EXPEDIA GROWS UK AFFILIATE BUSINESS TO 450, ADDS EXTRA BENEFITS TO THE PROGRAMME
London, 7th October 2009 - Expedia has announced that, in its first year of operation in the UK, more than 450 travel agents have signed up to its successful Travel Agencies Affiliate Programme (TAAP). Since launching in October 2008, the programme has gone from strength to strength, highlighting the fact that travel agents across the country are recognising the benefits of working with Expedia.
With bookings of dynamic packages accounting for 40% of all TAAP sales in the UK, flexibility around the dates and duration of travel is of great importance to both customers and agents. Favourite destinations this summer included the US (45%), Italy (15%) and the UK (10%).
Two increased benefits have been added to the programme from this month. Stand-alone flights are now available with competitive commissions on long-haul flights and commission payments are moving from quarterly to monthly.
Becky Harbey, Forward Travel Management, says: "The Expedia TAAP programme is really easy to use and offers our customers a comprehensive range of travel products. It's particularly important to us in the current economic climate as it gives us confidence that we're offering our customers among the best value on the market, as well as generating an additional revenue stream for our agencies through commission."
"The TAAP programme continues to grow in popularity, with the number of new sign ups climbing week-by-week," says Diego Pedrani, Director Travel Agent Distribution, Expedia. "UK travel agents are really embracing the initiative, with a very high purchase frequency compared to other European markets, driven by size of agencies here and their familiarity with the web."
"Agents find the TAAP programme beneficial as it enables them to help their clients plan, research and book the right holiday for them in the way that suits them best."
Agents are provided with direct access to the Expedia inventory through a dedicated portal. From here they can browse through thousands of flights, hotel accommodation and car hire combinations - as well as a wealth of destination services such as tickets for local transport systems, tourist attractions and excursions.
-ENDS-
For further press information, please contact the Expedia press office team:
Telephone: 0870 990 5427
Email: expediapressoffice@golinharris.com
EDITORS NOTES:
About Expedia, Inc.
Expedia, Inc. is the world's leading online travel company, empowering business and leisure travelers with the tools and information they need to easily research, plan, book and experience travel. Expedia, Inc. also provides in-destination concierge service and activity desks for travelers. The Expedia, Inc. portfolio of brands includes: Expedia.com®, hotels.com®, Hotwire®, EgenciaTM (formerly Expedia Corporate Travel), TripAdvisor®, Expedia Local ExpertTM, Classic Vacations® and eLongTM. Expedia, Inc.'s companies operate more than 70 global points of sale in more than 40 countries, with sites in North America, South America, Latin America, Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific. Expedia, Inc. is a component of the S&P 500 index. For more information, visit http://www.expediainc.com/ (NASDAQ: EXPE).
About TAAP
The Expedia TAAP (Travel Agencies Affiliate Programme) was launched in 2002 in Italy and now number 5,400 members around the world. The TAAP provides travel agents with access to the entire Expedia inventory through a dedicated sign-in page - combinations of thousands of flights, hotels, car hire and attractions. Agents benefit from the same fast, simple and intuitive site functionality that Expedia customers already experience, enabling agents to help their clients plan, research and book the right holiday for them. TAAP is managed by an external supplier with a dedicated team providing the contact point between Expedia and its affiliate travel agents.
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