Latest news with #TravelAdvisors
Travel Daily News
29-05-2025
- Business
- Travel Daily News
JTB Business Travel launches Teal to transform business travel management
Teal, powered by Spotnana, combines global reach and cutting-edge cloud technology to deliver a smarter business travel experience to companies of all sizes. TORRANCE, CA – JTB Business Travel, a service brand of JTB USA Inc., announced the launch of Teal, a modern, cloud-based travel management platform designed to simplify, personalize, and transform the way companies manage their global travel programs. Powered by Spotnana's industry-leading technology, Teal unifies Travel Managers, Travelers, and JTB Business Travel Advisors on a single platform to create a simplified, intuitive, and scalable experience for organizations of all sizes. JTB Business Travel is also the first Travel Management Company (TMC) to offer Spotnana's platform across owned points of sale in over 15 countries, expanding to 25 by the end of 2025 – enabling fast, truly global program rollouts. Built to address the evolving demands of modern business travel, Teal empowers Travel Managers with real-time visibility, policy control, sustainability tracking, and integrations with HR and expense systems. For Travelers, Teal delivers an easy-to-use, mobile-friendly booking experience that offers full inventory access across air, hotel, rail, and car rental, along with real-time alerts, global support, and personalized, policy-aligned options. Travelers also gain the autonomy to book, modify, or cancel their trips independently – with seamless support on the road whenever they need it. The results speak for themselves. According to data from Spotnana, the cloud-based platform that powers Teal, existing users have achieved a 94% average self-service online booking rate. This type of efficiency leads to meaningful cost savings through streamlined booking, increased traveler autonomy, and stronger supplier management. 'At JTB Business Travel, we're always challenging ourselves to find new ways to deliver exceptional service through smarter technology,' said Geert de Boo, General Manager and Vice President of Global Business Travel at JTB USA, Inc. 'Teal supports our pursuit of that goal and represents a major step forward for our clients – bringing together JTB's global expertise and Spotnana's cloud technology to deliver the best possible travel experiences.' Unlike legacy systems that require complex and lengthy rollouts, Teal makes it easy to deploy global travel programs – often as simple as configuring a list of countries to be launched. Teal also bridges the gap between managed and unmanaged travel by offering a turnkey, cost effective alternative that gives companies full support from JTB Travel Advisors with minimal lift to get started. 'Spotnana and JTB Business Travel are working together to offer businesses around the world a powerful combination of advanced technology and exceptional service,' said Steve Singh, Executive Chairman and CEO of Spotnana. 'By connecting JTB Business Travel's clients and expert Travel Advisors through Spotnana Cloud for TMCs, everyone can benefit from improved travel experiences, greater efficiency, and faster innovation.' With Teal, companies can roll out consistent travel programs across markets in minutes, manage costs with greater accuracy, and support traveler wellbeing with always-on access to human-centered support. Key Teal Features Include: Simultaneous global rollout across languages, currencies, and regions Real-time spend monitoring, safety tracking, and sustainability reporting Comprehensive booking inventory for air, hotel, rail, and car rentals Pre-built integrations with HR, finance, and expense management platforms 24/7 support powered by unified traveler profiles and policy information
Travel Weekly
28-05-2025
- Business
- Travel Weekly
Celebrity will sail the Danube and Rhine in its first season of river cruising
Celebrity River Cruises will cruise the Rhine and Danube in its first season in 2027. The brand, an offshoot of ocean line Celebrity Cruises, announced plans earlier this year to expand into river cruising with an initial order of 10 ships. The design of the ships will be inspired by the Edge-class ocean ships and operate with an all-inclusive model. Alcoholic drinks, WiFi and one excursion per port will be included in the fare, a Celebrity spokesperson confirmed to Travel Weekly. The river cruise line said it will unveil itinerary details and open bookings this summer. The Rhine and Danube are Europe's two most popular waterways for river cruises. The Rhine alone carries about a quarter of river cruise passengers each year, making it the most popular, followed by the Danube, according to Cleveland Research Company. Royal Caribbean Group CEO Jason Liberty said during the company's Q4 earnings call in late January that expansion into river cruising "is not a hobby for us." "We are taking this extremely seriously, and we want to make sure we can live up to delivering the best vacation experiences in the world and make sure we're doing so in a responsible way," Liberty said. Liberty indicated that about half of Royal Caribbean Group's guests have experienced or intend to take a river cruise. Travel advisors have said that Celebrity's loyal customer base and brand recognition could lure a younger crowd. Celebrity is just one well-known brand wading into river cruising. Lindblad Expeditions has partnered with Transcend Cruises to sail the Rhine, and tour operator Trafalgar will offer Danube and Rhine itineraries.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
