Galileo, a leading global distribution system (GDS) and part of Travelport GDS, has teamed up with VFM Interactive Inc., a leading provider of images and rich media management, production and distribution services, to provide Galileo-connected agents with access through their desktop to photos, videos and virtual tours for thousands of hotels and resorts worldwide. This agreement comes just weeks after Travelport announced the completion of its acquisition of Worldspan, and brings Galileo customers the same rich media content that has been enjoyed by Worldspan customers since 2005 when it became the first GDS to integrate VFM’s rich media content into the travel distribution chain.
Under the new agreement, Galileo will be the first GDS to offer its hotel suppliers free use of VFM’s Vscape® Lite digital still image management and distribution solution; the state-of-the-art web-based tool will allow participating hotels to upload and distribute up to 10 photos per property, free of charge, to Galileo-connected agencies, booking portals and web service users worldwide as well as to thousands of other VFM distribution channels, including major travel websites and travel intermediaries. .
The Vscape® Lite tool will simplify the process of ensuring photos and other rich media are distributed and kept up-to-date by providing hotels with a single point of entry for their visual content, thereby reducing the need to upload that content to multiple channels. Importantly, Vscape® Lite will also provide automated image de-duping and replacement and deletion of outdated images ensuring consistency and freshness of a hotel’s image display.
Louise Meyer, senior director, Hotel/Car Supply & Distribution for Galileo commented, “It is extremely useful for both travel agents and customers to be able to visualize hotel accommodation when booking hotels. This new agreement with VFM will enable them to do just that and ensure they are offering their customers the best possible option for their trip.”
“And by providing Galileo-connected hotels with free use of Vscape Lite to distribute their images, they will be able to streamline their image distribution and make their products more accessible to agents, which should ultimately help them to sell more rooms.”
Paolo Boni, president and chief executive officer of VFM, commented, “We are delighted to have been selected by Galileo to manage and distribute their hotel pictures and rich media. Working together, we will provide hotels with a tool that not only gives them more control over their images and how they market themselves but also saves them time and money.”
“Vscape® really improves our ability to leverage our hotels’ media and ensure the best possible display of our hotels across all electronic channels” said Ashwin Kamlani, vice president of distribution of Sol Meliá Hotels & Resorts. “The ease of use and connectivity to major distribution channels makes it an extremely valuable tool. It’s great to see Galileo offer this tool to all of its hotels.”
Content from VFM is available through all of Worldspan’s hotel booking solutions for travel agencies worldwide, including the recently introduced Worldspan Go!® Hotel Booking Tool, and through the Worldspan Trip Manager® XE corporate online self-booking tool for Worldspan-connected corporations globally.
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About Galileo by Travelport
Galileo is a global technology leader. Its core business is providing electronic global distribution services for the travel industry through its computerized reservation systems, leading-edge products and innovative, Internet-based solutions. Galileo is a value-added aggregator of travel inventory dedicated to supporting its travel supplier, agency and corporate customers and, through them, expanding traveler choice. Galileo, www.galileo.com, headquartered in Langley, UK, is a Travelport brand. Travelport is one of the largest and most geographically diverse travel companies, dedicated to creating the exceptional travel experiences the world demands.
About Worldspan by Travelport
Worldspan is the global leader in Web-based travel e-commerce and a foremost provider of travel technologies and services for thousands of travel-related companies worldwide, including airlines, travel suppliers, travel agencies, Web sites and corporations. Worldspan transforms global travel distribution and transaction processing with industry-leading fares, pricing, shopping and booking technologies, such as Worldspan e-Pricing®, Worldspan Rapid Reprice® and a portfolio of interactive shopping tools, enabling travel companies to reduce costs, increase productivity and build revenues. Worldspan is a brand of Travelport, the world’s largest network of travel brands, content and services. More information is available at worldspan.com.
About VFM Interactive
VFM Interactive is the leading end-to-end provider of online media management, production and distribution for the hotel and travel industry. VFM helps travel companies maximize brand penetration online through the power of rich media marketing that includes still images, rich media videos, 360º virtual tours and Flash productions. VFM offers clients access to the largest and fastest-growing distribution network of more than 25,000 distribution points where consumers most often research and purchase travel products. These distributors include online travel agencies, travel suppliers, search portals and Global Distribution Systems such as Travelocity, Orbitz, Priceline, TripAdvisor, American Airlines, Yahoo!, SideStep, Galileo and Worldspan. VFM’s clients include more than 10,000 hotels and resorts from brands and management companies such as Best Western, Choice, Crowne Plaza, Hilton, Holiday Inn, Interstate, La Quinta, Le Meridien, Marriott, Outrigger, Radisson, Regent, Sheraton, Sol Meliá, W, Westin and Wyndham. For more information and full details of the Vscape Lite solution, visit www.vfmii.com.
Media contact
Please contact Kate Aldridge on 0044 1753 288720 or kate.aldridge@travelport.com