Tech solutions provider opens Istanbul office to serve local travel industry

Istanbul, Turkey, 3 April 2014 – Global technology company Sabre has officially launched in Turkey, where it will provide a wide range of technology solutions to travel agencies and travel suppliers including travel shopping and booking tools, data solutions, mobile solutions and travel apps.

Sabre, which has long worked with Turkish Airlines to market and sell its fares around theworld, is now opening its doors to travel agencies with a new office in Istanbul complete with an experienced team of travel and technology consultants. The company has already won new customers including leading corporate travel agency, Viking Turizm.

Harald Eisenaecher, senior vice president, Sabre Europe, Middle East and Africa, said: “The Turkish travel industry has grown significantly over the past decade and is the country every technology company is watching, particularly because of its young, technology-savvy population. This represents a great opportunity for travel management companies and agencies to innovate through technology and keep pace with new traveler expectations.”

“Along with global reach and expertise, we bring local knowledge, the very latest technology solutions, and an incredibly passionate team who want to help the local travel industry drive sales and transform travelers experiences using new technology such as our Mobile Red Workspace iPad app which lets agents search, book and manage travel anywhere a WIFI signal is available.”

Sabre’s new office will be headed up by Altug Bekdemir, who brings more than 25 years of experience from the aviation, tourism and hospitality industries. Prior to joining Sabre, he served as general manager for airline sales and marketing company Aviareps in Turkey, where he gained valuable expertise working with Austrian Airlines and United Airlines.

Altug Bekdemir said: “More and more Turkish people want to see the world, and Sabre technology is well positioned to support travel agencies in that move. I believe we have a very strong local technology offering that will help agents inspire their travelers in their world discovery.”

Sabre recently announced a new multi-year agreement with Turkish Airlines to provide air content to agencies via its Red App solution, and has committed to developing new products and solutions that meet the specific needs of all travel buyers in Turkey.

Sabre® is a technology solutions provider to the global travel and tourism industry. It offers a broad range of technology solutions including, data-driven business intelligence, mobile, distribution and Software-as-a-Service solutions which are used by travel suppliers (airlines, hotels, car rental outlets, railways, cruise lines and tour operators) and travel buyers (travel agencies, travel management companies and corporate travel departments) to plan, market, sell, serve and operate their business.

In 2013, Sabre’s technology processed over $100 billion of estimated travel spending and more than 1.1 trillion system messages. Headquartered in Southlake, Texas, USA, Sabre employs approximately 10,000 people in approximately 60 countries around the world. We serve our customers through cutting-edge technology developed in six facilities located across four continents. Sabre is privately owned by TPG and Silver Lake Partners.

The company operates four brands/businesses: Sabre Airline Solutions®, Sabre Hospitality Solutions®, Sabre Travel Network® and Travelocity®.