FORMER Going Places chairman Tony Bennett is launching an e-commerce venture which will target business and leisure travellers in the UK and continental Europe.
Destinex.com will offer on-line booking of non-charter product such as scheduled flights, car hire and hotels.
The company has signed an equity-based partnership deal with ITprovider DATEnterprises which is developing the technology for the on-line venture.
Bennett said no firm launch date has been set because the company was still working on perfecting its technology.
“We feel that it would weaken the brand proposition to go out with a first generation system,” said Bennett.
He believes that many of the more sophisticated travel sites have yet to be launched.
“The second generation of on-line travel systems will have greater functionality and ease of use.”
A call centre will be set up to service bookings and handle customer enquiries.
“We hope some people will go all the way and book the product on-line but others can do a high degree of preparatory work on the site and then book using our contact centre,” said Bennett, who is chief executive officer of the new venture.
Bennett invested in the business along with former Going Places directors Francesca Ecsery-Merrens and David Blackledge. They hold the positions of chief marketing officer and chief finance and IT officer respectively.
The company is talking to a number of individuals about second-stage financing. Bennett denied Going Places sales and operations director Jill Martin was joining the new business.
Eurostar executive director sales and distribution Adrian Watts is joining as vice-president business travel. Watts will also be focusing on providing business travel for small and medium-sized enterprises.
Around a dozen staff have joined the company with a further 20 recruited over the next two to three months.