| Journal: TWUK | Section: |
| Title: | Issue Date: 15/05/00 |
| Author: | Page Number: 39 |
| Copyright: Other |
Utell/Advantage figures
India and Kuwait see business travel bookings for 1999 increase by 50%
BUSINESS travel to India and Kuwait rose nearly 50% last year compared to 1998, according to latest figures supplied by Utell and Advantage Travel Centres.The results are based on the number of bookings made by Advantage’s 305 business travel agency members via hotel reservations company Utell’s global distribution system.
Advantage business travel director Norman Gage said the dramatic growth in bookings to India and Kuwait reflects both countries’ booming economies.
“There is a lot of business to be done,” he said.
Asian countries, however, continue to suffer from the region’s economic crisis as hotel bookings have fallen 43% in Malaysia, 31% in Thailand, 21% in Hong Kong and 16% in Japan (see chart).
Overall, the number of hotel bookings worldwide has remained the same.
Gage admitted the figures did not truthfully reflect the amount of travel that Advantage business clients are booking as they may also have made reservations through other sources.
“However, most of our members’ hotel bookings would be through Utell,” he explained.