-- Nearly 50% of Favorite GDS Votes Cast for Galileo --
Toronto, Canada – For the fifth time in six years, Canadian travel agents voted Galileo as their favorite global distribution system (GDS). Currently in its eighth year, the Agents' Choice Awards 2007 polled retail travel agents across Canada and asked them to identify their favorites in 19 categories including favorite GDS.
Maurita Baker, Galileo’s senior director of Account Development in Canada, attributed the company’s success in 2006 to a focus on customer centricity and innovative products that made their debut in the Canadian market. “With the introduction of ground-breaking new products that offer great revenue potential and improve efficiency, Galileo Canada is closely aligned with our customers to assist them in achieving their business goals,” stated Baker.
Last year, Galileo launched Galileo Vacations and G-Destinations. Galileo Vacations gives Galileo Canada agents complete product functionality to shop and book Inclusive Tour Charter (ITC) packages, Flexible Itinerary Travel (FIT), and charter flights from leading Canadian tour operators. It offers shopping flexibility, intelligent price comparison tools and property price-drop notifications, providing a one stop shop area for packages, flights, hotels, cars and specific tour operators.
G-Destinations is a Web-based solution for Galileo-connected Canadian travel agencies which provides agents with desktop access to Gulliver Travel Associates’ database of more than 20,000 hotels, villas and apartments, 2,000 tours and excursions, 1,200 transfers, sightseeing tours, detailed travel guides , interactive maps and images available in 112 countries. This solution enables agencies to maximize profits by building new revenue streams with offerings such as sightseeing tours, event tickets, car hire, and destination transportation. Not only does this provide additional revenue for the agency, but offers agents commission on all bookings as well. In addition, with seamless access to hotel reports, tour descriptions and location maps, agents have the necessary tools to truly guide their customers and serve as valued travel consultants.
The Agents’ Choice Awards 2007 is the largest travel agent survey in Canada and is conducted by Baxter Travel Media. Voting took place between January and March 31, 2007 in Canadian Travel Press and Travel Courier and online at www.travel-press.com. The results are completely and entirely reflective of the votes received from travel agent respondents.