Harvey World launches ITC

HARVEY World Travel is
set to take on the world
of ITCs with its own
model, which launched on
November 1.
Marco Cristofoli, md of
Harvey World Travel South
Africa, says the group saw
a need for its own ITC
as a means of retaining
experienced agents and
growing its business.
Unwilling to divulge too
much on the model’s
specifics, Marco says agents
will have access to the full
suite of tools needed to run
and manage their own travel
businesses, including the
ITC platform, ticketing and
technical support. Through
the BidTravel group, Harvey
World aims to offer ITCs
networking opportunities and
access to special fares and
volume deals.
The group will assess
each applicant individually
and those who wish to
apply will need to set up
an appointment to be
considered.
There’s no sign-up fee
but successful candidates
will have to pay a monthly
fee. There will also be a
revenue split based on the
volumes generated by the
ITC. Currently, agents will fall
under Harvey World’s Iata
bond but will not have to
contribute to the guarantee.
However Marco says this may
change in the future.
He says the group’s ideal
ITC is someone who is
proactive, a “thought leader”
and entrepreneur who has a
hands-on approach. “We are
not after volumes in terms
of ITCs. We’ll leave that to
our competitors.” He hopes
that with a model comprising
fewer ITCs, the group will be
able to offer travel agents a
tailor-made service that helps
to grow their business and
Harvey World business.