INTERNET
HostelWorld nets five-year Ryanair deal
28-08-2007
by Stephen Errity
Irish firm HostelWorld.com has signed a new five-year contract with Ryanair to provide hostel, B&B and guesthouse deals for the budget airline's passengers.
Commenting on the announcement, HostelWorld.com chief executive Ray Nolan said: "We are delighted to renew our relationship with Ryanair and we look forward to working with Ryanair over the coming years to drive down the cost of travel for millions of European consumers." Financial details of the deal were not disclosed.
He continued: "Our partnership with Ryanair has been a fantastic success. Since 2003, we have booked accommodation worth more than EUR28 million across Europe and we aim to grow this significant ancillary revenue for Ryanair over the next five years."
Ryanair spokesperson Santina Doherty added: "Over the period of this deal, Ryanair will double in size, enabling HostelWorld.com to increase its market share while providing even more value accommodation for our passengers."
Last November, HostelWorld.com was named 'Best Travel Tourism & Hospitality Website' at the Eircom-sponsored Golden Spider Awards for the best Irish websites. In the same month it also scooped the Irish Internet Association's annual 'Net Visionary Award'.
HostelWorld.com provides online reservations to the budget, independent and youth travel market. It offers confirmed online reservations for over 13,000 hostels and budget hotels in 166 countries worldwide. The site also offers free podcasts, customised city guides and a travel social network. The company is headquartered in Dublin and is fully owned and operated by Web Reservations International (WRI).
The company is offering a EUR10 discount voucher to the next 1,000 Ryanair customers who book a hostel on www.hostelworld.com/ryanair.
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