Technology & Digital Transformation

Travelport is one of the names in global business that has joined The Global Business Coalition Against Human Trafficking (gBCAT), a group of global corporations that recognizes that business can play a role in the effort to end human trafficking and all forms of modern day slavery.

A new report launched today, entitled ‘Open for business’, makes the case for the travel industry to embrace open source software in order to benefit from greater innovation, respond faster to industry and consumer change, and reduce costs. The report outlines how open systems could free the industry from its reliance on proprietary software and provide travel companies with greater competitive advantage.

“My vision is for this Greek company, just as it has started to conquer the major countries of Europe, in two years time to gain a place among the first platforms worldwide,” online booking company Airfasttickets’ president, Nikolaos Koklonis said in late July.

Travelport, a broad-based business services provider to the global travel industry, held a workshop last month for agencies in Thessaloniki and briefed travel agents on the company’s new tools and solutions.

Although Greece in the midst of its fifth year of recession, Amadeus tells us that travel agents are not held back from pursuing online business opportunities.

“I believe Greece deserves more attention, especially currently, because it has an immense touristic potential,” Amadeus Vice President of the Northern, Eastern, Central and Southern Europe (NECSE) region Petra Euler, told GTP in May, within the framework of the company’s 2012 NECSE Management Meeting.

“The future of travel is likely to be shaped by technological innovations, which reduce stress, uncertainty and chaos,” according to a global industry study, commissioned by travel technology partner Amadeus, that reveals how new technologies and social change will combine to transform travel by 2020.

“It is very important for our country that we are participating for the first time in a consistent European initiative that aims to attract tourism to Europe,” Deputy Culture and Tourism Minister George Nikitiadis said last month after signing a memorandum of understanding to increase tourist flows between South America and Europe.

“This investment in new technology will provide customers with better access to information and new and innovative ways to get the support they need when and where they need it,” said Eva Karamanou, general manager of Amadeus Hellas, on account of the recent launch of the e-Support Centre, an online support tool for travel agents in Greece.

Travelport, a broad-based business services provider to the global travel industry, held a workshop last month for travel agencies in Rethymno, Crete, to brief travel agents on the company’s new tools and solutions.