Launching its UK company business travel report at Earls Court, Hotel Reservation Service, said to be Europe”s largest online booking portal, has come up with some startling claims. HRS says that travel management companies (TMC) steer their clients to preferred suppliers rather than seeking the best deal. ”1 in 3 companies don”t realise that TMC”s receive kickbacks and of those that are aware an astonishing 60% do not receive a rebate themselves for using their agent”s preferred suppliers,” said commercial director Grant Appleton. He also noted that 70% of UK hotels are independent and are not on GDS. Other statistics were that 53% of business people stay on average three nights and that British Airways has 24% of the air travel market with easyJet up next at 7%. Hertz is easily the biggest car hire supplier with 17% followed by Avis with 6%.
The privately owned German company has been operating in Europe for over 33 years and is one of Germany”s best known travel brands with 54% of the hotel reservation market. Over the last two years HRS has rolled its service out across France, China and now the UK. Globally the company has over 12,000 corporate customers, access to over 180,000 hotels worldwide and in September of last year alone, ”75m (”50m) worth of transactions were conducted through HRS.