05 June 2002

'Revolutionary' NI holiday booking website launched

A new website which is set to revolutionise holiday booking for Northern Ireland internet users has been launched.

The unique development by two internet consultants from Northern Ireland have combined their talents to create Holiday-Special.com, a website that turns the ordinary internet user into a specialised travel agent.

By visiting www.holiday-special.com visitors can compare the up-to-the-minute offers from almost 45 tour operators with over 12 million holidays, and make a selection after a full examination of the holiday of your choice and book it through the call centre.

Behind this web facility that has been almost 14 months in the making are Jim Kennedy, a former executive of one of NI's leading transatlantic tour operators, and Dr Tony Crockford, who specialised in web-development following research into unique IT applications at Queen’s University.

Mr Kennedy said that Holiday-Special.com was a "significant advance" on the travel trade's own travel booking system. He said: "It offers a completely impartial selection of travel offers over-riding any commission-linked options and can automatically interrogate tour-operators' systems on an instantaneous basis - as soon as a deal becomes available on any tour operator’s system our website will have access to it."

Traditionally travel agents have to trawl through the systems on a hit or miss basis.

Mr Kennedy added: "The website is set to revolutionise travel bookings and is the only one on the Internet especially tuned to the needs of the holiday-maker in Ireland - North or South – with departures from all major airports including Belfast, City of Derry and Dublin. It filters offers to favour those flying from airports in Northern Ireland or the Republic or from those in Great Britain within easy travel reach of either area."

Visitors to the website can also check on airport parking and car hire arrangements and select their hotel or villa from over 50,000 available on the net.

Claimed to be totally transparent and completely unbiased the system provides access to a range of options that would normally only be available to a high street travel agent.

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