Holiday Autos Middle East hits top gear as travel agent and direct customer car rental bookings rev-up online

Year on year bookings rose 40 per cent this summer compared to the key summer months (June/July/August) in 2005. The share of online bookings as a total of all transactions - including direct customers and travel agent bookings - peaked at 68 per cent, with travel agent bookings made online exceeding 50 per cent of the total travel agent business. The company believes that its recent performance is evidence of the viability of its online business model.

Nazar Musa, Managing Director of holiday Autos Middle East, said:

"In terms of bookings originating in the region, 2006 was a very strong summer trading period for us with the traditional European capital destinations holding firm. The real growth came from Germany, especially around the World Cup finals, Ireland, Australia. Austria and South Africa. Croatia was the summer's top performing destination in terms of year on year growth in summer bookings, with the UAE as the main source market for us in the region."

Direct customer bookings online have grown from close to zero in 2005 to around one-third of all Holiday Autos Middle East bookings, during the summer months.

"Online transactions are growing fast - we have made the online booking process for customers and agents much quicker and simpler. With our best ever car rental rates for customers this year and trade incentives working well, we were able to build our business online, moving towards the kind of model we see in the UK - where 80 per cent of bookings are made online - and Scandinavia, where it is 90 per cent. There are probably few other service businesses in the Middle East with this kind of online business profile."

Holiday Autos Middle East's new website allows customers to choose and book their selected car with just three clicks. Booking confirmations are issued immediately via email. For customers and agents, booking online can be quicker and simpler than using the telephone.

"The online booking system is very convenient and flexible; it also allows us to introduce new products and service offers very quickly, such as damage excess waiver. Every online customer is now offered this cover, which has become well understood - take-up of the cover is running at around 60 per cent of all online bookings, which is very high," added Nazar Musa.

Future developments of the Holiday Autos Middle East website include an Arabic language version which the company hopes to roll out in the first quarter of 2007.