Hertz Partners With 'Discover The World Marketing' To Grow Outbound Car Rentals From Saudi, Bahrain

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Sept. 16, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The Hertz Corporation has appointed Discover the World Marketing as its new General Sales Agent (GSA) in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain to grow outbound car rentals from the two Gulf countries to more than 8,800 Hertz locations in 150 countries.

Michel Taride, Group President of Hertz International commented: "Hertz and Discover the World Marketing have enjoyed a long-standing relationship that has existed for more than 20 years, and we are delighted to extend this to two very important outbound car rental markets in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.

"With the extensive Hertz product range perfectly matched to suit the needs of Saudi and Bahraini customers, combined with Discover the World's proven track record of providing outstanding service to the global travel industry, this partnership will boost our long-term outbound strategy focusing on key growth channels."

The new partnership will see the world's leading general-use car rental brand and the global travel outsourcing company extend a long-standing relationship to Saudi Arabia and Bahrain – both of which present significant growth opportunities for Hertz outbound bookings.

Discover the World, which has existing GSA partnerships with Hertz in nine other countries, aims to grow Hertz outbound revenue from the two Kingdoms to key global destinations such as the USA and Europe by more than 50 per cent.

This is in addition to an already upward growth curve of international rentals from both Saudi and Bahrain that Hertz has so far enjoyed for the first half of 2013.

Hertz car rental transactions from Saudi Arabia to overseas destinations were up 21 per cent year-on-year for the first six months of 2013, while the top ten countries of choice were the USA, UAE, South Africa, Qatar, France, Germany, UK, Switzerland, Italy and Spain.

In Bahrain, outbound Hertz car rentals grew 13 per cent year-on-year from January to June 2013, with the UAE, United States, Qatar, Oman, UK, Germany, France, Kuwait, South Africa and Italy on the top-ten list of travel destinations for Hertz Bahraini customers.

Jenny Adams, CEO of Discover the World Marketing, said: "We are very excited to be the new GSA for Hertz in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain and to provide a whole new level of service for travel trade professionals when making car rental bookings globally for their customers.

"Both Gulf countries have a strong foundation with huge potential and we look forward to building on that from a global sales perspective. Our goal is to grow outbound revenue into key worldwide destinations by more than 50 per cent, and we intend to achieve this through nurturing existing and new Hertz customers, while working closely with trade partners, corporations, and direct bookers."

Discover the World has established an independent sales team operating as a dedicated resource representing the Hertz brand for the Saudi and Bahrain travel trade, providing instant accessibility to the global portfolio of Hertz outbound products.

Hertz offers a wide range of makes and types in a global fleet of more than 500,000 vehicles, including the popular Hertz Dream Cars collection in the USA and Europe, where Saudi and Bahraini customers can drive the likes of an Aston Martin V8 Vantage, a Bentley Continental GT, a Lamborghini Gallardo, or an SRT in the USA; or the new Jaguar F-TYPE in Europe.

Other popular choices are the Hertz Collections range of cars in Europe, USA and Australia, including the Prestige, Green, Fun, Adrenalin, and Family collections, guaranteeing the car make and model the customer chooses upon making a reservation.

About Hertz
Hertz operates its car rental business through the Hertz, Dollar and Thrifty brands from approximately 10,400 corporate, licensee and franchisee locations in North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia, Australia, Africa, the Middle East and New Zealand. Hertz is the largest worldwide airport general use car rental brand, operating from approximately 8,800 corporate and licensee locations in approximately 150 countries. Hertz is the number one airport car rental brand in the U.S. and at 111 major airports in Europe. Dollar and Thrifty have approximately 1,580 corporate and franchisee locations in approximately 80 countries. Hertz is an inaugural member of Travel + Leisure's World's Best Awards Hall of Fame and was recently named, for the thirteenth time, by the magazine's readers as the Best Car Rental Agency. Hertz was also voted the Best Overall Car Rental Company in Zagat's 2013/14 U.S. Car Rental Survey, earning top honors in 10 additional categories, and the Company swept the global awards for Best Rewards Program and Best Overall Benefits from FlyerTalk.com. Product and services such as Hertz Gold Plus Rewards, NeverLost®, and unique cars and SUVs offered through the Company's Adrenaline, Prestige and Green Traveler Collections, set Hertz apart from the competition. Additionally, Hertz owns the vehicle leasing and fleet management leader Donlen Corporation and operates the Hertz On Demand car sharing business. The Company also owns a leading North American equipment rental business, Hertz Equipment Rental Corporation, which includes Hertz Entertainment Services.

About Hertz Middle East and Africa

Hertz has a strong presence in the Middle East and Africa region, with 11 Hertz franchisees in the Middle East and 23 in Africa, and a total of 66 locations in the Middle East and 161 outlets in Africa, offering a wide range of car rental and leasing services.  Hertz locations across the region offer customers the most modern fleet of vehicles in the market, with a focus on quality, safety and reliability.

About Discover the World Marketing

Discover the World Marketing has earned a reputation as a leader in global travel distribution and its success in developing a worldwide network of 80 offices in more than 60 countries capable of exceptional representation performance is unmatched.  With a portfolio of 76 clients utilizing its sales, marketing and business process outsourcing services, Discover the World Marketing remains a dominant innovator for the travel industry.

SOURCE The Hertz Corporation