WorldHotel-Link

Worldhotel-link.com Limited (trading as WHL or whl.travel) is an online travel-services (accommodation and tour) booking network. The company is incorporated in Hong Kong and has offices in Ho Chi Minh City, Prague, Cape Town, Belo Horizonte, Sydney and Miami.

Background

WHL started in 2002 as a project of the Mekong Private Sector Development Facility (MPDF) which is the technical advisory services arm of the International Finance Corporation (IFC, part of the World Bank Group) in the region covering Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. Given the skills gaps, language difficulties and Internet access problems facing travel service providers in destinations in the developing world, a new online accommodation booking model was needed which bridged the last mile and allowed locally owned travel product to be connected and sold to the global market.

The approach adopted by the WHL project team was to separate all those things that needed to be done locally (i.e. identifying and negotiating contracts with the local travel service providers or processing the booking) from those best done centrally and which the WHL team managed. Local partners, called e-marketplace operators (MPOs), became responsible for collecting and loading local digital content onto the web and keeping it up to date, as well as acting as the interface between travellers and accommodation providers when questions were asked, bookings made etc. The WHL team focused on the technology platform for content management and booking management, as well as global Internet marketing, provision of payment gateways, and management and technical support.

The first pilot site was established in 2002 in Siem Reap, Cambodia, site of the famous Angkor Wat temple complex. The pilot was done with the cooperation of the Siem Reap Angkor Hotel & Guesthouse Association and early success in Siem Reap led to requests for replication from hotel associations, first in Phnom Penh and then in Vientiane, Lao PDR. Sites were also established in Vietnam and, in 2005, WHL started adding destinations outside the Mekong, in Vanuatu, Samoa and Fiji to test the model in other environments. After successful pilots in these countries it was decided to spin the project off from the IFC to allow the model to be moved to the global market. On March 31st, 2006, Worldhotel-link.com Limited was officially made a private company.

The interesting point of departure for WHL from more traditional online tourism bookings businesses is the unique online/offline franchise business model that has been developed out of necessity in order to service the business. The MPO not only owns and operates that actual online booking business in their country, but also has the opportunity to network with other like-minded tourism professionals in other destinations around the world. This local connection network creates a space where an interesting confluence of social networking and business development come together to share best business practices with previously disparate colleagues.

Current Status

After spinning off from the IFC, WHL added tour bookings to the accommodation booking functionality, as well as instant bookings (booking from allotment), last-minute bookings and packaged accommodations and tours. At the end of 2008 WHL had 150 destination sites live in 60 countries. Projections are that by end March 2009 there will be 200 destinations live in 83 countries. WHL continues to work closely with development agencies such as the IFC, World Bank, IADB and USAID in launching destinations sites in many poor and conflict-affected countries/regions around the world.

To undertake consulting and training work associated with tourism development in developing countries WHL launched a consulting business, WHL Consulting, in July 2008 in a joint venture with Geosavvy Development LLC in the USA. WHL has also developed a program called Caring for the Destination as a means to encourage the adoption of sustainable tourism by accommodation and tour providers.

From http://en.wikipedia.org/

World Plus

World Plus was an airline ticket brokerage operated by one RaeJean S. Bonham and based in Fairbanks, Alaska. The World Plus business model has been described as a Ponzi scheme, and as the largest investment scam in Alaska history.

History

Born RaeJean Franklin in 1950, she moved with her husband Steve Bonham to rural Alaska in the early 1970s. RaeJean served as the postmaster of Chatanika, a small town north of Fairbanks, until 1977 when she was convicted of embezzlement and postal money order fraud.

She moved to Fairbanks and founded World Plus, Inc. in 1983. The travel agency engaged in the black market purchase and sale of frequent flyer miles. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Bonham's World Plus became a Ponzi scheme in 1989, when she began soliciting larger investments in order to repay previous smaller investments. Over the next six years, the number of investors grew to roughly 1,200. Total contributions have been estimated between $15.3 million and $50 million.

In December 1995, World Plus was shut down by United States bankruptcy court, which appointed trustee Larry D. Compton to investigate Bonham's transactions. Compton subpoenaed bank records to determine the extent of the rather secretive pyramid scheme, which had spread primarily by word of mouth. Upon arrival in Fairbanks, Compton claimed to have received death threats from some of the more successful investors.

