Amadeus predicts 2004 turnaround in booking levels
Amadeus predicts that the number reservations through the system will rise by between 4-5% in 2004 over last year. The GDS also forecast that net income will reach between 165 million-175 million euros (£113m-119m) this year. Figures released for 2003 show net income up 6.6% year-on-year to 158 million euros (£108 m), despite overall reservations dropping by 2.6% to 385.5 million. Amadeus claimed its global market share edged up by 1.6 percentage points to 28.8% in 2003. While the GDS outpaced the market in Western Europe, Central Europe and Africa & Middle East, travel booking activity in North America remained depressed for the third consecutive year. Overall bookings fell by 8.4%, with Amadeus bookings down by 3.7%. Travel agency air bookings worldwide declined by 0.3% in the final quarter of 2003, although Amadeus saw bookings up by 2%, taking its global market share for the three month period to 29.7%, 2.8 percentage points ahead of its nearest rival. Net income for the fourth quarter was up 4.1% to 27.8 million euros (£23.9m) over the final three months of 2002. Amadeus saw an 18% rise in cruise bookings, mainly from US and UK travel agencies, in the quarter, while bookings through Amadeus Hotels increased by 11% in 2003 over the previous year. Company president and chief executive Jose Antonio Tazon said the 2003 results had been achieved against the backdrop of the highest annual drop in international travel ever registered by the World Tourism Organisation. “Amadeus ended 2003 with a strong fourth quarter performance and concluded the year slightly above our forecasts despite the challenging environment for GDSs and tough conditions in the travel industry overall,” he said. The company introduced a new “value-based” pricing scheme for distribution services offered to airlines last month. The company has warned that it will start charging fees to agents this year.
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Turkish tourism stalls due to soaring prices for accommodation and food
CCS Insight: eSIMs ready to take the travel world by storm
Germany new European Entry/Exit System limited to a single airport on October 12, 2025
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers