Travel technology firm, Illusions Online, has signed a deal with Asian travel company JTB.
This agreement will see Illusions connect JTB’s central sales operations business to its World Travel eXchange (iWTX) system. iWTX allows all Illusions’ clients – tour operators, DMCs and travel agents – to access and sell one another’s content.
JTB’s Singapore-based sales arm, which is a joint venture between JTB and Star Holiday Mart, sells inbound travel to Asia. The company’s Manager of Corporate & Strategic Planning, Naveed Zafar Durrani commented; “We have offices in more than 23 cities in all the countries where we operate as ground service provider with our own vehicles and guides. From this perspective, no one can beat us on… the sightseeing and tours side, but what we need is hotel inventory and good hotel rates, and this is where the Illusions World Travel eXchange (iWTX) will make a huge difference to our business.”
“We already buy from and have XML capabilities with GTA and Expedia but we want to go to the next level with iWTX where we are closer to the supplier; cutting out the middle man by going straight to the source,” he added.
If participation in iWTX positively impacts JTB’s division in Singapore, Durrani said other JTB regional offices would look to sign up to the system, starting with those based in Malaysia, Indonesia and Hong Kong.