EXPEDIA GROUP CELEBRATES GLOBAL TRAVEL ADVISOR DAY AS A PART OF ONGOING INVESTMENT IN TRAVEL ADVISORS
Expedia Group hosts a series of worldwide events to commend its travel advisor partners. Expedia Travel Agent Affiliate Program (TAAP) expands to the U.A.E., giving more travel advisors access to the booking platform. Expedia Group rolls out ways for advisors to maximize earnings and new flexible payment methods. SEATTLE, May 07, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Expedia Group is celebrating Global Travel Advisor Day by hosting several events across the world to recognize and show appreciation for its Expedia TAAP travel advisor partners and the vital role they play in the travel ecosystem. To celebrate, Expedia Group is organizing exclusive gatherings, including breakfasts, lunches, and evening receptions, across key markets including the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Brazil, the U.K., Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines, China, and Japan. These events serve as a dedicated moment to recognize travel advisors, express gratitude for their contributions, and share exciting updates. Expedia Group will also showcase new products and enhancements to its Expedia TAAP global booking platform, which connects travel advisors to its extensive portfolio of hotels, vacation rentals, flights, packages, car rentals, and activities. "Global Travel Advisor Day is an opportunity for Expedia Group to celebrate and support travel advisors worldwide," said Robin Lawther, Vice President of Expedia TAAP. "With today's announcement, we're reinforcing our commitment by expanding into new markets and launching initiatives that help advisors attract customers, personalize experiences, and grow their businesses. By investing in tools that improve cash flow management and create new revenue opportunities, we're empowering them to thrive in an evolving industry." Expanding supply and launching to new markets Expedia TAAP advisors in the U.S. point of sale can now book Southwest flights, further enhancing the platform's value. With multiple connectivity sources including GDS, direct airline connections, and NDC, advisors can effortlessly search, compare, and book flights. Additional perks like bundled packages provide travelers with even more flexibility. As demand continues to rise in a thriving travel market, Expedia TAAP is expanding its presence in the U.A.E., strengthening its support for travel advisors in the region. This expansion reflects the company's commitment to empowering Middle Eastern partners with access to a vast travel inventory and unlocking new revenue opportunities. Maximizing earnings and flexible payment options To further empower travel advisors, Expedia TAAP has introduced the agency service charge to majority points of sale, allowing advisors to add a discretionary fee to lodging bookings. This feature helps advisors get compensated, on top of regular commission, for their expertise when the booking is made, without requiring a separate transaction.
Travel Daily News
07-05-2025
- Business
- Travel Daily News
Perillo Tours celebrates 80 years of travel
Perillo Tours celebrates 80th anniversary and Travel Advisor Appreciation Month with incentives and heartfelt recognition for loyal travel advisor partners. WOODCLIFF LAKE, NJ – Perillo Tours, America's leading tour operator to Italy since 1945, toasted its 80th year milestone and the start of Travel Advisor Appreciation Month with an intimate reception for travel advisors on May 1. Regional travel advisor partners from New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, as well as the Perillo Tours sales team and staff, gathered at the Woodcliff Lake, NJ headquarters to mark the occasion and celebrate the long-standing collaboration between Perillo Tours and the travel advisor community. During the evening, Steve Perillo, third-generation owner of Perillo Tours addressed the attendees extending his heartfelt thanks to the travel advisor community. Perillo said, 'May 1 marks our company's 80th birthday, but tonight is all about celebrating you, our valued travel advisor partners. Your professionalism and dedication have helped us fill countless tours and create endless, lasting memories for our travel clients. We're grateful for your continued partnership and are committed to growing together in the years ahead.' In celebration of Travel Advisor Appreciation Month, the Tour Operator is offering advisors a limited-time incentive throughout the month of May. Travel advisors can earn an $80 gift card for every new guest booking on available Perillo Italy escorted tours or Perillo Custom Vacations trip to Italy. Perillo Tours' Travel Advisor Appreciation Month promotion is valid for new reservations on any published 2025 or 2026 escorted tour series to Italy or any 2025 Perillo Custom Vacations journey to Italy booked between May 1-31, 2025. For each guest booked, travel advisors will receive an $80 gift card via email approximately one month after client deposits are received. There is no limit to the number of gift cards travel advisors can earn during the May promotion. To be eligible, travel advisors must have a valid IATA number and be registered as a travel advisor with Perillo.
