Bangkok--Apr 11--Galaxy Distribution System
Galaxy Travel Distribution System Ltd., specialising in on-line global travel distribution systems for hotels and other ground services, signed three major contracts with key suppliers of global hotel inventory at this year’s ITB Berlin 2005, held from the 11th — 15th March 2005, at the Messe Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
These agreements, signed with JACOB Online Ltd. (UK), TravelHero.com (USA) and Hoteldo.com (Argentina), will lead to the development of seamless connections between Galaxy Travel Distribution System (Galaxy TDS) and the on-line systems of the three companies thanks to ABBIE, the revolutionary switch solution, which is a key benefit of the strategic alliance between Galaxy Distribution System Ltd and Alliance Reservation Network.
According to Mr. Marco Gorin, Galaxy’s Senior Vice President, Sales & Marketing, the Galaxy/ABBIE connection will enable real-time commerce between Galaxy TDS world-wide users and these three companies. “TDS users will now be able to access the companies’ net rates, available, high-margin inventory of nearly 90,000 properties in the UK and Europe, USA, Mexico, and Latin America with all the immediate benefits that are traditionally offered by Galaxy’s TDS business formula,” he stated.
“For all parties involved, there are significant benefits gained as a result of the agreements - for JACOB Online, TravelHero.com and Hoteldo.com, they will receive global distribution through Galaxy TDS. For Galaxy, it means high quality inventory in terms of pricing, thus allowing Galaxy’s Retail Travel Agents to generate higher revenues,” Gorin added.
According to Denise Atkinson, API Manager, JACOB Online Ltd., which is a forward thinking company providing the travel trade easy access to over 2,500 hotels throughout Europe, Canada and North America, “The partnership with Galaxy/ABBIE and JACOB Online is a great platform for agents to have access to quality hotel beds efficiently and at great rates in over 100 destinations. From JACOB’s point of view, we are really looking forward to seeing bookings coming through from the various consortiums which Galaxy are signing up and I believe that the ABBIE platform will be a good alternative to the usual GDSs currently available"
Mr. David Pearsall, Director of Vacation Products for TravelHero.com, a full-service internet travel agency with more than 125,000 properties in 23,000 cities in 216 countries, said: "We are pleased to partner with Galaxy TDS and to offer access to our expanding hotel inventory in Mexico where we are currently providing real time reservations in over 40 cities and 250 hotels. Travel Hero.com covers all of Mexico with some excellent properties and pricing. With Galaxy growing in Mexico and key buyers signed up, Travel Hero.com sees an excellent opportunity for the two companies to grow in this region.”
Meanwhile, Mr. Myron Ticlo, Galaxy’s Regional Director of Sales, The Americas, commented, “We are also very pleased to partner with TravelHero.com in supplying their comprehensive hotel inventory to distributors connected to Galaxy/ABBIE and Galaxy TDS system.”
The third agreement was signed with Hoteldo.com, the first and only hotel reservation system available from the South American market. With approximately 2,000 hotels in the region — and 12,000 hotels through agreements with partners around the globe — Hoteldo.com are pioneers in bringing connectivity online to this part of the world.
Mr. German Perez, Country Manager of Hoteldo.com in Argentina explains: “Since we created our company, it was clear to us that the future was in distribution online. Creating a system with true online coverage in Latin America was not an easy task and took several years of incredible efforts before we were able to succeed.” Perez added “The agreement with Galaxy is a final boost for our company as in no time we gain access to new markets that otherwise would have taken several years for us to reach.”
According to Mr. Daniel Licata, Galaxy’s Regional Director of Sales, Latin America, “The agreement between both companies will create a synergy where Hoteldo.com will obtain immediate access to a truly global distribution net in very little time, while Galaxy will enhance its content in the Latin American region with over 2,000 new properties and availability online”.
All three link-ups represent yet another major step forward for Galaxy in asserting itself as the first true Global Distribution System for ground services. Galaxy plans to complete the interface work with the three companies by late mid-April 2005.
Issued by Galaxy Distribution System Ltd. For more information please access the Galaxy website at www.galaxy-system.com or contact:
Mr G.E. “Coke” Mead
Director — Public Relations
Incentive Dynamics (S) Pte. Ltd.
PR Counsel to Galaxy Distribution System Ltd.
Tel/Fax: 66-2 — 691 — 7193
Mobile: 66-1 — 850 — 7979
Email: [email protected]
Note to Editors:
Galaxy Distribution System Ltd. (www.galaxy-system.com) is an unbiased on-line global distribution platform for hotels and other ground services. Galaxy provides travel professionals with multiple products which serve as solutions to specific market requirements—and which connect travel service buyers to a worldwide inventory of dynamic travel products in a way never before available to the travel industry.
Galaxy products, integrated and driven by a central platform, include:
- Galaxy TDS: The first true global distribution system dedicated to hotels and other ground services products and designed for Retail Travel Agents to search, compare, book and pay for competitive inventory provided by Receptive Inbound Operators, national tourism boards/organisations and other inventory aggregators. Galaxy TDS inventory is sourced from many channels and is distributed via Galaxy’s own software applications, as well as Galaxy’s interface capabilities through a dynamic switch called ABBIE.
