OYSTER BAY, N.Y. -- Travelsavers, a marketing organization of 2,000
leisure agencies, launched a corporate-services division aimed at
helping its members attract business travel clients.
As part of the effort, Travelsavers announced three partnerships
with technology firms:
Blue Bell, Pa.-based Unisys Travel Alliances Services will
provide an on-line booking tool, T&E expense reporting and
back-office processing.Dallas-based Travel Technology Group will supply control
software.Trondent, based in Barrington, Ill., will provide members with
mid- and front-office software.According to Jim Mazza, vice president of operations at
Travelsavers, "Corporate travel is not going to go away, and
technology is the equalizer of the industry. We're giving our
affiliate agencies the capability to outperform larger competitors.
This is a way to help those $10 million to $20 million agencies get
to the next level."
The plan, according to Mazza, is to persuade leisure-based
agencies to sell more corporate travel and to persuade corporate
agencies to become members of Travelsavers. "I'm not sure anyone
has approached the market this way before," Mazza said.
He said Travelsavers' membership could grow to 3,500 as a result
of the corporate-services division. In addition, the division will
be able to access Travelsavers' negotiated-rate hotel program, help
line, consulting services and travel club. The travel club concept,
which rewards end users with preferred-supplier discounts, is
designed to capture the leisure business of corporate accounts,
according to Betty Tilton, senior director of the corporate
services division.
Meanwhile, Travelsavers announced that it is planning to expand
into Mexico. In the Mexico City area, Travelsavers is looking into
several International Air Transport Association-approved agencies,
according to Jack Maraffi, executive vice president of marketing
and sales. "The travel market within Mexico is growing, and many of
our suppliers have expressed interest in the region," Maraffi
said.