The serious affiliation for serious business travel business

Business travel is very serious business! In today’s climate of globalization in the corporate world in general, as well as the travel industry in particular, an agency that is serious about the business of business travel and is not a member of a brand name international network organization, is at a serious competitive disadvantage. Globalization is here to stay, and as it increases and technology continues to evolve, that disadvantage will only intensify.

UNIGLOBE® Travel is the leading global network of business travel agencies specializing in the SME market segment. As a solution to the globalization challenge, UNIGLOBE® launched its Global Partner Program where a limited number of established TMC’s / business travel agencies, in certain countries in which UNIGLOBE® did not have a presence, could have the benefit of an international affiliation through a direct relationship with UNIGLOBE® World headquarters in Vancouver, British Columbia.

So far in 2008, new member agencies have joined the Uniglobe family in the USA, Canada, Mexico, Thailand, France, the UK, Romania, India, China, South Africa, Germany, and Belgium, as well as Jordan and Iraq. In fact, our presence in Iraq makes UNIGLOBE the only global business travel network on the ground to service the companies going in to participate in the reconstruction. Recently, a Master License Agreement was entered into for the UNIGLOBE® rights to Mexico and Central America with Aversa, the Hertz franchisee in Mexico, and we were proud to welcome to our family Orbis Business Travel, the corporate arm of Orbis, the largest agency in Poland.

Global partners enjoy the use of the international brand in conjunction with their own identity, access to critical leading edge travel management technology, networking and collaboration on business opportunities, and multi-national corporate accounts. They also get access to training and the benefits of buying power, as well as shared expertise from around the world.

While UNIGLOBE senior management say that the global partner-type of relationship is where they see their growth in the future, they are also open to discuss interest in Master Franchise opportunities but only for certain sizeable and mature markets.

For more information, please contact John L. Henry, senior vice president, UNIGLOBE Travel International, [email protected] . See www.uniglobetravel.com/GPP .