In United States v. Bonham (1998), Bonham pled guilty to federal charges of mail fraud and money laundering. For these, she was sentenced in 1999 to two concurrent sentences of five years (two suspended) plus ten years of probation.

During Bonham's Federal sentence, the State of Alaska filed additional charges of perjury and securities fraud. Bonham successfully argued that these should be dismissed on the basis that they constituted double jeopardy, but this decision was appealed by the State and overturned in 2001.

Recovery

As of early 2008, Compton had filed 618 lawsuits against investors who had profited from their transactions with World Plus, recovering a total $18.2 million. From this sum he redistributed partial reimbursements to 697 known investors on whom Bonham had defaulted.

From http://en.wikipedia.org/

WhiteTie

WhiteTie is a concierge services, private membership club, online marketing company and travel agency based in Seattle, WA, USA and Hong Kong, China that provides extremely high end concierge services for customers world wide. The company provides premiere access to accommodations, shows, restaurants, entertainment and attractions throughout the world.

The company officially began selling services in April 2004. In January 2007 WhiteTie launched as the official concierge provider of Northwest Airlines.

From http://en.wikipedia.org/

WEXAS

WEXAS is a travel company in the form of a multinational travel club. It was founded in 1970 as a travel club for student and expeditionary travel, the acronym WEXAS standing for World Expeditionary Association. WEXAS specializes in business and individual tailor-made travel and holidays worldwide.

WEXAS sells many travel publications, offers travel advice on the strength of their industry experience, significant discounts on airfares, holidays, cruises as well as other travel services and further benefits including a VIP airport lounge service. The Traveller’s Handbook is an all purpose directory for travelers of all ages, including advice on many aspects of travel, such as airfare discounts, off-road driving, traveling in a Muslim country and receiving tropical disease.

From http://en.wikipedia.org/

Viagens Abreu

Viagens Abreu is the world’s oldest travel agency, as well as the largest travel organization in Portugal. The current headquarters are in Porto, with the main office in Linda–a–Velha, a suburb of Lisbon, in a spacious office building. Abreu has offices throughout Portugal, with over 120 retail locations in the mainland, and the islands of Madeira and the Azores.

History

The Abreu Agency was established in Porto in 1840 by Bernardo Abreu. At the time, emigration from northern Portugal and Galicia to Brazil and Venezuela was significant, and Abreu, a noted businessman in Porto, opened his agency to offer passport and visa services, as well as sales of train tickets to Lisbon and ship passages to and from South America.

Thus the oldest travel agency in the world was created from the close ties Portugal and Brazil still enjoy. After World War II, as the growth of commercial aviation shortened the distances between continents and international tourism expanded, Abreu developed into its current organization.

Five generations later, the company is still owned by the same family and their direct descendants.

Viagens Abreu today

Viagens Abreu offers an integrated service, with specialized departments covering all the major areas of the business (B2C and B2B, inbound and outbound): Leisure Travel, Corporate Travel, Youth Travel, Senior Travel, Tour Operation, Destination Management, congresses, groups and incentives, fairs, and exhibitions.

A steady growth in the Portuguese market lead to the expansion of the company to international locations, with the opening of companies in Brazil, Spain, England, and the United States.

The company owns one of the main tour operator companies in Portugal, Club 1840, which operates Long Haul and Medium Haul charter operations, Scheduled flights operations, Escorted Tours in Europe, and all around the world, Cruises, Theme Parks, Winter holidays, etc.

Viagens Abreu also owns Abreu Carga, a cargo company that operates air, land, and ocean freight from, to, and within Portugal.

Viagens Abreu has a stake in Pousadas de Portugal.

From http://en.wikipedia.org/

Vayama

Vayama is an online travel agency that specializes in the sale of international air travel. Launched on June 6, 2007 and founded by travel experts Andre Hesselink, Wim Butte and William Niejadlik

, vayama is operated by Airtrade International Inc.

, based in Mountain View, California, and is a fully owned subsidiary of BCD Holdings N.V.

. Vayama is a sister company of BCD Travel.

the third largest corporate travel management company in the United States behind Carlson Wagonlit and American Express Travel.

Vayama offers an inventory of available international air travel options including regular published fares, its own negotiated fares, and consolidator inventory. Airfares are offered on 100-plus airlines flying between the USA and over 190 countries.

The site uses Web 2.0 technologies to display the routing for the search being conducted on an interactive world map, 3-D seat maps, and other features.