- The Galaxy ABBIE Switch: Enabling real-time, on-line travel commerce between net-rate inventory suppliers and distributors, including travel portals, resulting in streamlined communications, increased profitability, and customer satisfaction for all participants. Designed to provide participants with a uniform connectivity solution that promotes efficient, easy, seamless trading. Galaxy ABBIE Switch is a joint development between Galaxy and Alliance Reservation Network (ARN)
- Galaxy TBRS: A unique distribution platform designed to assist national and local tourism organisations and hotel associations to capitalise on their own reservation potential, thus generating revenue opportunities for tourism promotion for their respective regions.
- GroundServices: A private trading platform that automates the distribution and sales of Receptive Inbound Operators’ inventory to their private buyers and Galaxy TDS’s Retail Travel Agents.
- Galaxy BSP: The first global billing and settlement system, specifically designed for non-air products in support of the above systems. Galaxy BSP provides access to a banking network in over 80 countries and allows cash transactions in over 30 currencies and credit card transactions in multiple currencies.
Galaxy’s current customers include (1) Retail Travel Agents, who typically sell airline tickets and/or ground services to retail customers; (2) Tourism boards/organisations and hotel associations, who are increasingly looking to generate revenues by offering reservations and other services; (3) Receptive / Inbound Operators ,who receive foreign travellers and provide ground services, including hotel bookings, transfers, tour guides, excursions, etc.; and 4) Outbound Tour Operators, who buy wholesale services from inbound operators and resell packages or individual elements to travel agents or direct to travellers.
In addition to its current customer base, Galaxy is actively participating in the rapid changes in the electronic distribution of travel products by expanding both its supply and distribution channels with Travel Portals; Inventory Aggregators; Switches; Central Reservation Systems; Global Distribution Systems; and other electronic distributors.
Notes to Editors:
JACOB Online Ltd (www.jaconline) is part of the JAC Travel Group of Companies and was created to expand the online and FIT side of the business. JACOB Online is a forward thinking company providing the travel trade easy access to over 2,500 hotels throughout Europe, Canada and North America. JACOB Online negotiates with individual hotels to ensure competitive rates, good allocations and good quality hotels in all categories which are inspected on a regular basis.
Since it's creation, JACOB Online has been working with a large number of the world's leading travel companies both on and off-line and it has one of the best API links available.
JACOB Online has over 70 staff in London, Vancouver and Edinburgh speaking 10 languages ensuring complete customer service at all times with 24 hour emergency cover.
For more information regarding JACOB Online Ltd., please contact:
Ms. Denise Atkinson
API Manager
JACOB Online Ltd.
62-64 Chancellors Road
London W6 9RS
Tel: + 44 20 8563 7878
Fax: + 44 20 8741 9823
Email: [email protected]
Notes to Editors:
TravelHero.com (www.travelhero.com) is a full-service internet travel agency, offering lodging, airline, rental car, cruise and tour reservations worldwide. Created in 1995 as Aaron’s Hotel and Motel Directory, the company has since built the largest database of hotels, motels, bed and breakfasts, inns and other lodging properties on the internet today. With more than 125,000 properties in 23,000 cities in 216 countries, this site offers travel professionals a powerful tool to locate accommodations anywhere they want. TravelHero.com can also provide airline reservations on all of the world’s major airlines, along with outstanding discounts. Additionally, the company can offer users rental car reservations worldwide with the best agencies in the business, including Hertz, Avis, Alamo, and Enterprise.
Today, TravelHero.com is a leading online technology company providing reservation solutions to over 100+ official tourism bureaus, lodging associations and destination websites. Products include a private-label booking engine, as well as packaging, ticketing, group housing and call centre solutions.
For more information regarding TravelHero.com, please contacts:
Mr. David Pearsall
Director of Vacation Products
TravelHERO.com
7201 E. Camelback road
Suite 295
Scottsdale, AZ 85251
Tel: 480-946-5100
Fax: 480-946-0450
[email protected]
Note to Editors:
Hoteldo.com (www.hoteldo.com) is the first and only hotel reservation system available from the South American market. With approximately 2,000 hotels in the region — and 12,000 hotels through agreements with partners around the globe — Hoteldo.com are pioneers in bringing connectivity online to this part of the world.
Hoteldo.com is a BTB company distributing their products to approximately 7,000 travel agencies who can also take advantage of their web engine and back office tools. They have offices in Argentina, Chile, Brazil, Mexico and Spain, and representatives in several other countries.
For more information on regarding Hoteldo.com, please contact:
Mr.German J. Perez
Country Manager
Hoteldo.com
South Net Tursimo S.A.
Av. Cordoba 950 — 3C
Av. Ciudad Autonoma de Bueno Aires
(C1054AAV) — Argentina
Tel: 54 11 4322-2212
Fax: 54 11 4322-9991
[email protected] End.