The Isram World Group, one of America’s largest tour operators headquartered in New York, have signed up for Travel Studio. In the last three decades, ISRAM WORLD has grown from a small one-destination tour agency, into one of the a multi-faceted and highly respected tour operation, with brands cover the following destinations:

    * Isram World - Israel, the Mediterranean, Central Europe & Morocco
    * Escapade Vacations - Spain & Portugal Orient Flexi Pax Tours -
    * Orient, China, Indochina, India, Nepal & South Pacific
    * Latour - Central & South America
    * Jewish Heritage Tours - Worldwide Journeys of Discovery

Implementation of Travel Studio has already commenced and will continue through 2008.



Journey Latin America chooses Open Destinations for new reservations system.
7/28/2008 12:00:00 AM by SuperUser Account

Open Destinations, the leading software and services provider to the travel industry, have added another large customer to their expanding user base for Travel Studio, their specialist tour operations reservation software.

Journey Latin America, the specialist in group tours and tailor-made travel to South and Central America, will implement Travel Studio in its reservations centres, and to its remote workers. It will then enhance its on-line offering, where travellers will be able to browse improved information about the Journey Latin America product, before booking the holiday of their choice.

Comments Sarah Bradley, Managing Director of Journey Latin America; “we had a clear set of requirements and looked at a number software companies. We needed a system that would cater for our intricate reservation requirements, interface directly with our accounts system, facilitate on-line bookings and improve our documentation and overall service to the customer. In addition, we considered that a system that was used by several travel companies with a similar profile to ours would keep development costs to an affordable level.

It became clear that Travel Studio was the product that offered most flexibility and could best handle our wide range of requirements”.
Added Steve Lowe, Sales and Marketing Director of Open Destinations.  “We are delighted to be selected by a market leader such as Journey Latin America. This agreement further endorses Travel Studio as the reservation system of choice for long haul and upmarket suppliers with complex reservation requirements.



Your Man Tours go live....
5/26/2008 12:00:00 AM by ODL

Your Man Tours, part of the First Choice group, have now commenced using Travel Studio. Also known as YMT Vacations, they specialize in travel tours and cruises for discerning adult travellers to destinations such as Hawaii, the Caribbean and the Mediterranean, In addition Travel Studio handles their coach tour packages and combination tour and cruise vacation packages.



Former Galileo CIO joins Open Destinations
3/31/2008 12:00:00 AM by ODL

Naveed Younus, the former Vice President and CIO for International Markets at Travelport (Galileo) has joined as the CTO & Product Director. He assumes responsibility for enriching Open Destinations’ product suite offering software and outsourcing services worldwide. Naveed has 20 years experience in on-line and off-line product application development, and in delivering travel related products across a wide spectrum of the travel industry sectors.

Naveed previously held director level roles with The Travel Corporation and with TV Travel Shop.  He holds an honours degree in Computer Science from the University of Herefordshire in UK and has studied for a Master of Business Administration (MBA) at City University of London.

Eddie Robertson has joined as the Operations Director with responsibility for delivery of Open Destinations technology. Eddie brings with him 25 years of business analysis, project management and consultancy experience across a wide range of the industry sectors, including travel.

Prior to joining Open Destinations, Eddie has consulted for blue-chip players in travel and leisure such as Travelodge and Whitbread Hotels, as well as working with his family tour operating business, and with a South American airline where his fluency in Spanish was well used!  He holds a masters degree (MSc) in Air Transport Engineering from Cranfield University and is a Member of the British Computer Society (MBCS) as well as being a Chartered IT Professional (CITP).
Comments Kevin O’Sullivan, Managing Director of Open Destinations:

 “I am delighted we have been able to attract such high-calibre people into the business. I think this shows that both Naveed and Eddie recognise the quality of our current technology as something that can be built on both from a product, and from a delivery perspective. It is great news too for both our existing customers, and for new customers that will undoubtedly be attracted to Open Destinations over the coming months and years.”





