Worldspan: ‘Business Travel Partnerships hold the key’
According to Worldspan chief Graham Nichols, corporate booking tools offer a range of benefits to both travellers and travel agencies – but agencies ignore them at their peril.
Mr Nichols, vice president – Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia, for Worldspan, spoke at Business Travel 2002 in London, where he outlined the benefits and challenges offered by the new generation of booking tools.
He said: “In the US, our corporate booking product is used by travel agencies to add value to their relationships with more than 1,100 corporate customers. It allows them, together, to plan, track and police travel expenditure far more effectively.
“Most importantly, it allows travel agencies to deliver travel – not technology – skills in these relationships. Instead of inputting reservation requests, they are adding real value to the travel management process.
“But many agencies still see such products as a threat. And I would warn them not to ignore these new developments as they roll out in the British market over the next two years. Corporates do want greater control over their travel expenditure – and agencies should work with them to achieve this.”
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