutions for the travel and tourism industry, has signed contracts with 35 small and medium-sized independent travel companies since the beginning of the year, for the provision of the Amadeus Selling Platform.
Amadeus is providing the companies, which span both the leisure and business sectors, with the latest version of the browser-based point of sale system which enables travel professionals to perform all booking tasks via a single access to flights, hotels, car rentals and other local content to boost sales and reduce costs through improved efficiency. The Amadeus Selling Platform is suitable in its simplest form for the smallest start-up agency, yet is robust enough to be scaled up and customised to suit the most demanding customers.
Mr. Valery Ivanov, Managing Director of Balkania Travel said: “By using the Amadeus Selling Platform, we have become more efficient and effective in servicing the needs of our clients. The platform makes it easier to search, compare and book a range of travel content, and as a result we are expecting significant cost and time savings. Along with the improved customer service we can offer, cost and time savings are the most important things for us in today’s economic climate.”
Among the other companies which have signed contracts with Amadeus are: Tropical Sky, Crystal Travel, Worldgate Travel, Switzerland Travel Centre, Navigator Travel and Miss Ellie's World Travel.
Julian Mills, Director of Sales for Amadeus UK said: “Given the current economic downturn, customers are now, more than ever, looking for added value when choosing the services of a travel professional. Travel agents need to offer their customers better service and value for money, and this is where Amadeus comes in. Our software and service solutions are designed to showcase the value that small and medium-sized independent travel agents can offer their clients. This can mean reliable, instant access to a vast array of traditional and exciting new travel content, or the ability to respond to customer needs more quickly by using our latest productivity-boosting sales and admin software. In short, we aim to give agents a competitive edge.”
Despite the negative headlines regarding the credit crunch, a recent survey conducted by Amadeus suggests a continued optimism within the industry with both leisure and business agents reporting an increase in overall travel bookings during the first six months of 2008, compared to the same period in 2007. [1] Nearly 65% of leisure agents believe the number of overall bookings will be maintained or will increase over the next six months, and 57% of business agents predict that bookings will increase between 5% and 20%, compared with the same period in 2007. In order to stand out above their competitors in the current economic climate, agents are reassessing the value their technology provides and should also be prepared to capitalise on the predicted increase by ensuring they are in a position to offer their customers the best possible value and service.
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