Ambitious development

Travelport GTA brings about 12 million people across the world to various destinations with 22 trillion bed/nights annually and has partnership with 23,000-plus hotels and an inventory of over 30 million rooms. It also boasts close collaborations with airlines, car rental companies, restaurants and travel agencies.

Correspondingly, in China, it has built up sound relations with Chinese travel agencies, such as China Youth Travel Services, as well as local tourism-related service suppliers.

Usually, the company brings both group travelers and professionals to China, and the professionals assist the local hotels, agencies and other travel suppliers in serving the foreign tourists.

Clarke notes that he believes the travel firm's professional services and China's promising market will support Travelport GTA's growth here.

Travelport's global results in the second quarter of 2008 continue to show the resiliency of its business even during a difficult operating environment, with growth of adjusted net revenue at 1 percent and adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization at 8 percent.

The great contribution was from GTA, which continued to perform well with a net revenue growth of 26 percent in the second quarter, while the softness in the first quarter accelerated into the second quarter with total GDS segments declining 9 percent year-over-year.

(China Daily November 24, 2008)