Expedia has a new partner.
The world's largest online travel company and Thomas Cook have entered into a strategic alliance that will make Expedia the preferred hotel provider for the British tour operator's city and domestic holiday businesses.
The partnership will provide Thomas Cook customers with more accomodation choices. According to The Telegraph, those traveling with Thomas Cook will be able to choose from Expedia's 60,000 hotel properties.
Meanwhile, the tour operator will be able to list its own brand hotels on Expedia, expanding distribution.
Thomas Cook's primary websites, contact centers, stores and distribution to affiliated travel agents will eventually be driven by Expedia.
The alliance will be powered by Expedia's Global Partner Solutions business, which connects brands with private label booking engines, agent tools, web services and operations for various travel products, including accommodations, flights, packages and car rentals.
This means a broadened scale for Expedia in Europe and reduced costs for Thomas Cook in the long run.
"The combination of Expedia's portfolio of hotels and best-in-class online technology will transform Thomas Cook's city breaks and hotel-only offer for customers while helping the business take an important step forward in delivering our strategy for profitable growth," Thomas Cook CEO, Peter Fankhauser, said in a statement accompanying Thursday's announcement.
"Joining forces with a company that has the global reach and expertise of Expedia will allow Thomas Cook to further simplify our systems and processes, freeing us up to focus on holidays to our own brand and selected partner hotels where we know we can really make a difference to customers," added Fankhauser, hinting at a "long-term and mutually beneficial relationship with Expedia."
[READMORE]READ MORE: Thomas Cook Will Stop Segregating Customers[/READMORE]
"We've always had profound respect for the Thomas Cook brand and we believe that our coming together will enhance our abilities to help more people to get out and see the world, while enhancing each of our competitive positions in the European market," said Aman Bhutani, President of Brand Expedia Group, in a statement. "We are thrilled to add Thomas Cook to our roster of premier clients around the globe."
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