The Role and Value of the Global Distribution Systems in Travel Distribution (whitepaper and presentation)

The GDSs have traveled far in the past four-plus decades. The three major GDS companies today power the critical reservations and technology infrastructure of over 163,000 travel agency locations and enable bookings by nearly half a million travel agents around the globe. The GDSs generated more than $9.6 billion in revenue and more than 1.1 billion transactions in 2008. That equates to just over 2,100 transactions per minute. Also, view the Online Event that was held on February 8, 2010. This Online Event is based on the findings of a recent Phocuswright study sponsored by The Interactive Travel Services Association (ITSA). The presentation explains the immense impact the GDSs have on the daily operations of the global travel industry.