Our model is all about the 21st century, says ITG

Our model is all about the 21st century, says ITG
By admin


Technological and digital advances have been highlighted as priorities for the Independent Travel Group as it forges ahead with ambitious growth plans, reporting a rise in interest as agents from rival firms consider their options.

Opening the Independent Travel Group conference in Hong Kong at the weekend, chief executive Tom Manwaring referred to recent comments by rival groups which had implied its business model was outdated, branding them “misinformed and frankly disappointing”.

He underlined the firm’s commitment to innovating in the technology space, with a number of social media and digital marketing tools now available for its agents.

“We’re not just into that, we’re very much into it and we have been for four years,” he said.

“But if we’ve got under someone’s skin to that extent then we are doing our job.”

Manwaring reported a rise in the number of enquiries from agents considering their options in the face of massive change.

“There’s a lot of shopping going on at the moment,” he confirmed.

But while some have branded efforts to woo disgruntled Jetset Travelworld agents as “opportunistic”, Manwaring was unapologetic.

“We don’t shy away from that – business is opportunity,” he said. “Are we talking to a lot of agents at the moment? Yes, we are. Hopefully it will lead to a bigger and stronger group for us.”

ITG is targeting 100 fully branded I Talk Travel stores, 350 Independent associates and 350 Select affiliates by 2015, with an overall turnover of $1 billion.

Those goals have been set following a compound growth of 27% year on year since 2003 in terms of customer numbers and 17% in net sales. In 2013 its total transaction value came to almost $600 million.

“We are a simple low cost business structured for the 21st century,” Manwaring said. “We do not have a cumbersome head office structure – our staff numbers are very tight.”

Meanwhile, the ITG team showcased a range of product updates and releases to its Express Ticketing platform including Express Hotels, Express Desktop and a range of marketing tools including a “cluster marketing” option designed to help agents “take control”.

Executive general manager Ari Magoutis reported a pleasing first year for Express Cruise which he said has gone “from strength to strength”.

Latest News

  • Aviation

Low-cost Indian carrier SpiceJet continues to burn cash

It’s not just low-cost Australian carriers that are facing hardship. SpiceJet, India’s version of Bonza, recently announced a 72 per cent reduction in its net loss versus last year. But, despite this improvement, the airline has posted losses for six straight years. But it has secured board approval to raise up to INR 30 billion […]

  • Attractions

SAKA Museum recognised in TIME magazine’s World’s Greatest Places 2024

AYANA Resort Bali’s newly-opened cultural and events centre, SAKA Museum has been recognised in TIME magazine’s World’s Greatest Places list for 2024. Part of AYANA Bali’s resort destination, the museum integrates Bali’s rich history with state-of-the-art facilities, making it the centrepiece for the island’s spiritual and cultural heritage. TIME magazine’s inclusion of SAKA Museum in […]

  • Cruise

Silversea taps Barbara Biffi as senior vice president for global sales

Ultra-luxury and expedition cruise travel brand, Silverseas, has announced Barbara Biffi as its new senior vice president of global sales. Biffi joined the company in 2007, holding numerous positions and gaining a deep understanding of the brand, the preferences of its guests and its strategic goals, the company said. An Italian national with a wealth […]

  • Technology
  • Travel Agents

Amadeus welcomes FCM Travel as new reseller partner of Cytric Easy

Cytric Easy, the travel management tool embedded in Microsoft Teams, is to be integrated into FCM Travel portfolio. Amadeus and FCM Travel have extended their Cytric distribution agreement to include Cytric Easy. With this new agreement, global travel management company FCM Travel, becomes a reseller of the innovative travel management collaboration solution embedded into Microsoft […]