Galileo International, Inc., the leading provider of electronic global distribution services for the travel industry, and part of Cendant’s Travel Distribution Services (TDS), today announced the launch of its new Galileo Leisure website in selected countries throughout Asia – a Galileo branded version of the retail booking system offered by sister company Gullivers Travel Associates, which was successfully launched in Europe in November 2005. It will be offered at no cost to leisure travel agents in Hong Kong, Taiwan, the Philippines, Malaysia Singapore and Thailand and further represents the unique content proposition that is available through one of the world’s largest travel companies.
“Galileo Leisure is an industry first and effectively combines in one place all the benefits of an unrivalled range of superb travel content. Never before have Asian travel agents been able to serve their customers so well while also boosting their own revenue earning potential,” commented Mr. Mark Rizzuto, Managing Director, Cendant Travel Distribution Services, Asia.
Within eight weeks of its initial European launch in late 2005, over 2,300 travel agencies had begun using Galileo Leisure with the average booking value well in excess of US$350. A similar response is expected in Asia where the new website will enable leisure travel agents to fully integrate all bookings made through both Galileo Leisure and Gullivers into a Galileo booking file, saving time spent on administration and invoicing.
“We’ve worked hard at developing a leisure travel tool that will help Asian travel agents maximise every available booking opportunity. With Galileo Leisure, they really will be able to access all the relevant, non-GDS content they need in one site to build the ideal holiday for their customers,” commented Mr. Enrico Bisello, Director of Product Management, Asia Pacific, Cendant TDS.
“....And this is just the beginning – we plan to evolve this offering well beyond the domain of leisure travel and we will roll out the product to other countries in Asia throughout out 2006,” he continued.
Galileo Leisure also features a group booking facility. Group bookings made via Galileo Leisure are managed by Gullivers’ specialist groups section that arrange itineraries, select product, negotiate pricing and provide comprehensive customer service to travel agents, arranging all hotel bookings, transfers, restaurants and sightseeing—benefits well appreciated by Asian agents who serve a demanding consumer base.
Travel agents will also be able to offer their Asian customers additional, value-added services such as transfers, sightseeing tours and additional independent hotels – providing numerous new cross-selling opportunities.
Content includes access to over 20,000 Gullivers sourced hotels, as well as 3,500 car rental locations, 2,500 transfer services and 4,300 sightseeing tours (including 1,200 private sightseeing options). Asian travel agents will also have direct access to the information they need to answer frequently asked customer questions via the extensive destination content provided on the site such as online city maps and real time weather information.
For more information regarding Galileo Leisure, please access the website at www.galileoleisure.com
About Galileo Leisure
Galileo Leisure is a website available across four continents that is a Galileo branded version of the retail booking system offered by sister company Gullivers Travel Associates (gta). Galileo Leisure offers improved efficiency and reduced costs for travel agents – any bookings made through the Gullivers Retail Booking System are integrated back into a Galileo booking file reducing the time travel agents spend on administration and invoicing.
Galileo Leisure also offers access to a wider choice of independent hotels; to the highly competitive rates negotiated by GTA on sightseeing, transfers and tours - providing leisure travel agents with the opportunity to cross sell additional holiday elements to customers and earn extra commission for doing so; and to extensive destination information such as online city maps, destination guides and real time weather. The website is offered to travel agents at no cost.
About Galileo International
Galileo International (http://www.galileo.com) is a global technology leader. Its core business is providing electronic global distribution services for the travel industry through its computerized reservation systems, leading-edge products and innovative, Internet-based solutions. Galileo is a value-added distributor of travel inventory dedicated to supporting its travel supplier, agency and corporate customers and, through them, expanding traveller choice. Part of Cendant’s Travel Distribution Services Group, Galileo is headquartered in Parsippany, NJ, and has offices worldwide.
About Cendant Travel Distribution Services
Cendant Corporation’s (NYSE: CD) Travel Distribution Services Division, is one of the world’s largest and most geographically diverse collections of travel brands and distribution businesses. The division, employing nearly 9,000 people in approximately 140 countries, includes: a leading (GDS) global distribution system (Galileo), serving more than 50,000 travel agencies and over 60,000 hotels; hotel distribution and services businesses (Neat Group(R), THOR(R), TRUST and WizCom(R)); leading online travel agencies (Asia-hotel.com, CheapTickets(R), ebookers.com(R), HotelClub.com, Lodging.com, Orbitz(R), RatesToGo.com, and The Away Network); an airline market intelligence company (Shepherd Systems); an international travel technology and software company (Travelwire); a leading international provider of long-haul air travel and travel product consolidator (Travel 2(R)/Travel 4(R)); online global corporate travel management solutions (Orbitz for Business(R) and Travelport(R)); and a leading wholesaler and global online provider of hotels, destination services, travel packages and group tours (Gullivers Travel Associates, OctopusTravel.com(R) and Travel Bound, Inc.).
For media enquiries:
Linda Ho (Asia) Cendant Travel Distribution Services
+852 2821 2388
[email protected]
Steve Lovato/G.E. Mead Incentive Dynamics (S) Pte. Ltd.
+6596253104 / +6618507979
[email protected]
[email protected]
For more information please contact:
Coke Mead
Incentive Dynamics (S) Pte. Ltd.
PR Counsel to Cendant TDS Asia
66 1 850 7979 End.