Amadeus, a leading global technology partner to the travel and tourism industry, has signed an agreement to distribute the flights of South East Asian Airlines (SEAIR), a leading leisure travel carrier in the Philippines, on its Global Distribution System (GDS).

The deal will see Amadeus GDS distribute the content of all 13 of the airline’s domestic destinations, giving SEAIR the opportunity to sell its flights to more than 1,500 travel agency locations across the Philippines and 100,000 travel agency locations worldwide. This will allow more travellers across the globe to visit exotic paradise locations in the Philippines, such as Boracay, Batanes and Puerto Princesa, that are serviced by SEAIR flights.

This comes at a period when tourism in the Philippines is gaining ground rapidly, despite the decline in travel globally. According to the Philippine’s Department of Tourism (DOT), the country saw a 1.5% year-on-year increase in tourist arrivals in 2008, even with fewer arrivals from recession-hit source markets like Japan and the United States.

“The Philippines has successfully built a reputation as one of the world’s most exotic and culturally rich countries, and tourist traffic in the country has correspondingly increased over the past few years,” said Albert Villadolid, General Manager, Amadeus Philippines.

“This presents a perfect opportunity for travel providers like SEAIR to grow their business, by accessing new markets and building awareness of their brand. Selling flights via the Amadeus GDS, with its unrivalled reach and booking volumes, will help them achieve this objective and ultimately contribute to the growth of the Philippine travel sector as a whole.”

Mr Avelino Zapanta, President and CEO of SEAIR, said, “As one of the leading airlines servicing the Philippines, SEAIR focuses on giving holidaymakers access to off-the-beaten-track destinations. Selling our flights via Amadeus’ GDS, which has unsurpassed global coverage and the most advanced booking technology, is part of our strategy to expand our customer base globally while also remaining a leader in the domestic travel market.”

“Through Amadeus’ proven technology, we are able to turn adversity into opportunity by growing our bookings and strengthening our business even during the economic crisis,” he concluded.