Vayama has completed all the required certifications and holds all required licenses to operate as a travel agency in the state of California.

From http://en.wikipedia.org/

Traveleyes

Traveleyes is the world’s first commercial international air tour operator (as distinct from a charity) to specialise in serving blind as well as sighted travellers. Established in 2005, the company is based in Leeds, West Yorkshire.

Traveleyes Holidays

Each holiday group includes an equal number of blind/partially-sighted and sighted individuals. Blind travellers pair daily with different sighted ones, and the sighted traveller describes the sights to their blind partner. The role of the sighted individual is to be a fellow traveller and not to act as a carer. Sighted travellers receive a discount on the price of their holiday in return for this ‘use of their eyes’.

Although based in the UK, Traveleyes now takes bookings from the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and indeed all parts of the world.

Lonely Planet Guides

As well as acting as a holiday operator, Traveleyes works in conjunction with Lonely Planet travel guides to produce specially formatted travel guides for blind and visually impaired travellers. The specially formatted guides are produced on CD, and run on PCs and PDAs, through speech programmes and magnification software. Guides are currently available for Malta, Morocco, California, Italy, Cuba, Crete, Canada, and Andalucía.

Amar Latif

Traveleyes was founded by blind entrepreneur, television actor, director and world traveller Amar Latif. Amar inherited the incurable eye condition Retinitis Pigmentosa, which led, by the age of 20, to 95% sight loss. As well as founding and directing Traveleyes, Amar often acts as tour guide for the holiday groups. He was awarded the inaugural Stelios Disabled Entrepreneur Award in 2007 for his work with Traveleyes. This award is presented by EasyJet founder Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou in partnership with the charity Leonard Cheshire Disability. He was also declared the ‘Outstanding Young Business Entrepreneur of the World’ in 2005 by the Chamber of Commerce International (JCI).

From http://en.wikipedia.org/

Travel CUTS

Travel CUTS (French: Voyages Campus) is the trade name of Canadian Universities Travel Service Limited, a travel agency catering to students in Canada and, to a lesser extent, the United States.

It is similar to STA Travel, which competes with Travel CUTS in the U.S. and has additional operations worldwide. However, whereas STA is privately owned, Travel CUTS is wholly owned by student organizations, and is the largest travel agency in the world with that status.

The Canadian Federation of Students-Services (an entity legally separate from, but affiliated with, the main CFS organization), previously the sole owner, currently owns 76% of the agency. Four non-CFS student associations, namely the UWO University Students' Council, the UBC Alma Mater Society, the University of Alberta Students' Union, and the Queen's Alma Mater Society, together own 24%. This was the result of a settlement to a lengthy legal dispute between the CFS and these student unions, which had been members of the Association of Student Councils, an earlier group of student unions which operated a travel agency business which was transferred to Travel CUTS. The plaintiffs had alleged that this transfer was illegal.

In addition to operating over 70 locations throughout Canada and the US, Travel CUTS is also affiliated with over 600 student travel offices worldwide (including STA) through membership in the International Student Travel Confederation.

Travel CUTS also owns and operates several specialty travel divisions: The Adventure Travel Company, Volunteer Abroad, Student Work Abroad, and Innovative Group Travel.

From http://en.wikipedia.org/

Tour operator

A tour operator typically combines tour and travel components to create a holiday. The most common example of a tour operator's product would be a flight on a charter airline plus a transfer from the airport to a hotel and the services of a local representative, all for one price. Niche tour operators may specialise in destinations e.g. Italy, activities and experiences e.g. skiing, or a combination thereof. The original raison d'etre of tour operating was the difficulty of making arrangements in far-flung places, with problems of language, currency and communication. The advent of the internet has led to a rapid increase in self-packaging of holidays. However, tour operators still have their competence in arranging tours for those who do not have time to do DIY holidays, and specialize in large group events and meetings such as conferences or seminars. Also, tour operators still exercise contracting power with suppliers (airlines, hotels, other land arrangements, cruises, etc.) and influence over other entities (tourism boards and other government authorities) in order to create packages and special departures for destinations otherwise difficult and expensive to visit.

The two major tour operator associations in the US are the National Tour Association (NTA) and the United States Tour Operator's Association (USTOA), in Europe it is the European Tour Operators Association - ETOA and in the UK it is ABTA and AITO . The primary association for receptive North American inbound tour operators is the Receptive Services Association of America (RSAA).

