Telewest ready to launch leisure GDS

Tuesday, 14 Jan, 2002 0

Telewest will be ready to introduce a leisure GDS for the travel industry within the next few weeks, TravelMole can reveal.

The new system, called Endeavour Search, uses internet technology and according to Lawrence Hunt managing director of Telewest owned Rapid Travel Solutions (left) is likely to mean the beginning of the end for viewdata.

Rapid Travel Solutions was bought by Telewest last June. Endeavour Search will use the Rapid-owned technology which formerly powered dreamticket.com and which allows multiple operators to be searched against what Mr Hunt says is a more “customer friendly criteria than just price and date.”

Endeavour Search, which is being trialled by a number of unnamed agents, will completely replace viewdata from the agent’s perspective although it can work with it behind the scenes. It can also work directly with a tour operator’s direct connect interface. Agents will be able to search using 50 criteria such as theme parks, kids clubs, swimming pools, class of room, and type of resort such as lively or quiet.

Phase two of the launch later in the year will see the four GDS systems being incorporated into the Telewest product, so that agents can access their GDS via Endeavour Search. Mr Hunt told TravelMole: “At the moment some agents have five or six technology suppliers. They have a viewdata connection, telephony, gds, back office system supplier and and an internet service provider. What we will provide is a one stop shop.”

According to Mr Hunt it is high time viewdata was replaced. He told TravelMole: “The existing tour operator community feel viewdata is very expensive and inefficient. At the other end of the network travel agents feel viewdata is very clunky – certainly all the ones we’ve spoken to want something better.”

However he stressed that he did not think the changeover would be immediate. “It will be a migration from viewdata, not a big bang. I don’t think take up will be really quick because we want to make sure we get it right. We don’t want to flood the market with it and there won’t be a massive marketing blitz. We don’t want disappointed customers.”

See our previous stories:

Viewdata’s days numbered as Telewest buys Rapid Travel Solutions

Ex-dreamticket CEO says travel industry still to exploit the Internet

The TravelMole Insider 111 – Viewdated?

Dreamticket.com to cease trading

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