Press Release Services and Business News from Send2Press, a unit of Neotrope, established 1983 - SEO PR, MARKETING
Press Release Writing and Distribution
  Send2Press Archive: 2000-2004 Neotrope®
Public Relations
Press Release Services and Media Relations
Send2Press® - Press Release Writing, Newswire Distribution, Press Release Optimization, Internet Marketing, Podcasting, SEO, Media Monitoring, Media Coaching, News Syndication, Book Marketing, Entertainment News, Web PR, and Media Relations since 1983   media relations
press release writing
Press Release Services and Business News from Send2Press, a unit of Neotrope, established 1983
 
NEWS WIRES:
» Ad Industry News
» Aerospace News
» Arts News
» Automobile News
» Biotech News
» Book News
» Business News
» Computer Industry News
» Construction News
» DotCom News
» eCommerce News
» Education News
» eMarketing News
» Entertainment News
» Employment News
» Energy News
» Family/Parenting News
» Fashion Industry News
» Fitness Industry News
» Food & Cooking News
» Graphics News
» Insurance News
» Interior Design News
» Internet News
» Investor News
» Manufacturing News
» Medical News
» Music News
» NonProfit News
» Peace/Ecology News
» Podcasting News
» Political News
» Real Estate News
» Religion News
» Retail News
» Security Solutions News
» Small Cap & OTC News
» Software Industry News
» Sports News
» Telecom News
» Travel Industry News
» TV & Cable News
» VoIP News
» US Newswires
» Business Profiles
» More News Channels
» Today's Headlines

Distribute your News with Send2Press® Press Release Services

 

Travel Industry News
PRESS RELEASE ARCHIVES FROM SEND2PRESS® NEWSWIRE

NOTICE: THIS IS ARCHIVAL CONTENT AND LIKELY OUT OF DATE.

CoachQuote.com® Launches New Group Consumer Site GroupTravelPlanet.com

Article Editor: Christopher Laird Simmons

New site to expand the company's advanced online group-booking technology to target the $15 billion SMERF market

PIGEON FORGE, TN - September 16, 2004 /Send2Press Newswire/ -- Group Travel Planet, which has been doing business as CoachQuote.com® in a business to business model for over four years, announced today the launch of GroupTravelPlanet.com, the travel industry's first fully-automated group travel website focused primarily on the small leisure group market with its own negotiated group hotel inventory from over 9,200 hotels throughout North America. The new site enables the company to build upon its current membership of close to 40,000 professional tour operators, travel agents and group leaders by better positioning its group-booking technology for the SMERF market.

"This is an exciting moment for our company and the thousands of suppliers that we represent, and for the entire travel industry in general," said Scott Harness, president and CEO, Group Travel Planet, LLC, which has been doing business as CoachQuote.com® since March 2000. "Our dream was to build a powerful online group-booking engine that would serve the needs of all types of group travel planners, while providing suppliers (hotels, attractions, bus operators and more) with a new way to increase their group business. The creation of CoachQuote.com was the first step, which helped to firmly establish our technology and business model -- and now, along with GroupTravelPlanet.com, the two sites can better focus separately on both the managed and unmanaged group segments."

"Hoteliers love our new business model and direction we're taking the company," said Angela Brady, director of corporate relations, Group Travel Planet. "Almost every hotel brand is represented in our portfolio of 9,200-plus hotels, giving the group travel planners unsurpassed choice and convenience. The hotels tell us it is the most hotel-friendly model in the industry, allowing them to set their own prices and room allocation, at all times, depending on their unique market needs using our robust extranet system."

In addition to its already impressive database of hotels, the company also plans to announce new partnerships with three major hotel brands shortly and looks forward to working closely with others to continue adding to its online hotel inventory.

Industry executives estimate that the small unmanaged leisure group market represents in excess of $15 billion annually in the U.S., a market that is basically handled off-line today in an inefficient call center, fax, mail and telephone environment.

"Our fully-automated system not only makes it easier for group travel planners to plan, book and manage all aspects of their group trips online, but it also eliminates much of the backend costs for all of our supplier members including hotels by providing payment tools, tools for adding and dropping rooms, entering and managing rooming lists, and standardized cut-off dates with fully-automated system reminders, which takes a huge burden and risk away from the hotels," added Harness. "No other online system even comes close. I guarantee it."

In addition to providing powerful online tools for managing group bookings, the company also hosts a rapidly growing call center, which handles inbound calls, monitors all online inquiry and booking activity through its advanced back office system, and facilitates special requests such as helping secure function space at hotels, finding step-on guides for bus trips and finding unique things to do at the group's final destination.

