Opodo, the pan-European online travel company,
today announced that it has taken its first step into the Spanish market
with the launch of www.opodo.es.The announcement marks the entry of Opodo into its ninth European market
and the next step in an aggressive growth plan, which will see the
company trending towards a billion Euros in gross sales by the end of
2005. 

Opodo, in which Amadeus took a 55% controlling interest in June 2004
which later increased to 74% (March ‘05), is a key player in the
pan-European online travel market. Already strongly established in the
top three online travel markets (Germany, the UK and France) since
2001/2, the company entered five additional markets during the first
quarter of 2005 - the Italian market via the acquisition of the online
travel agency Eviaggi, and the Nordic markets of Norway, Denmark, Sweden
and Finland via the acquisition of online travel agency Travellink.

 

Simon Vincent, CEO of Opodo commented, “Opodo is following an aggressive
growth strategy which over the last five months has seen us move from
operating in three markets to having a presence in eight markets, grow
from 250 staff to over 700, and move into the tour operating business
via the purchase of Quest Travel in the UK and Karavel in France. 

 

Going forward, a key part of Opodo’s strategy is to enter new markets
and launching www.opodo.es   is the first step
into the growing Spanish online travel market. Indications are that
although still in its relative infancy, the online travel market in
Spain is predicted to grow over the next couple of years to reach around
15% of the overall Spanish travel industry by 2006.

 

We are working together with the Spanish online travel agency Rumbo on
this initiative, utilising the local knowledge and expertise of the
Rumbo team and combining the joint strengths of the two companies to
increase buying capacity and develop common content.”
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