Viator Inc., a global provider of travel destination product, technology and distribution services, and Travelocity.com the world`s leading travel web site, have announced a partnership to bring destination activity booking to Travelocity users.
The agreement will enable Travelocity customers to not only view the most popular activities at their selected destination, but make reservations directly on the Travelocity site through Viator`s technology, along with flights, lodging and/or ground transportation. In addition, Viator has announced that as part of the agreement, Travelocity will acquire a small equity stake in the company.
“Our partnership with Travelocity reflects where the on-line customer is currently at: satisfied with the systems that offer airline tickets, hotel rooms and rental cars but now looking for more,” said Rod Cuthbert, CEO of Viator, Inc. “The on-line buyer is now looking for sites that allow them to shop and book the things they do when they reach their destination. The approach Viator has taken with Travelocity is to pre-select the most popular tours and attractions in destination cities, and to make these easy to look at and book right on the site.”
In its initial stages, Viator destination information will be delivered to Travelocity customers through the personalized reservation confirmation email known as “Bon Voyage”. Travelocity will soon be adopting a page on its site where those booking trips to the world`s most popular cities will also be able to make reservations for the top activities and attractions in those locations.
Peter Cardell, Travelocity Senior Vice President, Product Marketing described the partnership as a proof that consumers are anxious to book all the elements of their trips online. “Travelocity has already made the online booking of flights, lodging and vacations packages easy and reliable for its customers. Now, with the integration of Viator`s technology into our site we are able to provide our customers the ability to book the most popular attractions and activities in cities worldwide” said Cardell.
The integration with Viator bolsters the Travelocity site by including a global database of destination products, the technology to shop and book on-line, and an expanded distribution channel for its customers. The relationship will benefit the travel suppliers within Viator`s database as well by allowing access to Travelocity`s vast channel of distribution. Travelocity customers now not only have choices to view the most popular activities at their selected destination but book them with ease as they would the other parts of their itinerary directly through Travelocity.com
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