Direct Travel Inc., a TMC, announced the acquisition of its longtime strategic partner ATPI, creating, said the announcement, one of the world’s largest travel management companies. Together, the two enterprises will drive over $6 billion in annual total travel volume and, said the announcement, “offer leading technologies and unparalleled service across global corporate, leisure, events and specialized travel sectors.”
The acquisition of ATPI, said the announcement, serves as a natural progression of the companies’ multiyear collaboration to serve the business travel needs of global corporate clients. The union, said the announcement, will also help accelerate the international rollout of Avenir Travel Edition, Direct Travel’s “next-generation platform designed to delight business travelers, empower travel managers with real-time intelligence and create new value for travel suppliers.”
Christal Bemont, CEO of Direct Travel, said, “ATPI has a commanding presence in the international travel management space and a strong history of collaboration with Direct Travel, making them a perfect fit to strengthen our efforts in delivering exceptional service at scale.” This partnership, she said, “represents a pivotal moment in reshaping managed travel, allowing us to deliver tailored solutions and a seamless experience for clients across a range of sectors and of all sizes and locations.”
Ian Sinderson, CEO, ATPI, said, “ATPI and Direct Travel have long held a shared vision for reimagining how the world connects, underpinning a successful commercial partnership.” He said, “By bolstering our already strong position in travel technology and highly specialized travel support, we will combine to provide a compelling alternative to mega-agencies for global travel throughout our range of extensive geographic markets and business lines.”
Direct Travel, said the announcement, values ATPI’s strong fundamentals, proven strengths in corporate travel and its deep expertise across specialty markets such as energy, marine, sports and mining.
Specialized industries, said the announcement, bring distinct needs and complex challenges, and ATPI has proven its ability to solve them through relentless innovation and the development of proprietary technologies and services that deliver measurable results.
ATPI was founded in 2002 and is headquartered in Manchester UK. It employs about 2,500 people and an operations network that spans over 100 countries on six continents. Direct Travel, based in Colorado, is one of the world’s largest TMC’s — offering solutions across corporate travel, leisure travel, and meetings and events.
