Listen to this articleFounded over 40 years ago, HICKORY Travel Systems re-launched in 2011 as Hickory Global Partners. The new management team of the travel consortium is led by seasoned executives from top travel companies. They always strive to enable a lot of benefits to their members, next big thing will be a new hotel online booking tool for their members. Below is our interview with Christopher J. Dane President of Hickory Global Partners:
Q: Christopher, tell us something more about Hickory Global Partners and your history?
A: Hickory Global Partners is a travel management services company providing innovative service, distribution and technology to its network of travel agency, corporate travel departments and supplier partners.
Founded over 40 years ago, HICKORY Travel Systems re-launched in 2011 as Hickory Global Partners. The new management team of the travel consortium is led by seasoned executives from top travel companies. Building on the long heritage of the HICKORY brand and under new management, Hickory Global Partners is now a leading utility for agencies and suppliers alike.
Q: What advantage does HICKORY have over its competitors?
A: Our unique approach focuses on return on investment for agency and supplier partners alike, guaranteeing them a positive return. Our global hotel incentive program, a one-of-a-kind air program, a car rental program, and 24/7 technology support products make HICKORY an important strategic partner to travel agencies and corporate travel departments. Proprietary, innovative tools designed to share data with agency and CTD partners enable agencies and CTD’s to make better, faster decisions – thus driving more revenue.
We also provide extensive distribution and marketing opportunities across the HICKORY global network.
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Q: What are the key benefits that Hickory Global Partners offers your membership?
A: Our members’ agencies and Corporate Travel Department (“CTD”) provide sellers of corporate travel with a suite of products and services that are designed to generate incremental revenue and increase profitability of current business, create new business or service existing clients better. HICKORY prides itself in being able to streamline operations, increase agent productivity and improve management decisions.
Our Global Hotel Program provides worldwide coverage for over 25,000 hotel properties. You also have access to our Block Space Program, Last Room Availability, Up to 15% Discount of Best Available Rates or Competitive Rates and may provide you with extra value added benefits and amenities such as Wireless High-Speed Internet, Hotel/Airport & Local Transportation and more.
HICKORY’s Air Program provides 100% commissions, full PNR control providing agents the opportunity to earn more from the volume they already sell and more.
Hickory Global Partners Car Program provides worldwide negotiated agreements with special rates and benefits from 5-15% commissions, travel agent rewards programs at more than 8,000 locations worldwide available through the GDS.
HICKORY members have full access to a suite of Technology and Ancillary products which showcases their efforts to supply their membership with a plethora of tools, ultimately giving their clients a competitive edge.
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Q: What are your plans for next six months?
A: Throughout 2016 we have plans to develop a new hotel online booking tool for our membership.
Currently being implemented is Grasp Technologies reporting tools to provide customizable dashboards to our agency members. HICKORY will also be improving their business intelligence analytic tools to better manage their business and improve member engagement all-around.
The HICKORY innovations team is currently beta testing a custom built HICKORY For Hotels (“HFH”) GDS Script that automates the HFH booking process. The script features a wide variety of features that allow the user to select hotels by location, chain and hotel description number. Additional options include automating ‘manual segment’ bookings which will ensure all segments are compliant with back office systems. If you are booking negotiated rates on behalf of a client company, HICKORY included functionality that will automate bookings in the same fashion as HICKORY For Hotels.
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We are also exploring adding a centralized ticketing service to complement our current HICKORY For Air program that allows ticketing at the local agency office. The Centralized Ticketing service will offer the agents the ability to issue the ticket at our Florida office while still maintaining control of the PNR. We believe that this new solution will allow us to add more content in the form of air carriers.
The travel consortium will continue to add and strengthen their Partnerships, Suppliers and Vendors.
Q: What’s the best thing about Hickory Global Partners that people might not know about?
A: While the company is over 40 years old, we are also a 5 year old company with new management, a new model and a new vision. At HICKORY we like to think the people behind the company make our business successful. We are a strong team of dedicated professionals that are extremely passionate about what we do and about the industry we are in. We are always trying to find innovative ways to make a difference. Throughout our industry, we are typically the first membership organization to recognize and introduce new products and services to our members.
Also, among our peers, we are the most supportive of the industry, and industry organizations, on both a local and national level. Our successful company culture dictates giving back to both our chosen industry and charitable organizations.
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