This week's ABTN news in brief: Travelport, Marriott Hotels, GetThere, Rezidor Hotel Group, Eurostar and Net Trans
"Home based" agents sign to Travelport GDS
Travel Counsellors, a "home-based" travel company, has signed a new multi-year agreement with Travelport GDS.
The deal will allow Travel Counsellors' 1,000 full time agents to run their businesses from home using Travelport's Galileo global distribution service (GDS).
The company recently reported "significant growth" in turnover from corporate travel from £10m in 2004 to over £40m in 2008.
Travel Counsellors said it expects further growth in business travel in 2009.
It increased its overall turnover by 16% from £210m to £245m last year.
Operating across seven countries, Travel Counsellors agents are supported by more than 200 staff at the company's UK headquarters and overseas offices.
www.travelport.com www.travelcounsellors.com
Marriott to open seven Indian properties
Marriott International has unveiled plans to open seven new properties in India.
The JW Marriott Hotel Bangalore, Pune Marriott Hotel & Convention Center plus five Courtyard by Marriott hotels in Gurgaon, West Pune, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and Mumbai International Airport will add 1,561 rooms to Marriott's portfolio.
The hotels will open under long-term management contracts, doubling Marriott's portfolio in India which currently consists of six properties.
Another 14 pipeline hotels are expected to open in India by 2012, either under construction, awaiting conversion or approved for development.
"Despite the global economic slowdown and pockets of political unrest, India's tourism sector continues to demonstrate encouraging resilience," said Ed Fuller, president and MD of international lodging.
"Since our Global Sales Office opened in India a little more than five years ago, total room night sales have increased over 500% and all our existing hotels in the country are performing to expectation."
GetThere signs with three UK agencies
Online booking tool GetThere has announced the signing of three UK-based travel management companies (TMCs), the TD Travel Group, TMG Corporate and Colpitts World Travel.
The deals mean GetThere, which is owned by Sabre Travel Network, now has more than 20 European TMCs in its reseller programme and 125 worldwide.
In addition to signing with GetThere, the three agencies also renewed their Sabre global distribution service (GDS) agreements.
"Travel management companies across Europe are aggressively seeking best-in-class technologies and service to help clients navigate today's economic storm," said Jason Geall, director of GetThere EMEA.
"Corporates and their TMCs are looking for flexible options that suit their specific managed travel needs and provide maximum value."
Rezidor to open in three new countries
The Rezidor Hotel Group (RHG) is to add three new countries to its portfolio across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
By 2012, RHG will open the Radisson Blu Hotel Lusaka in Zambia, the Radisson Blu Hotel Skopje in Macedonia and the Radisson Blu Hotel Luanda in Angola, adding 609 rooms to its portfolio.
The first hotel, the Lusaka in Zambia, is expected to open in the third quarter of this year.
"We are especially proud to add two countries on the African continent to our business," said Rezidor's president and ceo Kurt Ritter.
"Rezidor currently features 25 hotels with almost 6,000 rooms either in operation or under development in Africa - this emerging region is one of our most important development areas", comments."
Eurostar restores full capacity
Eurostar has announced a return to full capacity and timetabling, effective from February 23.
After the fire in a freight train last September, Eurostar drastically cut it services and passengers suffered severe delays while the tunnel's operator carried out repairs.
"We're pleased that Eurotunnel and its contractors have finished the repairs so quickly," said Eurostar's chief executive Richard Brown.
"The last few months have at times been frustrating for our travellers and we're looking forward to once again offering them the best service that we possibly can."
Up to 19 London-Paris services and 10 London-Brussels services per day will resume.
A new direct Ashford-Brussels service, originally planned for December, will begin the same day.
Hotel commission to grow in 2009 reveals survey
Most travel agents expect hotel commission revenue to increase or remain the same in 2009, a survey by Net Trans has revealed.
Net Trans, a hotel commission recovery service, said 32% of agents polled believe their commission will rise despite the global recession.
A further 48% said commission will remain at the same level.
Net Trans' ceo Martin Jorgensen said agents believed hotels were "working hard" to pay commission to gain agents' trust "at this difficult time."
Agents also rank hotel commission in their top three revenue sources, the survey found.
Agents' other main revenue sources include customer transaction fees and airline commissions/kickbacks.
Lower down the list were global distribution system incentives, car rental commission, supplier marketing contributions and other forms of agent income.
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