OpenTravel Alliance Publishes Specification Version 2008A
Featuring New Messages for the Tour Operator Market
JUNE 12, 2008. The OpenTravel Alliance (OpenTravel), the travel industry's leading specification development organization, has published the 2008A version of its specification. It is the latest addition to the OpenTravel library of standard specifications adopted by travel companies worldwide.
For the first time, OpenTravel has published messages that support tour operators, including the distribution functions of tour product search, availability and booking.
'OpenTravel has long been known for its messages that meet distribution needs of the core supplier segments of the travel industry,' said Valyn Perini, Executive Director of OpenTravel. 'Our messages for the airline, hotel, rental car and cruise segments are mature and in widespread use worldwide, with tens of millions of messages exchanged every day. It's time we brought our standards-building expertise to the tour operator segment, part of the 'Long Tail' of the travel industry due to its varied and complex travel products.'
OpenTravel member companies PEAK 15 Systems and Adventure Central were leaders in this project.
'PEAK 15 Systems is proud to have taken a leadership role in establishing standards that will allow customers using our online tour operator software to more easily distribute their incredible collection of tours to partners and suppliers around the world,' said James O'Leonard, CEO of PEAK 15 Systems.
Both PEAK 15 Systems and Adventure Central serve the burgeoning specialty market of adventure travel.
'The demand for adventure travel and tours is at an all-time high', said Dick Schulte, CEO of Adventure Central. 'Having these standards in place will make it much simpler and quicker to integrate such a fragmented market. Working with OpenTravel to establish these standards is a critical step towards accomplishing our goal to be the leading provider of distribution and online booking services for the adventure and experiential travel industry.'
Upcoming OpenTravel Activities
OpenTravel Executive Director Valyn Perini will moderate a panel at HITEC in Austin, Texas on Wednesday June 18, 2008 on the topic of 'Channel Management Technology.'
OpenTravel Board of Directors Vice-Chair John Lambe will provide a keynote address at the next plenary meeting of the CEN/ISSS Workshop on Harmonization of Data Interchange in Tourism - WS/eTour on 24 June 2008 in Berlin.
OpenTravel's annual Advisory Forum will be held April 20-22, 2009 at the Marriott Seattle Waterfront in Seattle, Washington.
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