Amadeus Encourages Agents To Diversify Into Niche Markets

Indrani Rajkhowa - New Delhi

Change is an inevitable part of life. As reluctant acceptance replaces stupefaction over the airline commission cuts, the travel industry is now looking for alternate spectrums as revenue generators. Cashing in on this, Amadeus has launched its reward programme which sensitises agents to non-air segment bookings on the company's GDS and rewards them for the same.

Launched as the 'Sell the World' concept, the programme is expected to encourage agents to look at hotel bookings as an alternate revenue generator. The programme entails selling of any hotel, anywhere in the world, listed on the company GDS between October 15, 2005 to January 15, 2006 and winning rewards ranging from mobile phones to television sets to dream holidays. The rewards are divided into six categories according to various hotel segments.

With plans to promote the programme via presentations, road shows, flyers, Web and SMS, Karun Budhraja, general manager - corporate & marketing communications, India, Amadeus, was positive that selling on non-air segments would soon replace the age-long dependence on airline commissions. "The industry is constantly changing and evolving and this is a major part of the industry's metamorphosis. The future is going to be technology-driven. Technology will be the greatest ally for the travel agent in the years to come. The sooner they adapt to it the faster they will be in the forefront. At present, though most of the agents are quite comfortable in adopting technology, some are still intimidated with it. Besides ringing in profits our reward programme will educate agents on the benefits of selling non-air segments, and also let them know how lucrative technology is to their bottom line."

Globally, Amadeus works with a consortium of leading hotel chains to promote hotel bookings that include Accor, Intercontinental, Carlson Hotels, The Leading Hotels of the World and Hilton. In India, it has partnered with Marriott.