From http://en.wikipedia.org/

StudentUniverse

StudentUniverse is one of the two largest discount student travel sellers in the world. It was founded in 2000, and is based in Waltham, Massachusetts. The company's value proposition is to offer student, faculty, and youth discounts, and flexibility, with an average discount over published rates, based on a sample survey, of 14%. The company has proprietary verification technology that allows it to verify student status. StudentUniverse sells exclusive airfare deals for its verified members from its airline partners. The company offers 24/7 customer service.

Website

StudentUniverse.com

is a travel website that is dedicated to college student, faculty, and youth travel. The site offers airfare tickets, hotel and hostel bookings, travel insurance, and other travel products.

The website also features a non-conventional search engine called FarePlay

which allows users to search for airfare by airport, region, or theme.

StudentUniverse also offers group travel services

for groups of 12 or more people.

Business Model

StudentUniverse sells travel products to college students, faculty, and 18-25 year-olds. By verifying their members' enrollment at an accredited, degree-granting college, the company is able to offer discounted airfares from their airline partners. Such airfares are not guaranteed to be cheaper than the retail airfares (what is available in the market). The company does not charge for membership. However, it does charge a $6 (USD) service fee.

History

Founded in 1992 as a student travel agency, StudentUniverse launched its online presence in 2000. The company was founded by Fredrik Carl Størmer and Espen Ødegård.

Celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2010, leading online student and faculty travel provider StudentUniverse.com announced in January 2010 it extended its discounted travel services to a broader range of young travelers. The new StudentUniverse.com Youth Travel Discounts enables travelers ages 18-25 – high school students right through recent college grads – to save money on airfares across the US and around the world.

Partners

StudentUniverse has over 30 major airline partners

and is the official student airfare partner of Orbitz.com.

StudentUniverse has also partnered with Edhance. Edhance allows college students to register up to five existing Visa, Mastercard or American Express credit or debit cards and automatically receive discounts when shopping with participating merchants.

From http://en.wikipedia.org/

Royal Swazi National Airways

Royal Swazi National Airways Corporation was the national airline of the Kingdom of Swaziland. Headquartered in Mbabane with its operational base at Matsapha Airport near Manzini, the airline was founded in 1978.

History

In March 1978, the government of Swaziland announced that it was setting up a national airline to be known as Royal Swazi National Airways Corporation, and informed privately-owned airline Swazi Air that it would be required to close down operations by 1 August 1978. In mid-1978 it was announced that Royal Swazi had purchased a 63-seat Fokker F.28 Mk.3000 from Fokker with which it would begin its services. Fokker-VFW F28 pilots, among other technical assistance. The airline also acquired a low-cycle Vickers Viscount 839 which had previously been operated by the Iranian government and the Sultan of Oman's Air Force. On 1 August 1978, the airline inaugurated its services with the F28 on a flight from Manzini to Johannesburg via Durban, whilst the airlines' Viscount was on standby at Matsapha Airport. Services to Lusaka, Mauritius and Blantyre were expected to be added to the fledgling airline's route network.

The airline made headlines when on 25 November 1981 a group of 51 mercenaries led by Mike Hoare boarded a scheduled Royal Swazi National Airways flight in Manzini to Mahé in the Seychelles in an attempt to overthrow Seychellois President France-Albert René. The mercenaries disguised themselves as Ancient Order of Froth Blowers rugby players and fans, but were exposed as they passed through customs and an alert official discovered a dismantled AK-47 in one of the mercenaries' luggage. The Royal Swazi National Airways F28 was damaged in the ensuing firefight between Seychellois officials and the mercenaries at Seychelles International Airport. After the incident, the airline ceased flights to the Seychelles.

By 1993 the airline served a route network that included Cape Town, Dar es Salaam, Harare, Gaborone, Johannesburg, Maseru, Lusaka, Maputo and Nairobi, of which the Manzini–Johannesburg route was the airlines' busiest. On 4 July 1993, the scheduled flight between Maputo and Manzini was hijacked by a Mozambiquean passenger armed with an AK-47. Not long after the aircraft departed Maputo, the hijacker stormed the cockpit with his gun, and demanded to be flown to Australia. When told that Australia was too far for the aircraft to fly, he insisted on being flown to Maseru in Lesotho. With Maseru Airport being closed, and the aircraft being low on fuel, the crew flew to Johannesburg. Three hours after arriving in Johannesburg, South African Police stormed the aircraft and killed the hijacker with a shot to the head. In 1994, the airline leased a Fokker 100 in a 12 business class and 85 economy class layou, but it was returned to its lessor in 1996 and onward leased to Linhas Aéreas de Moçambique, the same airline Royal Swazi leased a Boeing 737-200 from several years earlier.

