Press Release: Travel Services International, Inc.
March 15, 2001
DELRAY BEACH, FL -- Travel Services International, Inc. (TSI), a subsidiary of Airtours, plc, announced it has
acquired WorldChoiceTravel (WCT), a fast growing, online hotel distributor) based in Palm Beach, Florida. WCT will
bring to TSI an award-winning Web site allowing consumers to make hotel reservations worldwide and augmenting TSI's
current mytravelco.com cruise, car and air booking capabilities.
WCT launched its first Web site in July 1996 and in 1998 launched USAHotelGuide.com. Gomez, one of the travel industry's
most respected e-commerce authorities, describes the USAHotelGuide.com site as ``the world's best online hotel
reservation Web site.''
WorldChoiceTravel's online travel technology provides detailed property and rate information for over 50,000 hotels
and resorts worldwide. The Company operates a business-to-business Internet affiliate program providing its private-labeled
hotel engine for over 170 companies worldwide, including Midwest Express Airlines and Spirit Airlines. Travelers
have access to over 120 major hotel brands in nearly 10,000 destinations globally, complete with discounted rates
when available. The Company also provides destination content, including interactive maps, activities, events and
places to visit. Other Internet sites will be able to link to mytravelco.com as a hotel booking engine.
``The purchase of WorldChoiceTravel adds a superior hotel booking engine and affiliate relationships to TSI literally
overnight,'' says Peter McHugh, President and CEO of Travel Services International. ``The hotel engine complements
our air, car and cruise booking engines bringing additional value to the millions of unique visitors that visit
mytravelco.com.''
Mytravelco.com was also recently recognized by Gomez as the number one cruise site for meeting the lifestyle preferences
of seniors, couples, families and honeymooners. It offers more virtual cruise ship tours than any other site and
was the first site to offer a real-time cruise booking engine. The acquisition of WCT and their hotel booking engine
places TSI as a major force in the world of online travel.
Travel Services International, Inc., a subsidiary of Airtours plc, is a leading specialized distributor of travel
products. The Company offers cruise vacations, vacation packages, domestic and international airline tickets and
European auto rentals. Additionally, the Company is a leading provider of travel services, such as electronic hotel
reservation services, specialized hotel programs and services and incentive travel programs. These services are
provided to both travel agents and travelers and offer a unique combination of specialized expertise, the ability
to compare options from multiple travel providers and competitive prices.
Airtours, one of the largest air-inclusive tour operators in the world, has 15 million customers through more than
80 principal brands in 24 countries. Airtours operates 93 hotels and resort properties, 52 aircraft and 4 cruise
ships and employs more than 29,000 people. Airtours plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange.
Web site: www.mytravelco.com
Contact: Don Walker, 561-266-6278
SOURCE: Travel Services International, Inc.