Tour Operators & Travel Agencies

Greece’s top back-office software provider for Greek travel agents, Solid Soft International, recently launched a series of expansion moves. These initiatives could place the company within an enviable position in the years to come.

A few years back, many in the travel industry would point to Manos Travel as an example of how to succeed in the business. The company started from a small office and through pioneering ideas grew by leaps and bounds into the biggest and most successful in the country.

With airlines posting negative revenue reports, and their “zero commission policy,” the future of the travel agency industry was considered in doubt last year. But some agents have found ways to prosper amid all the uncertainties.

There are times when a visitor to a foreign country feels more comfortable in this new environment there than at his or her home. That’s the feeling Mary Souli experienced on her recent trips to Mongolia. She was there to create new package programs for her company, Cel Tours.

Eurostar, one of the largest tourism corporations in Greece, recently expanded its cooperation with Galileo Hellas concerning the Galileo’s electronic reservation system (CRS) Eurostar uses at its headquarters and branch offices.

FerryScreen, a reservations and online ticketing system for coastal shipping companies that’s owned by Analysis SA says it issued more than one million coastal lines’ tickets for Anek and Blue Star Ferries this year and by the end of 2001 the number will exceed 1,250,000.

Some six months ago the biggest news circulating within the local travel trade included the merger talks between Amphitrion and the Lambrakis group’s Travel Plan, and the purchase of Manos Travel System by the Vassilakis group (Hertz). Neither deal reached fruition, nor did any of the companies offer reasons as to why or even if talks continue. While insiders are very skeptical, perhaps recent tax legislation will put these deals back on the burner.

Galileo International, Inc., a popular global distribution system used by Greek travel agents, recently signed an agreement with Cendant Corporation of the U.S. According to the agreement, Cendant acquires all of the outstanding common stock of Galileo for about $2.9 billion. Cendant will also assume approximately $600 million of Galileo net debt.

It looks as if the expected batch of mergers in the online travel sector has begun with the purchase of Expedia by USA Networks Inc. The Internet and TV cable company says it plans to become the world’s online travel powerhouse by taking control of the world’s second largest online travel agency and a leading online supplier of vacations and cruises.

Thessaloniki-based Silver Star Holidays opened a branch office in Athens recently. Like the head office, it deals only directly with travel agents with tour packages to Malta, Turkey and Syria. It is also the exclusive representative in Greece for the Corinthia hotel group.