Steve Lovato

'We like to have representation on the ground wherever possible, and I am talking to a number of new potential partners,' he says. 'In the UAE we have a long relationship with Al Futtaim Travel, who look after our clients here and we are looking for similar tie-ups elsewhere.

'Synergi's focus is on corporate clients, mainly multinationals and we handle their business on a fee basis. The benefit for local agents is that they get to share in this new business, and then we help them in servicing their clients in other markets. It is a two-way process than benefits both parties'.

Mr Lovato says that Synergi realizes the increasing importance of the Middle Eastern travel market, and is keen to establish a bigger presence.

'Our corporate clients tend to want a standardized product and we can negotiate a global deal that includes our local partners. So this is a joint marketing and joint selling opportunity. We can aggregate data from the Synergi offices and present a single Synergi proposal.

'Then, for example, if an Al Futtaim client needs help in Hong Kong with an air ticket then we have a local Synergi representative that can help them. We work hard to establish a level of trust in our service with clients, and we find that once this is developed then people tend to stay with us'.

Not surprisingly Synergi makes extensive use of the Internet and has it own software that it deploys with its travel partners. This software provides multinationals and corporates with the kind of historical data that they need to track their travel.

'Our website is not just a way to market our product but also a distribution channel,' says Mr Lovato. 'It is a reservation network and an interface with our clients'. So this global e-travel agency can truly span the world, delivering consistent standards of service to its corporate clients.

On recent trends in the global travel market, Mr Lovato admits that corporate budgets have been under pressure, particularly since September 11th and that has forced many executives into economy class.

'This is cyclical we saw the same thing after the Gulf War in 1991, he notes. 'Clients initially stopped traveling and then things picked up and gradually got back to normal. The next phase is to move executives from economy back further up the plane'.

Clearly a Synergi tie-up would benefit many travel agencies in the region, and Mr Lovato will probably not be short of candidates, though not everyone will be up to Synergi's standards, and that is probably this e-travel agent's greatest strength.