Beirut, Lebanon: 26 January, 2012: Global travel services provider Travelport has announced the activation of a regional Levant hub in Beirut that will oversee its growing Galileo and Worldspan travel agency network in Lebanon, Turkey, Jordan, Iraq and Syria.

The new office in the heart of downtown Beirut will serve as the travel conglomerate’s Levant headquarters, supporting the group’s travel agency customers, airline suppliers and distribution partners across the region. Executives from the company were on hand this week to mark the official opening, along with prominent members of the Levant travel industry including senior representatives from Middle East Airlines (MEA).

Although its travel technology has been available in the Levant for nearly two decades through 3rd party distributors, the new Levant hub office will mark the first time that Travelport has had a direct presence in the region. According to president and managing director for the Middle East and Africa Rabih Saab, Travelport’s heightened involvement demonstrates its enhanced commitment to the Levant region and the growth potential it sees for its travel industry in the immediate and long-term future.

“This is a strategic investment that will allow us to capitalise on the continued growth we foresee in the region, whilst enabling travel suppliers from across the value chain to benefit from our extensive global reach and travel technology expertise,” explained Saab. “We are now uniquely positioned to seize new growth opportunities and offer the travel trade community unrivalled service and support,” he added.

To support its strategy, Travelport has put in place a Beirut-based team that includes Senior Airline Business Development Manager Mouna Moussi, Business Development Manager Loretta Bouchedid and Market Support Manager Hanane Sawaya, all seasoned professionals with extensive travel and airline industry experience.

Travelport operates both the Galileo and Worldspan reservation platforms and is the leading global distribution system (GDS) provider in Lebanon, Syria and Jordan, where the platform is managed by national carrier Royal Jordanian. In Turkey, Galileo was recently voted ‘Best GDS’ by members of the prestigious SKALITE travel industry association.

Travelport currently operates in Lebanon through its local Galileo and Worldspan distribution partners Travelport-Lebanon and Gate 7, and has had a long and successful relationship with Middle East Airlines (MEA), boasting a full content agreement that makes MEA flights and fares accessible to all Travelport GDS users worldwide.