Travel Bound Reports U.S. as #1 Destination for Independent Travelers

NEW YORK, Sept. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Travel Bound, a New York-based corporation, reports that bookings of U.S. hotel rooms for independent travelers through June have increased 70% over the same period last year, making the U.S. Travel Bound's number one destination.  

The wholesaler of hotels, sightseeing tours and transfers for independent travelers and customized groups also reports that more than 5,000 travel agents have signed up so far for the Travel Bound Rewards incentive program, which automatically loads one point ($1 USD) on an American Express®-branded Rewards Card for each U.S. or Canadian hotel night booked and traveled between June and December this year.  Travel Bound sells exclusively through travel agents.

Among Travel Bound's top-selling U.S. cities: New York, Las Vegas, Washington, D.C., Miami, San Francisco, as well as secondary cities such as San Diego, Key West, Scottsdale and San Antonio.

"This is the first time in our company's history that the U.S. has taken the number one hotel booking spot," noted Richie Karaburun, President of GTA North America/Travel Bound.  "Most agents think of Travel Bound as a supplier of European travel products. In fact, Italy still is number one in terms of our revenue, primarily because of the higher average value of Italian bookings vs. domestic.   And Europe remains a very strong seller for Travel Bound.

"There are several reasons that U.S. hotel bookings now predominate.  Obviously, many people are staying closer to home because of the economy.  But we believe that it is our dramatically increased hotel selection – and direct connectivity - that is the main reason.  The GTA North American sourcing team, which I headed, invested heavily to give our travel agent clients access to the best available rates and last room-availability to nearly 9,000 properties in the U.S., including many major chains," said Karaburun.

Agent rewards program response

Launched in mid-June, the "Travel Bound Rewards" program [Editor's note: see press release June 14, 2010] resulted in more than 2,000 agents registering within the first three days, according to Cece Drummond, Marketing Director of Travel Bound.  Agents earn one dollar on their own Travel Bound Rewards American Express card for each hotel night booked and traveled within the U.S. and Canada.  Agents may check the available balance at any time and can use their Reward Card virtually anywhere American Express is accepted in the U.S.  

Unlike some other rewards programs, agents do not need to submit proof of bookings to earn dollars; Travel Bound automatically credits their Rewards Card the month after the client has traveled. Rewards dollars are in addition to Travel Bound's standard commission.  

To book hotels, sightseeing tours and transfers in the U.S. and around the world, log onto www.booktravelbound.com.  

Selling exclusively through travel agents since 1982, Travel Bound is a brand of GTA (Gullivers Travel Associates).  GTA is a world leader in the provision of ground travel products and services and uses industry-leading online technology to market and distribute global travel content, including more than 35,000 properties worldwide with instant confirmation, in over 130 countries.  Other travel services include sightseeing tours and attractions, private transfers and group travel.  GTA is a Travelport brand.  Travelport is one of the largest and most geographically diverse travel companies, dedicated to creating the exceptional travel experiences the world demands.  

SOURCE Travel Bound