Open Destinations hits 100
2/25/2008 12:00:00 AM by ODL

Travel technology provider Open Destinations has recently increased its total staff complement to over 100 people with new staffs at its London office.

To drive new business, Steve Lowe has joined as the new Sales and Marketing Director. Steve was previously the Business Development Director at Comtec Europe and the Deputy General Manager at Worldchoice.

To help manage the growing number of new Travel Studio implementations being undertaken in the UK and abroad. Simon Baker has joined as a Project Manager. He formerly worked at TRX and STA Travel, and holds an MBA from Birmingham University.

In addition, Sufiyan Ansari has transferred from the Open Destinations office in Goa as a project manager supporting major customers. Sufiyan has a degree from Bombay University and has worked for Open Destinations for three years.

Comments MD Kevin O’Sullivan: “We have experienced rapid growth over the last three years, having achieved significant large client wins such as First Choice, Bales Worldwide, Albatross Travel & Talisman Reisen. This is a reflection of our market leading products and high level of customer service.

By bringing in experienced people, we have acted to ensure these service levels remain high, as well as to underpin the next stage of our growth.
We forecast 2008 will be an extremely exciting year for Open Destinations, and I anticipate being able to announce significant product initiatives and contract wins in the near future, as well as further appointments.”





Isango!™ go live driven by Open Destinations technology
5/28/2007 12:00:00 AM by ODL

Isango!™ is a window to the world of experience-led travel products offering a wide range of activities and excursions around the world.

While the initial launch covers Australia, New Zealand, and South Pacific islands, the site will be launching other destinations during the coming months.

Said Isango! Director, Aseem Sandana, “Our goal is simply to create the best online travel site for experience-led products, ultimately allowing our customers to make the most of their journeys. Open Destinations technology has already allowed us to realise our dream which commenced in a Starbucks coffee shop!”

Explaining the Starbucks reference, Sandana continued “Our journey began in mid 2005 when the founders decided to give up the comforts of the corporate world and plunge into a shared dream. Soon we were turning our simple vision into a concrete action plan and we commenced our discussions with Open Destinations.”

“Our ambitions were fuelled further with an overdose of caffeine that comes with starting operations out of Starbucks. The idea proved infectious. Before we knew it, we have grown into a global team of driven professionals, joined by our passion for experience-led travel. The Isango! team is striving to build the largest collection of enriching experiences around the world.”

Kevin O’Sullivan, Open Destination Managing Director says, “We have been delighted to help the Isango! team realise their dream. Using a combination of our Travel Studio product, our web services and our BPO team to load their data they have achieved extremely creditable results as new industry entrants.”
“The Isango!™ brand has every chance of becoming as strong as the vision and enthusiasm of the Isango! team. We wish them every success with their new travel venture.”



TUI Travel PLC selects Open Destinations for North America.
2/26/2007 12:00:00 AM by ODL

 

TUI Travel PLC has selected Open Destinations as its supplier of technology and associated services for a number of its North American based tour operator brands.

Open Destinations will be implementing the Travel Studio system throughout the TUI businesses during the next 12 to 18 months. Also included in the deal is the Travel Studio sister product Fare Studio, a scheduled flights and private fares database with GDS interfaces, the provision of B2C and B2B e-Commerce solutions, off-shore software development and business process outsourcing (BPO) services.

The agreement further strengthens Open Destinations’ international market position in the provision of solutions and services to wholesale leisure travel companies, which now operate in 26 countries worldwide.

Said Larry Frank, Vice President Technology, TUI Expeditions, “TUI has in recent years acquired a portfolio of successful specialist tour operators throughout North America. We needed a system that would allow the individual businesses the flexibility to fully automate the business processes that make them successful today, but also enable them to embrace future market driven opportunities that modern technology delivers”.

