DOLLAR Thrifty Automotive Group has been in the region since 1985 and today boasts a total of 21 franchisees in the Mena and Asia Pacific region.
However, the company has further plans to grow in markets including Saudi Arabia and Bahrain for full coverage of the GCC area, said Sam Eltibi, executive director, Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group Mena & Asia Pacific.
“2010 was a bumper year for Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group. We opened outlets for Dollar and Thrifty in the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Libya, Oman and Turkey. Business has been a lot more strategic this year, focusing on sales strategy, customer service and quality units. In other words, customers need value for money,” added Eltibi.
The global recession resulted in a shift by customers towards smaller cars in 2009 and early 2010, but clients are now going back to their preferred choice of larger cars such as saloons and 4WDs, Eltibi said.
Looking ahead, the company is focused on expansion in 2011. “We are keen on capitalising on business opportunities in the Mena region. We have had great demand over the last few months, we are looking to further expand this year. We will be looking into Jordan, Libya and Morocco,” Eltibi said.
Eltibi also believes that a trend among travellers towards shorter and more frequent holidays – thanks to the presence of budget airlines which are rapidly increasing their destinations across the region – will help boost car hire sales in 2011 and beyond.