FCM Travel Solutions strengthens its European footprint

4 July, 2019

The Flight Centre Travel Group (FLT) has strengthened the European footprint of its global business travel division, FCM Travel Solutions, with the announcement that it has taken 100% ownership of 3Mundi, FCM's partner in France and Switzerland.

Previously, in Jul-2017, FLT had made an initial 25% investment in 3Mundi, which has been a licensee partner of FCM since 2015. Now, it has acquired the remaining 75% of 3Mundi's business, in a deal that FLT Corporate Division executive general manager James Kavanagh says further supports FCM's global corporate travel management aspirations.

"The acquisition will unlock further benefits both for Australian customers as well as FCM's multi-national clients. France and Switzerland are important corporate travel hubs - in fact France is now the sixth largest corporate travel market in the world," he explains.

"We now have a stronger corporate network and an even more powerful proposition for French and Swiss customers, and for global customers who travel to and transact in these key markets," he adds.

Alongside the UK & Ireland, FCM's equity-owned footprint in Europe now extends to Germany, France, Netherlands, Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, Finland and Denmark. Globally, FLT's corporate businesses are performing strongly and together generated AUS4.2 billion in TTV during the six months to 31-Dec-2018, about 37% of the group's global TTV for the period.

Besides FCM Travel Solutions, which has a presence in 97 countries worldwide, FCTG's corporate brands include Corporate Traveller, specialising in the SME sector; cievents - a globally recognised full service strategic meetings and event management agency; and Stage & Screen, specialist travel provider to clients in the television, film, music, performing arts, sports and creative industries.

FCM is recognised as one of the leading TMCs in Europe where it continues to grow its presence in key markets, while focussing on delivering innovative technology solutions within the business travel sector to support travel managers, bookers and travellers.

FCM has also continued to take the lead among TMCs in driving development and integration of a long-term NDC booking solution in EMEA with technology partner Amadeus. But, it is its mobile chat-bot based app, Sam, that represents a real step forward in the practical application of technology to create a truly different traveller experience. The highly-interactive, travel-savvy and anticipatory app delivers personalised contextual information via a conversational interface on the user's smartphone.

Sam makes recommendations and performs actions relevant to the individual traveller's trip, assisting business travellers with everything from itinerary management, air and hotel bookings, online check-in, flight updates and local weather forecasts to security notifications, taxis and transfers and city guides and destination information.