Royal Swazi National Airways, which at the time was owned by the Swazi government and Tibiye Taka Ngwane, a trust managed by King Mswati III, ceased operations to Harare, Lusaka, Dar es Salaam and Nairobi on 12 April 1999 and the Swazi government signed an agreement with SA Airlink on 25 April for the South African airline to take a 40% stake in a new venture, with the government holding the remaining 60%, to be known as Airlink Swaziland. Airlink Swaziland began operations in July 1999 with a Fokker F28 leased from the company.

The company still exists, although it does not own an airline, but rather operates as an air ticket sales agent. Still wholly-owned by the government, Royal Swazi National Airways Corporation operates independently under the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, with a board appointed by the Minister. In August 2009 it was revealed that the government owed the company some E13.1 million for air travel accumulated by 16 government ministries and departments.

From http://en.wikipedia.org/

RADIUS travel

RADIUS (travel) is a privately-held corporate travel management company with headquarters in Bethesda, Maryland. It is comprised of 90 independent travel agencies operating in 80 countries and over 3,300 locations.

The company has 30 years of experience, existing in its present form since 1992 as a result of a merger between two independent North American travel management companies. RADIUS manages $19 billion in annual sales in 2009.

From http://en.wikipedia.org/

Pars Tourist Agency

Pars Tourist Agency (PTA) is a private-owned incoming tour operator being managed by a board of educated Iranian youths. The guideline and doctrine of this company is that “correlating the world and developing tourism is the best way of helping the nations to reach felicity and dispel war and belligerence.”

Being divided into English, French and German departments, PTA started accepting tours from 2000 AD. PTA’s expertise in operating cultural, historical, ecological and mountaineering tours all around Iran is a big plus of this company. The address of its main office in the city center of Shiraz, which is widespread as a tourist information center offering assistance to the tourists who encounter unpredicted hassles, is cited in all the guide books.

Pars Tourist Agency is one of the first companies in Iran starting e-commerce activities in the field of tourism. Having established www.key2persia.com, this agency is active in the cyberspace from 2001 offering tourist-liaison services.

From http://en.wikipedia.org/

North South Travel

North South Travel was established in the late 1970s as a travel business selling air tickets whose profits are used to fund development work. The company is owned by the NST Development Trust, a registered charitable trust (no. 1040656) and all available profits are distributed to grassroots projects, mostly in Africa, Asia and Latin America. The travel agency which is ATOL-bonded (no. 5401) and specialises in low-cost, long-haul flights, is based in Chelmsford, Essex. The directors of North South Travel, who are also trustees of the NST Development Trust are, with the exception of the travel agency manager, unpaid volunteers.

North South Travel's declaration that it believes "flying brings huge benefits, to travellers and host countries" has been balanced by the company's realisation of the environmental damage done by flying. It requests that flights purchased are made the subject of carbon offsetting with a climate offset company like Climate Care.

From http://en.wikipedia.org/

Mid-Office Travel Automation

Mid-office automation captures PNR data from a variety of GDS (Sabre, Galileo, Amadeus, and Worldspan) sources and lets travel agencies create custom business rules to validate reservation accuracy, monitor travel policies, perform file finishing, prepare itineraries/invoices and process ticketing.

Quality control software is used for such functions as ensuring reservations are formatted properly, checking for lower fares and watching for seat availability, upgrades or waitlist clearance. When customized, such tools allow agencies and corporate accounts to monitor virtually any information in global distribution system passenger name records. Accelerating such tools also creates opportunities for customer relationship management.

Mid-office automation is key to increasing the touchless rate of online adoption.

From http://en.wikipedia.org/

Macau.com

Macau.com is a destination marketing and travel company based in Macau, China that focuses on information and trip planning tools for visitors coming to Macau. The company markets accommodation, shows, restaurants, entertainment and attractions in Macau and the Pearl River Delta region. It concentrates its business on the inbound market, primarily coming from Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Australia and southeast Asia, as well as on air routes serviced by low-cost carriers, like Tiger Airways, Air Asia, and Viva Macau.

