Galileo claws back share
Galileo is claiming a UK market share of 40% on the back of client wins, but Sabre has branded the announcement “predictable”.
The GDS won two clients from Sabre – Kent-based Lupus Travel and Scott’s Tours, and two from Worldspan, IKB and Tulip Holidays.
UK manager Jason Clarke said the company was pleased with the announcements in what he described as a “tough competitive marketplace” for GDSs.
Commenting on the claims, a spokesperson for Worldspan said: “We don’t dispute Galileo’s claims. Worldspan also had many wins in the UK last year, with about 110 new customers in this important and growing market for us.”
Another rival was also defiant. Sabre Travel Network vice president for UK and Ireland Reet Wiseman, told TravelMole: “This is all highly predictable stuff from a GDS under pressure in this market, immediately before a major industry event.
“At the end of the day Galileo is haemorrhaging business hand over fist to its competitors in the UK and no amount of news release writing will change that. In January 2004 we estimated that Galileo had a UK bookings share of 42.3 percent. We are, therefore, encouraged by today’s revelation that it has a 40 percent share.
“Let’s put this into some kind of perspective. Over the past six months we have converted 33 agencies to the Sabre system – most of them from Galileo. In addition, we’ll be announcing two significant new business wins from Galileo once the hype around the Business Travel Show has settled down. Issuing a news release about its UK bookings share right now possibly wasn’t the smartest move Galileo has made all month.”
The Galileo win comes after months of intense competition between Galileo and Sabre, including a heated exchange between the two in June last year when Sabre claimed 15 client wins, many from Galileo, including Advantage Travel Centres, Eton Travel and some Uniglobe agents. In April last year Galileo won P&O Business Travel away from Sabre in a five year deal.
Galileo has also this week announced wins with Swiss Travel Centre and Holiday Express and Sabre today announced a win with Grosvenor Travel Management.
Report by Ginny McGrath
Ginny McGrath
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 
Phocuswright reveals the world's largest travel markets in volume in 2025
Higher departure tax and visa cost, e-arrival card: Japan unleashes the fiscal weapon against tourists
Cyclone in Sri Lanka had limited effect on tourism in contrary to media reports
Singapore to forbid entry to undesirable travelers with new no-boarding directive
Euromonitor International unveils world’s top 100 city destinations for 2025