GetThere Enhances Online Hotel Content for Business Travelers
Digital Media from 10,000+ Hotels Helps Travelers During Shopping Process
JULY 12, 2006. GettThere(R), the world's leading online corporate travel reservation technology, is implementing rich media from VFM Interactive to enhance the hotel shopping process for business travelers. The agreement to deploy VFM's technology this quarter complements GetThere's ongoing initiatives to deliver more information to travelers at the point of purchase, highlighted by the integration of the consumer-friendly Travelocity(R) hotel database last year. VFM Interactive is the leading end-to-end provider of rich media management, production and distribution for the hotel industry.
Corporate travelers booking online via GetThere will gain access to VFM's photos, videos and virtual tours from more than 10,000 participating properties when they click on specific hotels to view images and specific information on amenities and local attractions. VFM's hotel media distribution network, already with significant reach in the leisure market, now touches the majority of Fortune 500 corporate travel intranets. GetThere's booking engine, used by 62 percent of the Fortune 200, accounted for $6.3 billion in corporate travel in 2005.
GetThere will showcase VFM's rich hotel content in Booth # 1644 at next week's National Business Travel Association convention in Chicago.
'In order to drive hotel policy compliance by business travelers, it's critical to deliver superior imagery and content in the shopping process,' said Suzanne Neufang, vice president of product marketing for GetThere. 'VFM's high-quality digital media shows travelers multiple aspects of a hotel, enhancing their comfort level with the property and their overall booking experience. Corporate travel managers benefit as well, with better-informed travelers more likely to book at company-preferred hotels.'
'PhoCusWright tells us that business travel is now the fastest-growing segment of online travel, so that is clearly the place we plan to be,' said Paolo Boni, president and CEO of VFM. 'Our agreement with a market leader like GetThere certainly underscores this commitment. VFM is delighted to help facilitate more educated hotel booking choices by the thousands of business travelers using the GetThere online booking system.'
Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAR) is a global leading lodging company based in Bethesda,Maryland, USA, with more than 4,200 properties in 80 countries and territories. Marriott International reported revenues of nearly $14 billion in fiscal year 2014. The company operates and franchises hotels and licenses vacation ownership resorts under 19 brands, including: The Ritz-Carlton®, BVlgari®, EDITION®, JW Marriott®, Autograph Collection® Hotels, Renaissance® Hotels, Marriott Hotels®, Delta Hotels and Resorts®, Marriott Executive Apartments®, Marriott Vacation Club®, Gaylord Hotels®, AC Hotels by Marriott®, Courtyard®, Residence Inn®, SpringHill Suites®, Fairfield Inn & Suites®, TownePlace Suites®, Protea Hotels® and MoxyHotels®. Marriott has been consistently recognized as a top employer and for its superior business ethics. The company also manages the award-winning guest loyalty program, Marriott Rewards® and The Ritz-Carlton Rewards® program, which together surpass 50 million members. For more information or reservations, please visit our website at 
