CWT and Amex fight over global number one spot
Carlson Wagonlit Travel claims it has over taken American Express to become the largest travel management company in the world.
Carlson says it handled $21.3 billion in sales from the fourth quarter of 2006 to the third quarter of 2007.
American Express Business Travel, meanwhile, reported $20.5 billion in global corporate travel sales in 2007, an 11% increase over $18.5 billion in 2006.
“Since Q4 2006, our sales volume has exceeded American Express and for four consecutive quarters we have been ahead of Amex,” CWT CEO Hubert Joly told Business Travel News in the US
“This is not a goal in and of itself, but it does confirm the very strong momentum that CWT has accomplished over the last several years, so we are indeed the largest TMC in the world.”
But an Amex spokesperson argued: “When you factor in joint ventures and small business travel that is managed through the consumer business, we are significantly north of $22 billion.”
Report by David Wilkening
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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