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Two significant trends have emerged from of a review of travel agency technology published by Genesys – The Travel Technology Consultancy. The first sees travel companies developing their own technology and then seeking to gain a return on the investment by selling the technology to others. Paul Richer, Senior Partner of Genesys stated: “The newest suppliers in our Travel Agency Technology Review are actually travel companies. Seeking to maximise their effectiveness online, they have taken the decision to develop precisely the technology they need rather than buy-in from a recognised system supplier. They are now making this available to others in the travel industry. As online software development tools continue to become easier to use, I would expect this trend towards do-it-yourself technology to continue.”
The second trend sees online booking engines now established as the fastest growing segment of the travel agent technology sector. Paul Richer commented, “There has never been a wider range of online booking engines aimed at travel agents. There is now no longer any excuse for agents to have a static web site. They can now power their sites with this technology and earn a direct income from being online”.
Expeditors International GmbH, a leading international airfreight company, held the foundation-stone ceremony on March 26 for its new German headquarters to be built at the Monchhof logistics park near Frankfurt Airport (FRA).
The construction site is located on Tiber Strasse within Fraport’s new 110 hectare Monchhof development area – the single largest remaining commercial development site in the entire Frankfurt/Rhine-Main region. The Expeditors complex will include a 2,700 square meter office building for sales and administration, plus a 4,000 square meter logistics hall for handling airfreight and for distributing products and goods. This joint project is being implemented by MP Holding GmbH and Fraport Immobilienservice und -entwicklungs GmbH & Co. KG, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Fraport AG.
The company was considering to relocate its headquarters to Monchhof during the middle of last year and was quickly convinced of the site’s advantages. The lease-hold agreement for the construction site was signed in December 2008. Scheduled to be completed by the end of 2009, the headquarters complex will house more than 100 commercial and operational employees.
Because of its excellent strategic location along the Main River and near FRA’s future Runway Northwest, the Monchhof development area has been unaffected by the current global financial crisis. Indeed, additional projects at Monchhof are expected to move forward soon. For example, MP Holding GmbH is planning a prototype “Multi Park” – a new and innovative mixture of exhibition, service, office and storage space designed specifically to give small and medium-size companies an opportunity to establish at FRA’s attractive Monchhof logistics area. Multi Park will be offering tenants space starting at as small as 300 square meters.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
