World’s largest general-use car rental brand eyes Turkey as key growth market as 11 million Turkish passport holders travel abroad in 2012.
DUBAI, UAE – The Hertz Corporation has appointed AiRep Aviation & Tourism, one of Turkey’s largest travel management companies, as its outbound General Sales Agent (GSA) representative for the travel trade in Turkey.
The recently signed partnership will see AiRep Aviation & Tourism tasked with growing Hertz outbound car rentals from Turkey to more than 8,800 Hertz locations in 150 countries.
That growth will likely be aided by the increasing number of Turkish travellers in recent years to popular destinations such as the USA and Europe. According to the Turkish Ministry of Tourism, more than 11 million Turkish passport holders travelled abroad in 2012, while experts in the country estimate that by 2015, the number could increase to 16 million.
“With a population of 73.6 million and an average GDP growth rate of 4.6 per cent expected over the next five years, we see Turkey as a key source market for Hertz outbound car rentals and integral to our long-term growth strategy,” said Michel Taride, Group President of Hertz International.
“Turkey generates millions of tourists every year, while Hertz outbound car rentals from the country between January and August 2013 increased by 27 per cent versus the same period last year. We are delighted to be aligned with AiRep Aviation & Tourism, whose extensive market knowledge and presence makes them an ideal partner to advance this growth.”
Taride added that the USA, Italy, Germany, France, and Greece are currently the top five destinations for Turkish travellers choosing to rent with Hertz, accounting for a combined 67 per cent of the total mentioned growth so far this year. Other popular global destinations include Spain, the UAE, Benelux, Switzerland and Austria.
With more than 20 years’ experience, AiRep Aviation & Tourism has established an independent sales team operating as a dedicated resource representing the Hertz brand in Turkey, providing instant accessibility to the global portfolio of Hertz outbound products.
Ferzan Unlusoy, General Manager of AiRep Aviation & Tourism, said: “We are committed to providing Turkey’s travel trade professionals and their customers with the best range of travel products available on the market today.
“This partnership with Hertz will allow us to extend this offering further and we are looking forward to establishing AiRep Aviation & Tourism as the face of Hertz within the travel trade in Turkey.”
Hertz offers a wide range of makes and types in a global fleet of more than 500,000 vehicles, including the popular Hertz Dream Cars collection in the USA and Europe, where Turkish customers can drive the likes of an Aston Martin V8 Vantage, a Bentley Continental GT, a Lamborghini Gallardo, or an SRT in the USA; or the new Jaguar F-TYPE in Europe.
Other popular choices are the Hertz Collections range of cars in Europe, USA and Australia, including the Prestige, Green, Fun, Adrenalin, and Family collections, guaranteeing the car make and model the customer chooses upon making a reservation.
Photo caption: Hertz and AiRep Aviation and Tourism have teamed up to boost outbound car rentals from Turkey to key global destinations such as Europe and the USA, where customers can rent Hertz Dream Cars.
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.