The company was established in 2006 with GoMacau.com as its brand. In June 2007, GoMacau.com acquired Macau's Number 1 Website, and relaunched as Macau.com. This acquisition significantly extends GoMacau.com's consumer reach and helps complement two brands together. Macau.com is the premier web portal and online travel agency for hotel accommodation, shows tickets and packaged tour products. The company is owned by MKW Capital Management, a private equity firm with investments in several Macau-based businesses including Viva Macau, MacauHR.

Macau.com is officially registered as Macau 24 Hours Travel Agency Limited.

Events

Macau.com signed a strategic partnership with Viva Macau airlines in December 2006 whereby the two companies committed to jointly promote Macau as a travel destination. In addition, Macau.com and Macau Fisherman's Wharf launched partnership for future co-operation in Macau's event market in November 2007.



As the preeminent online destination marketing company dedicated to Macau, Macau.com frequently offers many pioneering promotional activities and events, such as HKD1 for particular 5-star Macau hotel rooms, unbeatable packages headlined by Macau Grand Prix and Sampras versus Federer Tennis Showdown, and the most recent “Best Rate Guarantee” program that offers the lowest online rate assurance for hotel room bookings.

From http://en.wikipedia.org/

Kaleva Travel

Kaleva Travel is Finland’s largest privately owned and independent business travel agency. Kaleva Travel’s main owner is privately owned Juuranto-Group, established in 1921. Other owners of Kaleva Travel is the management of the company. Kaleva Travel is 100 % owner of Travel Agency Kaleva Travel AS in Estonia, Kaleva Travel SIA in Latvia, Kaleva Travel UAB in Lithuania and Kaleva Travel SRL in Romania. Kaleva Travel's international co-operation partner is Carlson Wagonlit Travel.

From http://en.wikipedia.org/

Issta

Issta Lines Group (established 1956) is one of Israel's oldest and leading travel companies. Issta Lines markets flights, hotels, organized tours, car rental, ski holidays, cruises and a large selection of various travel products. Issta is also a wholesale provider and operates charter flights and package holidays to European and Mediterranean destinations. Issta Lines Group is constructed of a number of travel companies, the main company is Issta, Israel's largest travel brand that holds 49 branches in the country. Issta Lines Group also operates travel agencies in England, Paris and Amsterdam as well as sub-groups and daughter companies. Issta employs 1,100 workers and its 2006 revenue was 1.5 billion nis. (~$350,000,000).

History

Issta is an acronym which stands for Israeli Student Travel Association, a name which reveals its initial purpose: a student exchange organization which began operating at the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology in 1956. Issta's preliminary aim was providing discounts and benefits specifically crafted for Student Travel. Issta's first commercial step was marketing discounted seats for students in Zim Integrated Shipping Services passenger ships (formerly ZIM Israel Navigation Company). In 1958 Issta began operating as an independent company owned by the Technion Student Body. At the same year Issta leased airplanes for the first time and began marketing remarkably cheaper flights to Athens, Greece. Issta continued functioning as a charter operator and cruise retailer and during the 1960s turned Athens Airport into its hub.

Following the increase of incoming Student Travel and Volunteering in Israel during the 1960s, Issta began providing services for Incoming Tourism: Bus Tours around Israel, hostels, hotels and printed matter. Following a model outlined by the International Student Travel Confederation, Issta signed long-term contracts with various airlines and began marketing specially-priced seats for youth and students in regular flights.

During the 1970s Issta experienced the vicissitudes implied by political and economical upheavals. Yom Kippur War that took place in October 1973 led to a severe crisis in the Israeli travel industry. The war resulted in a complete discontinuation of outgoing tourism which one of its peaks is during the Jewish High Holidays. On the other hand tourists and volunteers stopped arriving in Israel. The 1973 oil crisis led to a steep increase in gas - and therefore in flight tickets - prices. As a result of the Turkish invasion of Cyprus that took place in the summer of 1974 all the air carriers besides El Al Israel Airlines suspended their flights to and from Israel for several weeks.

