Online Travel Corporation (OTC), the UK`s leading online supplier/retailer, has announced the launch of Youthtravel.com - created specifically for the youth and student travel market.

The announcement marks OTC`s first move into the student and youth sector, and an important strategic manoeuvre for the company. Youthtravel.com will be targeted at the 16-25 year old internet-savvy generation, to further extend OTC`s demographic and geographic customer reach.

Building on its unique distribution model, OTC

will also seek to create partnerships around Youthtravel.com with other e-travel channels, including many of the company`s 80 partner websites and the youth-focused websites of magazines and universities - with OTC acting as the travel provider and white-labelling the site`s content and technology.

 

Youthtravel.com

will provide discounted and flexible scheduled airfares exclusive to the youth market, together with charter flights, accommodation, weekend breaks and package holidays. The site will additionally feature OTC`s first-to-market BYO technology, enabling users to create their own holidays by combining flights and hotels. Further products, such as unlimited bus passes, Inter-rail passes, insurance and car hire will also be available.

The site also features an extensive travel information and safety advice section, providing travellers with updated content on selected destinations, and useful contact numbers in the event of emergencies abroad.

To enable consumers to plan and build a round-the-world route, Youthtravel.com features a state-of-the-art interactive flight-planning map, displaying routings through global destinations, together with pricing and fare information.

Mark Jones

, CEO at OTC commented: “The launch of Youthtravel.com is another important announcement for OTC, and a natural progression for our company. We intend to become a strong player in the student and youth markets.”

He continued: “We have focused on creating a service which we believe meets the needs of today`s burgeoning young traveller market, and we hope Youthtravel.com will provide an exciting and successful white-label product for our e-travel partners.”

Related stories on ITN:

(17/06/2003) OTC Acquires Deckchair.com and LeisureHunt.com

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

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

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