SAN DIEGO, Nov. 6, 2006 (PRIMEZONE) -- BCD Travel, the world's third-largest travel management company, announced today that Balboa Travel Management, a leading regional agency founded in 1969, has joined the BCD Travel Affiliates Program.
San Diego-based Balboa, formerly a member of the Radius network, joined BCD Travel's network of affiliate agencies as a means of helping its clients navigate through the rapid changes afoot in the industry and extending the benefits of managed travel to its travelers and operations in areas outside the United States.
"Clients have developed a keener interest in global service and are focusing more closely on their travel agency's technology offerings and expertise," said Balboa Travel founder Joe da Rosa. "As a result, we've invested heavily in technology and need to offer a global travel solution that is credible to our clients and prospects, one that has a central authority over its international operations. As a worldwide company that successfully serves global accounts, BCD Travel passes that test. By becoming an affiliate of BCD Travel, we can now offer a worldwide solution that is working and tested."
The BCD Travel Affiliates Program is a family of 49 independent, U.S. travel agencies that produce more than $2 billion annually in air sales. The program offers its members a full range of travel services and amenities that boost productivity, increase market share, cut costs and build revenue.
"Balboa has a long, successful history in the travel industry, and they've established themselves as a leader in the delivery of technology and high-level service to their clients," said John Snyder, president and chief operating officer of the Americas for BCD Travel. "We are proud to have Balboa as the newest member of the affiliates family."
Ted Cromwell, who heads the BCD Travel Affiliates Program, agreed, saying Balboa Travel is a highly respected agency whose reputation and capabilities will add substantially to that of the growing affiliates program.
Da Rosa noted that BCD Travel has invested millions of dollars in service technologies. In addition to what Balboa has developed on its own, those technologies and the expertise to support them are now available to Balboa Travel. He added that the BCD Travel sales team works closely with affiliate agencies to share sales leads.
"The BCD Travel people are top-notch professionals with tremendous experience and depth of knowledge, and we find that their values dovetail with our own," da Rosa said.
As an affiliate of BCD Travel, Balboa's marketing materials will carry the BCD Travel affiliate logo as well as the existing Balboa logo.
About Balboa Travel
Founded in 1969 in San Diego, Balboa Travel is a leader in international corporate travel. In 1977, Balboa became one of the first travel agencies to automate. After winning a major contract for the entire Western Region with the U.S. Postal Service in 1985, Balboa expanded operations and established a Regional Service Center in the San Francisco area, which has allowed Balboa to achieve phenomenal growth, becoming a major regional TMC. With more than $100 million in annual sales, Balboa is ranked among the top 50 travel agencies in the United States.
About BCD Travel
As a leading provider of global corporate travel management, BCD Travel simplifies and streamlines the business of travel. This benefits our client's organization on every level: from the bottom-line to the business traveler. BCD Travel operates in 96 countries on five continents, with US$12 billion in total sales and a combined worldwide workforce in excess of 12,000. BCD Travel is a BCD Holdings N.V. company. For more information, visit www.bcdtravel.com.
About BCD Holdings N.V.
BCD Holdings N.V., a Dutch family-owned company founded in 1975 by John Fentener van Vlissingen, is a market leader in the travel industry and successful niche player in the financial services industry. The BCD Holdings companies are: BCD Travel (global corporate travel management), Park 'N Fly (off-airport parking), TRX (travel transaction processing and data integration services), Airtrade (leisure travel) and Primary Capital (real estate financing). The company employs approximately 14,000 people and operates in 96 countries with total sales, including franchising, of US$13 billion. For more information, visit www.bcd-nv.com.