Galileo International Marks 10th Anniversary Of Indian Success

ET&T Staff - Mumbai

Galileo International, marked the 10th anniversary of Galileo India, which is Galileo's second largest market in Asia Pacific. Galileo India commenced operations in 1994 and has built its network to the point where it is now serving some 4,000 travel agents in 119 cities through 18 dedicated offices.

"Galileo India has contributed significantly to our expansion in Asia Pacific. The business has not only broadened market penetration in terms of geography and customer numbers - it has also demonstrated an ability to be first to market in a range of solutions for travel agents and airlines. India will continue to be an important focus for Galileo and other businesses within Cendant's Travel Distribution Services division," said Janie Kaung, executive vice president and managing director, Galileo-Asia Pacific region.

Galileo was the first GDS to launch a booking and reservation tool in India based on a Graphical User Interface (GUI). Galileo India led the market in introducing online travel insurance to agents and was the first to launch satellite ticket printing in India, a solution that allows tickets to be printed at the location of a travel agent's corporate customer.

Locally developed products include Galileo India Accountant Plus (GIA Plus), a popular back-office accounting package used by travel agents to enhance operational efficiency.

Seema Luthra, president and CEO, Galileo India, added: "The past 10 years have been a success for Galileo in India. With inbound, outbound and domestic tourism on a long-term upward trend, Galileo International sees India as offering a platform for future growth with major opportunities for automating travel processes within the Indian travel industry, and for bringing a range of online capabilities to agents and travellers. Galileo is ideally placed for helping surging demand for travel to India."