“We felt Travel Studio was particularly strong on its handling of Escorted Tours and FIT’s. It also offered a strong web services layer which allows us to build sophisticated e-commerce offerings to help drive the business forward. All the businesses that reviewed Travel Studio felt it was the best solution for our type of businesses”.

The TUI businesses in North America that are involved in the project include Student City, Intrav, Travcoa, Country Walkers, TCS, International Expeditions, Europe Express, YMT, Jumpstreet, Breakaway, School Voyageurs, Educaters and Educational Tours.

Said Open Destinations Managing Director Kevin O’Sullivan, “We are delighted to be selected by a company as highly respected as First Choice. This major deal not only represents a significant milestone in the endorsement of the Travel Studio product functionality, but also the services we provide from our own dedicated off-shore resource centre”.



Talisman Reizen choose Travel Studio
10/30/2006 12:00:00 AM by ODL

Talisman Reizen in Holland has chosen Open Destinations Travel Studio system to manage their reservation and back office processes.

Based in Dordtrecht near Rotterdam, Talisman Reizen is a specialist outbound tour operator offering up- market FIT’s and Escorted tours to Asian and African destinations.

Talisman Reizen, who had previously worked with a Dutch tour operator back office system, conducted an extensive RFP progress managed by CAP Gemini.

Said Joep Bosman, Talisman Director, “We accepted that as a specialist tour operator business that is constantly looking to improve our business model and client service that we were not able to fund the development of our current system and gain the benefits that modern technologies offer.”

“As this was to be a significant investment and long term relationship for Talisman we decided to engage the professional services of CAP Gemini to manage the process of sourcing systems that met our needs today and in years to come. The RFP process eventually short-listed three systems and Open Destinations Travel Studio was the outstanding system that met all our criteria.”
Said Kevin O’Sullivan, Open Destination Managing Director says, “We are delighted to be chosen as the Talisman Reizen technology provider after winning their vigorous selection process. It’s particularly pleasing that Talisman will also be utilising our off-shore BPO service team to help load and maintain their product and service contracts. We believe business process outsourcing will become increasingly popular over the coming months as tour operators look at ways to reduce cost, whilst maintaining and improving service levels”.



Bales Worldwide select Open Destinations
2/27/2006 12:00:00 AM by ODL

 

Bales Worldwide, a leading UK based Escorted Journeys and Tailor Made specialist tour operator has chosen Open Destinations as their new technology systems provider.

Due to launch in late Summer, holidaymakers logging on to www.balesworldwide.com will be able to combine and book holiday components – flights, accommodation, tours and much more – as well as being able to book pre-packaged holiday itineraries.

“These plans represent a significant advance in the Bales Worldwide offering,” says Iain Fenton, Sales & Marketing Director for Bales Worldwide. “Travellers will be able to browse and book the holiday of their choice, building on the unrivalled range of products and services that have made us one of the country’s leading escorted journeys and tailor made specialists.

Historically, we have only been able to offer Escorted Journeys online – customers looking to personalise their own itineraries have had to contact us for expert advice. Of course we will continue to provide that service, but our improved website will give travellers significantly greater flexibility in booking their own Tailor Made holiday arrangements.”

Driven by Open Destinations’ Travel Studio reservation system and their scheduled/negotiated fares system (Fare Studio), the new Bales Worldwide solution will incorporate third-party suppliers’ holiday components, giving Bales access to a wider range of net fares, and provide real-time management information which means Bales’ staff will be even better equipped to deliver, and surpass, customer expectations.

“The new technology represents a substantial investment in bringing our online presence to a higher level,” says Fenton. “It is a reflection of our continuing commitment to travel and tourism excellence.”

Kevin O’Sullivan, Open Destination Managing Director says, “We are delighted to be chosen as Bales technology provider after winning their vigorous selection process.

It’s particularly pleasing that Bales will also be utilising our off-shore BPO service team to help load and maintain their product and service contracts, a service that we believe will become increasingly popular over the coming months as tour operators look at ways to reduce cost, whilst maintaining and improving service levels”.