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Sabre reveals new co-ordinated rail sales strategy
Sabre Travel Network claims to have become the first GDS to host a meeting for rail suppliers to discuss sales and distribution issues and to unveil a long-term rail strategy.
The meeting in London included European and North American representatives from 24 rail companies such as Deutsche Bahn, Eurostar and RailEurope.
The company detailed plans for a retailing platform to co-ordinate rail sales and purchasing through the Sabre GDS, GetThere, Travelocity and lastminute.com.
Sabre is enhancing its UK rail offering by making Harry Weeks Travel’s Evolvi rail booking product available to travel agencies in the UK from the third quarter of the year. The GDS operator has already started work on a fully integrated rail solution, also involving Harry Weeks Travel, for the UK.
Sabre Travel Network European supplier relations and joint ventures vice-president Dean Bibb told delegates how last year Sabre surveyed rail suppliers and travel agencies in Europe, US and Canada to understand more about rail sector requirements.
As a result, the company is developing a strategy to consolidate rail content and replace the combination of platforms currently in use today across the entire range of Sabre businesses. This will benefit travel agencies, and also provides opportunities for Travelocity, GetThere and lastminute.com to transfer rail content from the Sabre system and integrate it with their own businesses, he claimed.
Bibb said: “No other GDS operator has taken the initiative to bring rail suppliers together and discuss rail sector issues. We gained valuable insight into what rail suppliers want and need from us in the medium to long term. At the same time, they were able to see first-hand how Sabre Travel Network provides the most efficient, comprehensive, global and real-time electronic supermarket for the buying and selling of rail travel.”
Sabre has also held similar meetings with its car and hotel suppliers. Both meetings were attended by representatives from Accor, Intercontinental, Le Meridian Hotels and Resorts, Avis, Hertz and Europcar.
Report by Phil Davies
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