Travelport sees Egypt as a big business society in the Middle East.
Daily News Egypt met with Mervat Alfy, the country manager for Egypt, who said that Egyptian tourism has been a major resource for the national economy in recent years.
She added that her company contracted with several major tourism companies in Egypt, as well as airlines, including Nile Air. The company is currently in talks with EgyptAir to provide distribution and payment services for passengers.
Tell us about Travelport?
Travelport is a leading provider of distribution and payment services and solutions to international travel companies across the world. We operate in 180 countries and employ 3,700 people. The company is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
The company has been in Egypt for one year. We aim to provide technological services to tourist companies and airlines.
We have contracted with Nile Air already, but we are also in talks with other carriers such as EgyptAir, Fly Dubai and Nesma Airlines.
The company has invested heavily to provide systems and technologies to tour operators, so they can attract customers. Travelport is always looking to invest in innovative products that meet the needs of our customers and help them increase their revenue, as well as acquiring their satisfaction.
The company achieved a net profit of $2.2bn last year. It also injected investments of $830m since 2012 to create new products that meet the general market trends and needs.
How does Travelport see the tourism industry in Egypt in the coming period?
We believe Egypt will recover. It is a major tourism country that attracted 15 million tourists in 2010. The sector provides jobs to 3.5 million workers, making it one of the most vital sectors for the Egyptian economy.
Despite the challenges faced by the industry in Egypt, it will recover in light of the government’s measures implemented on the ground that support the sector.
What will Travelport provide for tourism in Egypt?
We will work to provide technological solutions to companies operating in the sector and present our services in training for these companies.
We will communicate with hotels and tourism companies, as well as transport and airlines for the provision of these services, especially to the Egyptian Tourism Federation.
Egypt will remain the vital travel hub in the region. Travelport is determined to support stakeholders in the travel industry in Egypt through the challenges they face by exchanging knowledge about the travel industry.
Does your company have other offices other than Cairo?
Yes, we have an office in Alexandria. Travelport operates in 180 countries. Our main headquarters in the Middle East is in Dubai.
We have contracts with 160 airlines across these regions.
How do you see the travel industry in the current period?
The travel industry currently relies a great deal on technology and requires flexibility and communication.
This means that travel agents should be able to add value to the industry, including working on providing excellent service to customers.
Passengers tend to use means of modern technology more now.
