Travel Alliance Partners, LLC (TAP), at its annual meeting held in December, announced that it has reached an agreement to work with InterContinental Hotels Group, (IHG). The IHG family of brands, which includes InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Crowne Plaza, Hotel Indigo, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Staybridge Suites and Candlewood Suites, becomes the “Preferred Hotel Partner of the Americas” with TAP. IHG’s seven hotel brands and commitment are in a unique position to serve the 30 TAP founding partners and their varied audiences.

 

The collaboration is a natural progression for TAP’s unique business model of forming meaningful partnerships with like-minded organizations. TAP’s intent of this agreement is to work with a hotel organization in diverse areas of North America and to keep its brands in the forefront of the group travel market. This relationship with IHG will increase market share within the branded hotel market, while allowing partners to maintain relationships with independent destination properties.

 

“The agreement is geared towards moving market-share while providing exceptional service. IHG brands are household names trusted by consumers of all kinds” stated Serge Talbot, President of TAP and Talbot Tours “Having a global brand like IHG in our growing family enables us to negotiate savings that we can pass along to our customers; it gives us a competitive edge while delivering a quality product” he concluded.

 

TAP estimates booking $2 million in revenue for 2008 and even more in 2009. Carmen McCloud, key account director for IHG stated, “We are very excited about our agreement with TAP and look forward to future initiatives”. IHG is a premier sponsor at TAP Dance, Travel Alliance Partners annual partnership conference in June 2008, held in Girdwood, Alaska.