MEDIA CONTACT:
Sierra Brown, (212) 444-7135
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MEETING THE TRAVEL INDUSTRY’S DATA INTELLIGENCE PROBLEM HEAD ON
taCONNECT becomes largest network of real-time travel agent information; features an audience of 75,000+ verified U.S. and Canadian agents
DENVER, COLORADO (April 18, 2017) – Sourcing accurate and up-to-the-minute contact and category information on travel agents has been an enduring obstacle for travel suppliers – including airlines, tour operators, hotels, cruise lines, tourism boards and attractions – who are dependent on this data. For many, identifying travel agents’ location, specialization and affiliations has required more time and manpower than what can be financed, ultimately leading to fewer bookings, reduced revenue and inefficient marketing initiatives.
“Travel agents are by profession highly specialized and fragmented and the dots were not connecting. We saw a real issue in the industry – one requiring great technical prowess, forward thinking and a bit of common sense,” said co-founder Shaun Whitley, who founded taCONNECT parent company Travel Relations in 2013 with his brother, Scott Whitley. “It was very challenging for the industry to find the insights needed to capitalize on the right agents and their physical location to connect with and sell their products. We set out to fix that,” he said.
In less than three years, taCONNECT has grown to become the largest and most current travel agent specific network in the world, with more than 75,000 individual travel agents, all verified within the last eight months, representing 41,000+ unique locations and 30 contact and business data points on each travel agent.
It leverages data aggregated from an extensive network of industry registration forms – including education programs, webinars, loyalty programs and supplier profile requests – creating a data network that is constantly being fueled with the most current contact and business information. Travel companies who connect to the network all benefit from this mass data collection geared towards sales optimization. It is a turn-key solution providing suppliers with the ability to automatically update agent information and add missing information such as destinations sold, type of travel sold, type of agency, affiliation and much more. The platform acts as a Travel Agent Relationship Management platform, a travel trade specific CRM and is also compatible with most external sales and marketing systems, tying into loyalty and training programs, third party CRM’s and reservation systems.
What’s more, taCONNECT users are able to identify and target Independent Contractors (“ICs”) with ease and match them with a Corporate, Branch or Host Agency location, a segment that has proved elusive for suppliers for decades. “ICs currently don’t get the proper sales support from suppliers because of their unidentified remote location” said Scott Whitley “A supplier might be calling on a branch location in North Carolina but the majority of that agency’s ICs are located in different states or provinces. The remote IC rarely gets connected with their local business development manager or gets bypassed when seminars and trade events come through their cities.”
With its many solutions, taCONNECT has been revolutionary for its clients and partners, streamlining processes which would otherwise anchor businesses in sea of expendable data. The platform continues to evolve and improve, meeting the 21st century demands of the travel industry.
To receive additional information, hi-res images, or to schedule an interview with co-founders Scott and Shaun Whitley, contact Sierra Brown at sierra.brown@aboutdci.com. To learn more about Travel Relations and taCONNECT, visit http://www.taconnect.travel
MEDIA CONTACT:
Sierra Brown
T: +1-212-444-7135