In the summer of 1978 Issta leased an aircraft from El Al for an entire season and operated student charter flights from Tel Aviv to European destinations. In the summer of 1979 Issta leased a 260-seat aircraft from Capitol Airlines and operated its first trans-Atlantic flight to New York. Later that summer Issta operated 2 weekly flights to New York in an aircraft leased from 'El Al Charter Services Ltd.' (later Sun d'Or International Airlines). Thanks to the Trans-Atlantic flights 1979 was the most profitable year in the history of Issta so far.

In 1985 Issta joined the Israeli Travel Agent Association. Highly profitable winter and summer seasons led the company to a broad expansion. Issta committed to additional flights, extended its branches and hired more employees. In 1987 Issta owned eight branches and employed 120 workers. Its annual revenue reached $9 million and for the first time it granted scholarships for students. In 1989 Issta began launching branches in Israel's suburban and peripheral towns. Computerization of the company began in the late 1980s, a process which was a stepping stone in Issta's radical growth in the following years. Issta Direct Call Centre began operating as an informational telephone line in the beginning of the 1990s and later transformed into a reservation and marketing centre.

In 1995 Issta's gross revenue reached $90 million. The company employed 300 workers in 20 branches. In May 1996 the company was issued in Tel Aviv Stock Exchange. In 1999 Nofesh Yashir call center, that specializes in last minute deals and holiday packages began operating. The Issta Internet travel website was launched in 2000, the year Issta became Israel's largest travel group. In 2006 600,000 travelers used Issta's services and Issta group's revenue reached 1.5 billion nis.

Issta Group

Besides Issta Lines Issta Group includes the following partners:

* American Express Travel: the Israeli branch of American Express Travel specializes in business tourism. It operates a call center, an internet-based reservation center, 6 offices and 16 corporate branches.

* Nofy: An internet and phone-based reservation center that specializes in packaged deals and last minute products.

* Last Call: An internet-based reservation centre for Isracard Credit Card company customers

* Wallatours: internet tourism collaboration with Walla!shops

* Mabat Platinum: an incoming tourism provider

From http://en.wikipedia.org/

Intrepid Travel

Intrepid Travel is a small group adventure travel company. Intrepid offers over 500 trips to around 100 destinations in Asia, Latin America, North America, Europe, The Middle East, Africa, Australasia and The Pacific.

Intrepid trips are designed to let travelers experience the world at the grassroots level: traveling largely on public transport, trying local food and staying in locally owned accommodation or even with Overland, Special Groups, OUT Adventures, Urban Adventures and Volunteering.

Their focus is on environmentally, culturally and socially responsible tourism (ecotourism).Most Intrepid trips have a maximum of 12 travelers and the average group size is 10 people. This reduces the impacts of their trips and enhances the experience of their travelers. Intrepid has also stated that it will become a carbon neutral company by the end of 2009, reducing greenhouse gas emissions from their offices and trips where possible and offsetting the rest.

History

In 1988, Darrell Wade and Geoff Manchester traveled with a group of friends across the Sahara in a converted tipper truck. It was during this trip that the two university friends developed the idea for a style of travel that would take small groups of people to travel at the grassroots level, meeting local people, trying local food, staying anywhere and everywhere and traveling predominantly by local transport. These trips would expose travelers to the real world as they travelled among the locals rather than just as tourists looking in.

In 1989 Wade and Manchester returned to Melbourne, Victoria, bought a second-hand typewriter, borrowed a dining room table, and Intrepid Travel was born. Geoff led the first trips in their only destination, Thailand, while Darrell looked after the 'head office'. In its first year of operations the company had 47 passengers.

Since its small beginnings, Intrepid Travel has grown into a major, multi-national company. Employing 800 people in 96 countries, the company has grown to have a turnover of $130 million. Much of the growth occurring in the last ten years, the company had to come up with new strategies to deal with the problems of the decade - September 11, the 2002 Bali bombings and SARS. Expanding to Europe, Africa and South America, to give the company a broader and thus more stable base than relying solely on Asia as their destination, the company grew rapidly. Acquiring and partnering with other companies also lead to Intrepid's increased stability, 23 companies now being a part of the extended Intrepid Travel network.

Recent events

Between 2005 and 2007 Intrepid opened offshore operating companies in Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, India, Kenya, Ecuador and Peru. The role of these offshore companies is to provide local employment opportunities, make greater use of local knowledge and help Intrepid better identify community and environmental impacts of their trips. In February 2008 a representative office was set up in Beijing to run operations in and out of China.

