Best Holiday Lettings

Author: admin

  • News: Travelport extends its reach to Tunisia

    Travelport, the business services provider to the worldwide travel industry, has announced that that is extending its footprint in Africa with a brand new distributor operation in Tunisia.

    The news follows the appointment of SIR Tunisie SARL as Travelport’s new partner in Tunisia and signifies that Galileo services turns into available within the country with immediate effect.

    The Tunisian launch is the most recent milestone in Travelport’s expansion in Africa, where the GDS provider is now operating in 47 countries with more within the pipeline.

    SIR Tunisie SARL will distribute the Galileo GDS platform to local travel agencies, providing them with industry-leading technology, access to the wealthy airline, hotel and car content in addition to comprehensive training and support services.

    The launch of the Tunisian operation was marked with a unique event held in Tunisian capital, Tunis, and attended by greater than 200 industry guests including travel agents, airlines and government representatives.

    “Africa – and particularly North Africa – is a key strategic investment region for Travelport and this official launch of economic operations in Tunisia serves as a testament to our commitment to this crucial component of the area,” said Rabih Saab, President and Managing Director, Middle East and Africa, Travelport, on the launch event. “With its extensive local market knowledge and technical expertise, our appointed distributor is extremely well positioned to grow Travelport’s business in region and effectively serve our new travel agency customers here.”

    “Travelport will bring a brand new dimension to the travel and tourism industry in our country,” said Nejib Ghozzi, CEO of SIR Tunisie SARL. “As a brand new GDS provider in Tunisia, we are going to create a competitive advantage that may benefit the travel agents who’re always searching for alternative GDS providers. We’re captivated with our business and watch for bringing these great benefits to the travel industry in Tunisia.”

  • News: Insurance coverage to save cash on car hire premiums and excess charges

    Direct Travel Insurance has launched a brand new policy: Direct Car Excess, which implies travellers hiring a car within the UK or abroad can economize by doing away with this policy beforehand, as opposed to by buying their car rental company’s more costly policy after they can be stressed on the rental desk and in a rush to start out driving.

    When you hire a car, you’re required to insure it as though it was your personal. Your car rental agreement normally covers CDW (collision damage waiver), theft and third party liability. If any damage occurs throughout the rental period, the hirer should pay a section of the fees – the surplus.  This ‘excess’ insurance is usually expensive: hirers could have to pay an far more than up to £2,000 towards the damages.

    According to a 2010 report, the common price charged by car hire rental desks for high up insurance to house this excess was £9.99* an afternoon, while Direct Car Excess insures against the surplus for premiums as little as £1.99 an afternoon in Europe, £5.99 an afternoon within the Americas and the Caribbean (excluding Cuba) and £2.99 an afternoon within the remainder of the area excluding the Americas and the Caribbean.

    Commenting at the new Direct Car Excess Policy, Hallie Harenski of Direct Travel Insurance says, ‘In many situations, customers can feel stressed to take out excess insurance after they pick up a hire car, once they will often not have the time to check the standard or cost of the duvet.  Therefore they are able to find themselves paying expensive premiums for protection which can not meet their needs.

    Key Benefits of Direct Car Excess

    The new policies cover the surplus a hirer must pay, in addition to providing cover for damage to tyres, windscreens and the undercarriage.
    *  Available for car hire within the UK or abroad
    *  As much as £4,000 cover for excess on theft and damage claims
    *  The policies also provide baggage cover, car rental key cover and private Accident.
    *  Policies are an identical price whatever your age (insured drivers should be UK residents, with an entire driving licence,  aged 21-85)
    *  Additional drivers are covered at no extra cost
    *  For travellers frequently hiring cars within the UK or abroad, an annual Direct Car Excess Policy is obtainable for a price of £39 for Europe, or *  £49 for the remainder of the arena excluding the Americas and the Caribbean.

    In addition, a Collision Damage Waiver product for Worldwide including the Americas and the Caribbean (excluding Cuba), not just covers the hirer’s excess, but in addition insures them for as much as $100,000 for damage to the rental car and $1,000,000 for Third Party Liability.

  • Tourism Australia confirms key Asia appointments

    Tourism Australia has confirmed the appointment of a brand new Regional General Manager Japan and Korea.

    Andrew Reilly was announced inside the position and may commence within the Tokyo-based role in May.

    Mr Reilly has extensive experience working in Asia, and has previously worked for Tourism Australia (then the Australian Tourism Commission) as Marketing Director for Japan/Korea and later as Regional Director Asia.

    His broader experience in the Asia region also includes senior roles with Telstra International, BT, Hutchinson and Asia satellite broadcaster STAR TV, in addition to running his own consultancy business.

    Tourism Australia Managing Director Andrew McEvoy said Mr Reilly’s extensive knowledge and understanding of the region, and Japan specifically, were key factors in being appointed to the hot role.
       
    “Having already spent 12 years working in Japan within Government and across various industries, including tourism, Andrew brings a wealth of expertise, knowledge and networking skills, for you to be invaluable in what remains a key marketplace for Tourism Australia.”

    Mr Reilly will attend the Australian Tourism Exchange (ATE), being held in Sydney later this month, that allows you to maximise his time with the Australian tourism industry previous to taking over his new role in Japan.

    Japan and Korea represent Australia’s fifth and eighth largest inbound visitor markets, between them delivering greater than 550,000 arrivals and contributing on the subject of A$3 billion in spending during 2012.

    Recommended

  • News: ebookers.com right on target: First online travel agent to present UK rail

    ebookers.com, a division of Orbitz Worldwide becomes the primary European online travel agent to provide rail tickets around the entire UK rail network alongside their flights, hotel and car hire offerings.

    Where previously consumers must book UK rail become independent from their other holiday components, ebookers is in a position to offer their customers more choice by providing a one-stop shop for planning and buying all in their travel. ebookers have modeled their UK rail booking process off their easy-to-use booking system for flights, hotels and car hire, allowing their customers to book UK rail easier.

    ebookers.com customers can book UK rail quickly and seamlessly across 21 different rail operating companies, with access to over 2,500 train stations and 20,000 trains per day. Rail travel offers 70% less CO2 emissions than car travel, making it the greenest mode of travel and isn’t just a great offering for leisure travellers, but additionally for business customers, where Wi-Fi access and bigger space on rail journeys take the strain out of travel.

    Tamer Tamar, ebookers.com President, said “This is a first-rate landmark in online travel, and we’re extremely proud to be the primary European OTA to provide UK Rail to our customers. Now we have invested considerable resources in ensuring that the ebookers user experience for rail matches the high standard set by our other products, so our customers can book easier and travel happier. Further down the road, we plan to roll out rail into additional countries we serve, with the choice to package with other travel products, akin to hotels.”

    ebookers’ rail search and booking may be powered by SilverCore, a world rail platform developed by SilverRail Technologies.

    ebookers.com plans to continue developing their rail product throughout 2013 and beyond, including user-interface enhancements, incorporation of rail into ebookers’ mobile offerings and extra ebookers sites in continental Europe.

  • Hyatt Hotels in technology focus

    Hyatt Hotels has appointed Alex Zoghlin because the company’s first global head of technology. On this role, Zoghlin can be accountable for all aspects of Hyatt’s technology platform and systems.