"Bigger isn't always better, though," when it comes to a group call center," said Harness. Better technology is better -- better for the consumer, better for the suppliers and, most definitely, better for bottom-line profits for everyone concerned."

Industry executives have also recognized the leadership standing of Group Travel Planet, its unique market position and upside potential, which has led to seasoned industry executives joining the organization. David Sullivan, former CEO of ResortQuest International and COO of Promus Hotels, recently became chairman of the company's advisory board and Scott Pearson, former SVP of Groople.com -- who has held VP positions at Choice Hotels International, Trip.com, and Hertz -- is the company's Vice President of Internet Distribution.

With the release of GroupTravelPlanet.com, the company plans announcements shortly of several strategic partnerships with various niche web sites and software providers to add to its impressive list of current partners including Clear Channel International, VERSYSS, American Bus Association, USDM, North American Journeys, Destinations2Discover.com, Tours.com, and numerous DMO's throughout the U.S, just to name a few.

In addition to marketing its services through numerous channels and mediums, the company has also developed the latest Web Services technology affording it to easily co-brand or private label partner sites. "We're very proud of our technology and the web services we've developed for our partners," said Rick Sharp, the company's CTO. "We have several new organizations that we are currently working with on integration and we look forward to their deployment and announcements in the very near future."

(c) group travel planet logo About Group Travel Planet and CoachQuote.com®
Operating as CoachQuote.com® since March 2000, the company was the first to pioneer online group travel booking and with the recent launch of its 2nd generation web technology, the company continues to break new barriers by being the first to fully-automate the entire group-booking process from start to finish. The company, under the new parent name Group Travel Planet, currently has 2,700-plus professional tour operator and over 30,000 group leader members. In addition, the company boasts over 11,000 supplier members, with 9,200 being hotels throughout North America that provide group inventory and net group rates through its robust extranet. Last year, the company recorded online gross bookings of $38 million.

For more information contact Patricia Childers of Group Travel Planet, at +1-865-428-8878 or patricia@coachquote.com.



• Previous Articles about CoachQuote.com



Internet News is powered by DotCom Newswire™

Viewed by the media ***

FOR INFORMATION ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION(S) MENTIONED IN THE ABOVE NEWS ARTICLE, PLEASE CONTACT THE COMPANY DIRECTLY AND NOT THIS WEBSITE.

DISCLAIMER: the above article is believed accurate but not guaranteed, and is based on business news supplied by the organization mentioned and/or quoted in the story. The organization providing the news to Send2Press is solely responsible for its accuracy. Financial/Stock news may contain forward looking statements and public companies should be thoroughly researched before considering material investment. Neotrope/Send2Press makes no claims of accuracy or suitability for any purpose. Any opinions expressed by representatives of company(s) mentioned in news item are solely those of the person indicated, and do not reflect any opinion or policy of Neotrope/Send2Press. Your use of any information contained herein is done solely at your own risk, and you are fully responsible for using any information herein, or on sites mentioned or linked to in the article. All trademarks acknowledged.

USE OF THE ABOVE NEWS ARTICLE
News is Copr. © 2004 Neotrope/Send2Press. Reproduction of this news article in any form requires written authorization. You may freely link to this article, or republish the "news release" text version linked to above under "Journalist Tools" without restriction except websites must retain /Send2Press Newswire/ as the source. Sites which offer/sell PR services or newswire services may not reprint our content without express written permission.



Add Our News Headlines to Your Website Free
Free headline feed


Journalists & Editors
Choose your news by preferred topic(s).
Privacy protected.
MORE INFO

Archived Releases

Most Recent Releases


Subscribe to RSS Feed



NOTICE: THIS PAGE IS ARCHIVAL CONTENT AND SHOULD NOT BE RELIED UPON FOR ACCURACY.
Top of Page | Home Page | E-mail This Article to Someone
— PLEASE SUPPORT OUR PR WEB NEWS ARCHIVE SPONSORS —
Press Release Services from Send2Press
List of News Archive Sponsors
Learn More About Small Business Promotion Services from Neotrope®
Press Release Distribution   |   Press Release Writing   |   Media Coaching Services
business news
 Copr. © 1983-2014 Neotrope® — all rights reserved. Privacy/Legal Statements 
Press Release Writing
Business Press Release Services | Compare News Distribution Plans | Agency Program | How to Order
PR Services Add-on Options | Price List | SEO+PR™ Services | Press Release Writing | Publication Lists
Client Testimonials | About Us | Contact Us | Newswire Channels |
News About Send2Press | | RSS/XML Feed

Free News Articles