Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, 28.10.2009
Representatives from top travel agencies across the Middle East converged upon the seaside resort town of Sharm El-Sheikh last weekend for a major customer gathering hosted by Travelport, operator of the Galileo and Worldspan travel booking platforms.
More than 100 travel trade executives from Egypt, UAE, Saudi Arabia attended the exclusive 3-day event, which provided an opportunity for the GDS provider’s senior executives in the Middle East to share the company’s vision and upcoming plans with the region’s top Galileo and Worldspan subscribers.
“Our customer gathering in Sharm El-Sheikh was an invaluable opportunity for the Middle East team to meet with the travel trade in an informal setting and outline the technology and support that we can provide to help them succeed in the months ahead,” said Rabih Saab, Vice-President for the Middle East, Travelport GDS. “The event was also a great way for us to gain valuable feedback from the industry’s top players so that we can better serve the needs of travel agents in the region.”
Participating guests included representatives from major travel groups such as Thomas Cook, AMEX, Metro Travel, Abou Samrah, TRAVCO, Mosaid Travel, Attar Travels, Khonaini Travel, Al Naboodah, Al Futtaim, Al Zaman, and Elaf Travel, who enjoyed an interactive trip that also included various leisure activities, team-building exercises and corporate games.
“This event was a great platform for us to reinforce our commitment to our customers and renew their excitement about our comprehensive offering,” said Tarek Bassiouny, Egypt Country Manager, Travelport GDS. “Sharm El Sheikh was also an ideal setting for us to showcase our Egyptian hospitality and we are delighted that the gathering was so well received by the travel trade who attended.”
Since the introduction of its new direct operations in the UAE, KSA and Egypt at the beginning of this year, a number of high-calibre travel agencies have either renewed their subscription or migrated to one of Travelport’s platforms, reinforcing the company’s position as the leading GDS provider in the region.
With nearly two decades of experience in the Middle East operating the Galileo platform and the Worldspan system now under its umbrella, Travelport is uniquely positioned to meet the needs of travel agents in the region, equipped with the in-depth technical expertise and support structure to meet their growing requirements.
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About Travelport
Travelport is one of the world's largest travel conglomerates offering broad based business services to companies operating in the global travel industry. Travelport is comprised of the global distribution system (GDS) business that includes the Worldspan and Galileo brands; GTA, a leading global, multi-channel provider of hotel and ground services; IT Services and Software, which hosts mission critical applications and provides business and data analysis solutions for major airlines. With 2008 revenues of $2.5 billion, Travelport operates in 160 countries and has approximately 5,300 employees.
Travelport also owns approximately 48% of Orbitz Worldwide (NYSE: OWW), a leading global online travel company. Travelport is a private company owned by The Blackstone Group, One Equity Partners, Technology Crossover Ventures and Travelport management.
For more information, please visit www.travelport.com.
For media enquiries or to set up an interview with Tarek Bassiouny, please contact:
Alana Ngoh
PR Manager
Travelport GDS Middle East
Tel +971 4 607 0548
Mob: + 971 50 810 0972
alana.ngoh@travelport.com