| Journal: TWUK | Section: |
| Title: | Issue Date: 03/07/00 |
| Author: | Page Number: 31 |
| Copyright: Other |
Partnership
Partnership
Galileo UKrenews tie-ups with Trailfinders and Hogg Robinson
Report by TANYAJEFFERIES
GALILEO UKhas renewed partnerships with Trailfinders and Hogg Robinson and claims it has several new travel agency deals in the pipeline.The agreement with Trailfinders is set to run for five years and the Hogg Robinson contract for four years.
Vice-president of subscriber sales and services Gordon Wilson claimed Galileo had signed up 15 new travel agency customers over the past few months. Although it lost Bridge the World and Quest to Amadeus in May, Wilson insisted that overall it had made a net gain in generating business. He refused to say which new customers he was negotiating with at this time.
“We have been pretty successful in getting new business,” he said. “The perception is we aren’t doing well but we are winning a lot of accounts.”
Galileo has appointed Bryan Conway as its sales director for the UK, Ireland and Scandinavia. He replaces UK general manager of sales and marketing Peter Grover, who has joined Hogg Robinson’s technology company TRX as managing director.
Wilson said that one of Conway’s responsibilities would be concluding the new deals which are underway with travel agency partners. He is recruiting for a marketing director to cover the Europe, Middle East and Africa region. The person who takes the role will pick up Grover’s old marketing responsibilities for the UK.
“It’s a new departure to have a dedicated marketing focus. Some of the people at Galileo UK will become part of that new team,” said Wilson.
Meanwhile, Galileo has also created a new department dedicated to its multinational clients. The team will be headed by business development director Alex Prusa.