WHY IT RATES: Finland continues to be a popular destination for clients, and travel agents now can lean on Enterprise when giving travelers car rental options overseas.-Donald Wood, Breaking News Senior Writer.
Enterprise Holdings, the world's largest car rental company, is set to take its brands into Finland after appointing LansiAuto Group as its franchisee in the country.
The agreement means that Enterprise Holdings' brands, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, National Car Rental and Alamo Rent A Car, will be available to corporate, replacement and leisure customers in Finland following the integration of LansiAuto's rental car business and Enterprise in the coming months.
With 550 employees, Helsinki-based LansiAuto Group will draw on Enterprise Holdings' global expertise, resources, and technologies to expand its reach throughout Finland and grow its rental car business.
LansiAuto Group is one of the country's largest car dealerships and has a flourishing rental business, which has achieved growth of 50 percent over the past three years. However, the car rental division is expected to increase even more significantly now that it will have access to Enterprise's global booking platforms and support infrastructure.
Established in 1978, the LansiAuto Group currently operates 2,500 rental and lease vehicles from several retail locations, but will look to add additional airport locations to service domestic and inbound customers. The operations at Helsinki Airport will open later this year.
"It is a huge opportunity to partner with the world's largest rental car group in order to build our rental business and extend our services," Tommi Koninki, CEO, LansiAuto Group. "No company is better placed to respond to the growth in demand for vehicle rental and mobility than Enterprise."
"The initial focus of the partnership will be to grow our daily rental business and explore how additional mobility solutions could meet the needs of our domestic and international customers. Enterprise is already leading the development of mobility services, such as car clubs and ride-sharing within its network, and we look forward to drawing on this expertise."
The partnership is set to benefit from increased demand from inbound tourists, as well as a recent change in legislation that now allows holders of Chinese driving licenses to drive in Finland. In addition to serving business and leisure travelers arriving in the country, the partnership will service an increased demand for mobility from urban residents.
The agreement will also make Enterprise Holdings' network more accessible to Finnish travelers. The Enterprise family of brands is already available in more than 90 countries, of which more than 40 are in EMEA.
"There are so many parallels between LansiAuto Group and Enterprise, not least the fact that we are both family-owned businesses that share a commitment to delivering excellent customer service," Peter A Smith, Vice President of Global Franchising, Enterprise Holdings. "Finland is a fast-growing market for leisure and business travel, but there is also a huge opportunity to provide mobility services to neighborhood customers.
"From a network perspective, this agreement is also significant as it means that we have virtually complete coverage of the European car rental market. We look forward to servicing customers in Finland."
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