Made to be mobile, travellers can download the emutrip app from the App Store and Google Play so they can view their itinerary on smartphones and tablets.
LONDON – WTM 2014 – REPORT: At World Travel Market this week (3-6 November 2014), leading global travel wholesaler GTA unveils its first ever mobile tool to make life easier for the world’s travel agents and provide them with new revenue opportunities. Emutrip, emutrip.com, will start life as a free itinerary builder but will evolve over time into a sophisticated tool for travellers; accessible in store, at home and on the move.
GTA’s chief executive, Ivan Walter, says: “GTA has always been at the forefront of travel industry technology and is spurred on by increasing invention and competition coming into the market. I’m excited to announce emutrip which will add value for travellers and build awareness of agents’ brand and expertise.”
Retail travel agents can use the free emutrip to create, build, edit and organise their clients’ travel itineraries. Emutrip quickly and simply automates the process of building a dynamically packaged trip and presents it in a way that is as appealing as the traditional holiday brochure but can be as individual as the traveller. It frees agents to devote more time to understanding the particular needs of their customers and providing relevant recommendations and reassurance.
As GTA continues to focus on doing business with travel businesses not consumers, each itinerary can be created using the agency’s own brand. Agents build elements of the itinerary day-by-day – from flights to rail travel, accommodation to activities – drawing on content from GTA’s extensive database and elsewhere. For instance, it includes flight information and can send alerts about delays, cancellations or gate changes.
Each itinerary is easy to edit with notes, reminders and additions as travellers take advantage of agents’ recommendations for excursions, sightseeing and attraction options, theatre tickets and more. It means agents can more easily up-sell and cross-sell options that are relevant to individual travellers and so earn more commissions.
Made to be mobile, travellers can download the emutrip app from the App Store and Google Play so they can view their itinerary on smartphones and tablets. Agents can also email the itinerary for travellers to read on their desktop computers or print out to carry with them.
Ivan continues: “As we celebrate our 40-year legacy and with millions invested in innovation to drive our business forward, 2015 will be the beginning of an exciting new era for GTA. The expertise and experience of our people, our authoritative presence in ‘hot spot’ and rising destinations and source markets, and our market-leading performance through technology solutions will benefit our customers for decades to come.”
Emutrip is the first in a series of innovations to demonstrate GTA’s ability to ‘power global travel’ and help the travel and tourism industry welcome more customers. Although initially only available in English, other languages will follow throughout 2015. Emutrip will eventually evolve into an “all-in-one” sales tool for travel agents that will connect to third party content such as local weather and news, promote special offers, room upgrades, transfers or destination services while travellers are on their trip, and enable travellers to book direct through their smartphone or tablet.
Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales.
She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.
