Travelport, one of the world’s leading providers of global distribution systems (GDS), announced that it has signed a regional agreement in the Middle East with ITL Tours & Travel for Galileo - its air, car and hotel booking platform.A globally recognized travel conglomerate, ITL boasts a strong customer base across India and the Middle East. Since the opening of its regional headquarters in Bahrain, ITL has strengthened its footprint across the GCC, opening several retail outlets in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, soon to be followed by new offices in Oman, Kuwait and Qatar.
Leveraging Travelport’s world-class technology and round-the-clock customer support capabilities, ITL will benefit from the reliability and efficiency of the GDS provider’s solutions, enabling the group to boost productivity and successfully streamline its growing regional operations.
“We believe that Travelport is well positioned to meet our travel technology needs and will play a vital support role in our expansion plans in India and Middle East. Distribution is one of the prime success factors of our business and we are sure that with our newly established relationship with Travelport, we have a strong partner who will stand by us in our vision,” says Rajeev Nambiar, Vice President, ITL.
The multi-year deal will give ITL access to the leading booking platform and its extensive content, as well as unrivalled technology training and support services. With many years of regional experience under its belt, Travelport has the expertise to help ITL grow the agency’s burgeoning business and compete more effectively.
“We believe that we are well positioned to serve ITL during this exciting phase in its development and look forward to lending our extensive experience in the region to best meet their unique business and technology needs,” said Rabih Saab, Vice-President, Middle East, Travelport.
The ITL group consists of 92 companies spread across 15 countries and employs close to 7000 employees. The group provides its products, expertise and skills to industries ranging from oil & gas, travel & aviation, hotels & resorts, medical care, information technology, clothing and garments, human resources, consultancy services, construction & maintenance, and trading.
As one of the world’s leading GDS providers, Travelport facilitates up to 1.1 billion transactions globally per day and 410 million bookings per year. With 48,800 live terminals across 15,500 travel agency locations, Travelport has the highest penetration in the Middle East of any GDS, complemented by an impressive 18-year track-record of helping travel partners in the region operate effectively. Vicky Karantzavelou - Tuesday, June 16, 2009