Cendant combines Gullivers content in new Galileo Leisure portal

A new travel portal fully integrating the Galileo GDS with travel content from sister company Gullivers Travel Associates is launched at World Travel Market today.  

The Galileo Leisure portal is being made available free of charge to leisure agents in the UK, Italy and France by Galileo International, part of the Cendant Travel Distribution Services division. Versions will also be going live in Portugal, Holland and Belgium before other parts of the world including Australia and Singapore.

The content-rich portal will offer exclusive access to a Galileo branded version of the retail booking system offered to travel agents by GTA, which was acquired by Cendant in April.

The portal is seen as spearheading Galileo’s move from its traditional business travel customer base into the leisure sector. 

As well as being able to access Galileo GDS products such as flights, low cost carriers, hotels and car hire, agents will also be able to offer value-added services such as transfers, sightseeing tours and additional independent hotels. Commission of 12% will be offered on these. 

The portal will feature more than 70,000 hotels, nearly doubling the amount currently offered through Galileo, plus 3,000 car rental locations, 2,500 transfer services and 1,200 sightseeing tours in over 4,000 cities.

Cendant TDS UK& Ireland regional managing director Jason Clarke described these additional items as ”unique content” to Galileo Leisure through the Gullivers connection.

Online city maps and real time weather information is included as part of the destination content. Further content sections will be customised by local Galileo offices to add local tour operator and consolidator content as well as localised information such as regional news updates and travel industry information.

The portal has been on trial at Glasgow agency Barrhead Travel for a month.

Cendant TDS leisure channel vice president Alison Bell said: “We’ve worked hard at combining our leading edge technology with our very extensive inventory of travel content to create a leisure travel tool that will really help travel agents maximise every available booking opportunity. 

“We’re delighted with the results and feel confident the travel agents will be too.  And this is just the beginning – we plan to evolve this offering well beyond the domain of leisure travel.”

All elements booked through the site, not just traditional Galileo segments, can be integrated into a Galileo booking file, saving agents time usually spent on administration and invoicing, according to the company.

Clarke claimed: “Galileo Leisure is an industry first and effectively combines in one place all the benefits of a leading GDS with an unrivalled range of superb travel content. 

“Never before have agents been able to serve their customers so well whilst also boosting their own revenue earning potential.”

Report by Phil Davies