Online business travel agency Expedia Corporate Travel is to expand into Germany this autumn.
The German operation will be based in Munich and aim to provide a "single solution" for both travel and financial needs for the SME market.
Expedia said this covered some 10,000 companies with a combined annual travel spend of $13bn.
It said the German base will also handle more than 3,000 worldwide companies which use Expedia and have potential travel requirements in Germany.
Jean-Pierre Remy, president of Expedia Corporate Travel Europe, said: "The opening of our German office highlights Expedia Corporate Travel's ongoing strategy to unite our global customers on the first, truly integrated worldwide platform.
"Germany is a great opportunity for Expedia Corporate Travel to strengthen its presence and relationships with the European business travel industry and culture, while also giving our global customers more access and options within Europe."
Expedia already has a foothold in Europe, having bought the former UK off line agency World Travel Management and the French online agency Egencia both in 2004.
IHG sells seven more hotels in Europe
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has sold seven more of its European properties to the Morgan Stanley Real Estate Funds for 634m.
IHG, which put the hotels on the market in January, has signed 30 year agreements to manage the hotels.
There are options to renew for two ten year periods, giving IHG a potential contract length of 50 years.
Under the deal Morgan Stanley has agreed to spend 60m on the hotels.
IHG, under its sale of hotels policy, has now disposed of 175 hotels with a net asset value of more than £2.8bn since separation from Six Continents in April 2003.
The chain has retained over 90% of sold properties under its brand flags.
Andrew Cosslett, ceo of IHG, said: "This deal is a significant step for IHG as we near the conclusion of our asset disposal programme.
"Looking ahead, IHG is fully focused on its growth target of adding 50,000 to 60,000 rooms to our portfolio on a net and organic basis by the end of 2008."
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