2005 saw the introduction of "Family Adventures", trips specifically targeted at parents and their children. This style of trip allows one or numerous families to be lead through one of a number of countries, with an experienced tour leader to ensure safety and security. In 2006 Comfort and Active trip styles were introduced in the official brochure. The comfort trip, marketed as "real like experiences" with a "softer landing", includes transport and accommodation of a generally higher standard than "Original" Intrepid adventures. Active trips are, unsurprisingly, targeted at Intrepid's more active clientele; focusing on bike rides and hikes through unfamiliar, amazing terrain.

In 2005 Intrepid opened its first retail store on Bourke Street, Melbourne. Since then they have opened stores in London, Sydney, Auckland, Toronto, Brisbane and Perth.

Intrepid Travel embarked on its first major acquisition in mid-2006, buying the UK based adventure travel company, Guerba. This gain allowed Intrepid to make further in roads into the UK outbound market, as well as inbound tourism in Africa - a continent previously untouched by Intrepid operations. While Guerba still runs operations, it is 100% owned and controlled by Intrepid Travel.

Responsible Tourism

The Environment

In an effort to publicize the effects of global warming, Intrepid actively encouraged the community to view the Al Gore film An Inconvenient Truth, when it was released in late 2006. To do this, Intrepid Travel offered to reimburse up to 10,000 tickets, a gesture which could potentially have cost up to $150,000. The CEO, Darrell Wade, was quoted in saying that "it was an emotional commitment more than anything else."

As part of their plan to become a carbon neutral company by the end of 2009, On January 1, 2007 Intrepid introduced compulsory carbon offset payments to all flights sold from Australia.

The Intrepid Foundation

In 2002 Intrepid established The Intrepid Foundation to increase the financial support given by Intrepid and their travellers to not-for-profit community projects around the world. Intrepid matches public donations dollar for dollar, encouraging its passengers to give generously. Since its inception The Intrepid Foundation has disbursed AU$1.1 million. Currently it supports 20 grassroots projects and 10 international non-government organizations working with communities in Intrepid destinations around the world.

Plan (aid organisation) is one of the Intrepid Foundation's major partners. As Plan's longest corporate partner, Intrepid has shown continuing support over the years, particularly in the wake of the Boxing Day tsunami in 2004. First on the phone to Plan, Intrepid Travel initiated an appeal in 24 hours, leading to $200,000 of relief money being raised. Also donating several trips for fundraising appeals, Intrepid Travel has helped Plan to continue to operate around the world.

In April 2007, Intrepid launched an African tree planting campaign, aiming to plant 12,000 trees by the end of the month. For each person who registered on www.intrepidtravel.com/africatrees, Intrepid pledged to plant one tree. To further encourage travellers to register on the site, the company also offered 10% off trips to Africa for those who did so.

Awards

* 2007 Winner Environmentally Responsible Tourism Small Tour Operator category, British Travel Awards
* 2007 Winner of the PATA (Pacific Asia Travel Association) Gold Award for Corporate Environmental Programme
* 2007 Best Green Specialist Tour Operator, Tourism Authority of Thailand Green Awards
* 2007 Highly Commended, Conservation and Cultural Heritage, Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards
* 2006 Overall Joint Winner, Best Tour Operator, First Choice Responsible Tourism Awards
* 2006 Runner up, Tourism for Tomorrow Awards
* 2002 Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year award (Darrell Wade and Geoff Manchester)

From http://en.wikipedia.org/

H.I.S.

H.I.S. Co., Ltd. (株式会社エイチ・アイ・エス?, TYO: 9603) is a travel agency based in Tokyo, Japan, specializing in low-cost package tours to various countries. The company was founded as International Tours Co., Ltd. in 1980 by Hideo Sawada, born in 1951, and renamed "H.I.S." in 1990.

Within Japan H.I.S. has 227 branches located throughout the country plus a global network of 68 branches in 57 countries. H.I.S. holds a majority stake in Orion Tour and a minority stake in Skymark Airlines. It also owns two hotels in Australia, one called Watermark Hotel and Spa on the Gold Coast QLD and one in Brisbane Named Watermark Hotel Brisbane and a cruise company called Cruise Planet.

Hideo Sawada recently bought an interest in a Mongolian agricultural bank called XAAN and believes Japanese tourism to Mongolia will increase.

The H.I.S. head office is located in the Shinjuku section of Tokyo.

From http://en.wikipedia.org/