Breaking Travel News

OTC Acquires Deckchair.com and LeisureHunt.com

Online Travel Corporation
(OTC), the UK`s leading online travel retailer/supplier, has acquired the high-profile e-travel brands Deckchair.com
, first launched by Sir Bob Geldof, and Leisurehunt.com
.

Mark Jones, CEO of OTC
Through the agreement with former owners World Travel Holdings, OTC will take possession of the sites` domain names, trade marks and client databases. This will provide the company with over 600,000 new registered users, which will be added to the existing user database for its 12 own-brand consumer websites and 60 white-label travel sites.


Deckchair.com
was one of the first e-travel brands in the UK, and has a database of 410,000 registered users with a profile similar to OTC`s own brands, Onlinetravel.com and Bargainholidays.com. Leisurehunt.com
is a leading hotel website, with 192,000 registered users and a profile that closely resembles OTC`s main hotel site, All-Hotels.com.


The sites will benefit from OTC`s comprehensive range of travel content and       ground-breaking technology, including the company`s pioneering Build-Your-Own (BYO) functionality. Through BYO, OTC created the travel industry`s online self-packaging market in October 2001, allowing customers for the first time to create holidays online by combining flights and hotels.


Mark Jones
, CEO of OTC, commented: “The arrival of Deckchair.com and LeisureHunt.com further boosts OTC`s unrivalled portfolio of travel websites, providing us with the advantage of two high-profile brands and a further extension of our powerful customer base.

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“These latest acquisitions from OTC will strengthen our position at the forefront of the UK`s e-travel market, and help keep us on a perfect footing for domestic and international expansion.”


Related stories on ITN:

(07/05/2003) OTC`s Mark Jones Shortlisted for Entrepreneur of the Year Award

(02/05/2003) OTC Bookings Rise Across Travel Websites

(30/04/2003) OTC Announces New Executive Management Board

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