Ark Travel and Sabre Travel Network in Swedish technology deal

Ark Travel, the only publicly owned corporate travel agency in Sweden, has chosen to use the Sabre global distribution system (GDS). The five-year agreement means that Ark Travel will convert from Amadeus to Sabre Travel Network’s customisable, high-speed Turbo Sabre booking platform. The conversion is due for completion in early 2004.

This is a significant development for Sabre Travel Network in Scandinavia, which launched Turbo Sabre in this market in March, specifically to win business from high volume travel agencies here. Ark Travel is the fourth largest travel management company in Sweden and it follows the region’s largest online travel agency, Resfeber, and consolidator NTT International Tours and Travel into the Sabre Travel Network fold.

Last year Ark Travel purchased A&L Travel, and has recently moved the Stockholm offices of both companies into a single location. The company will use the customisable Turbo Sabre product to design and implement a single workflow process, and to streamline its front office and administrative operations.

“The flexibility of the Turbo Sabre product, and our ability to tailor it precisely to our needs, was a compelling factor in our decision to change GDS providers,” said Lena Bergman, managing director of Ark Travel. “Also, we are an innovative company positioning ourselves to succeed in a rapidly changing industry and we need to partner with companies that are anticipating this change. Sabre Travel Network’s successful evolution into a travel commerce and marketing partner demonstrates this clearly.”

Kath Webster, Sabre Travel Network’s acting managing director for the Nordic region, said the deal was a strategic partnership, emphasising the fact that travel agencies of all sizes now have a viable choice when it comes to technology support.

“The Scandinavian travel market has been dominated by a single GDS for far too long,” Webster said.

About Ark Travel

Ark Travel was formed in 1982 and is today a full-service agency for business and conference travel the world over. Ark Travel’s business concept is to offer a high-quality and cost-effective travel service to Swedish business travel buyers who demand a high level of service knowledge and availability. Ark Travel’s vision is to be the obvious first choice for Swedish business travel buyers who demand high quality.

About Sabre Travel Network

Sabre Travel Network, a Sabre Holdings company, provides access to the world’s leading global distribution system (GDS) and products and services enabling agents at more than 56,000 agency locations worldwide to be travel experts. About 40 percent of the world’s travel is booked through the Sabre GDS. Originally developed in 1960, it was the first system to connect the buyers and sellers of travel. Today the system includes more than 400 airlines, approximately 60,000 hotels, 50 car hire companies, nine cruise lines, 36 railways and 232 tour operators.

Sabre Travel Network har ett kontor som specifikt ansvarar för Norden. Medarbetarna vid Sabre Travel Networks Nordenkontor i Stockholm känner väl till behoven i den lokala marknaden och arbetar med utveckling av nya och redan existerande verktyg och tjänster med syfte att hjälpa lokala byråer och samarbetspartners att bättre hjälpa sina kunder.

Sabre Holdings Corporation (NYSE: TSG) is a world leader in travel commerce, retailing travel products and providing distribution and technology solutions for the travel industry. More information about Sabre Holdings is available at http://www.sabre-holdings.com.

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