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Hertz boosts its network

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With more outlets and a stronger online presence, Hertz witnessed strong business in 2012

The Hertz Corporation recently appointed Transworld Company as its general sales agent (GSA) in Kuwait to grow outbound car rental reservations to more than 8,800 Hertz locations worldwide in 150 countries. The partnership is part of the company’s plan to boost product awareness among the travel trade and grow outbound sales by capitalising on Transworld’s extensive international retail network to boost business from corporate customers and consumers.

Sunita Gomes, commercial director for Hertz, Middle East and Africa said, “After Kuwait, Hertz will also appoint new GSA’s in Jordan to grow car rental reservations to more than 8,650 locations worldwide in 150 countries.”

“These follow the 2012 launch of a dedicated 24/7 English and Arabic customer call centre in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia and country domain websites for the two GCC states (www.hertz.com.kw and www.hertz.com.sa),”she added.

“We have invested a lot of time and capital last year into enhancing our booking channel platforms to provide customers with unrivalled service at all times. Our business strategy at Hertz MEA has always been driven by customer satisfaction,” Gomes further added.

Further the company plans to add more country domain Hertz websites in Bahrain and Jordan in 2013.

More recently, Hertz UAE announced the opening of a new car rental outlet at Sharjah International Airport, a move aimed to capitalise on the increasing international inbound traffic coming into the emirate.

Nigel Johnson, managing director of Hertz UAE, said “We have experienced significant growth in business in 2012, and are looking to build on this in 2013 by enhancing our presence, increasing our fleet size, and through refurbishing existing locations across the UAE.”

All these additions have resulted in a very successful 2012 for Hertz with an increase in rentals and monthly sales in the Mena region over 2011 results. The UAE, Kuwait, KSA and Qatar have performed strongly within the region.

“The UAE in particular had a big year because of its status as a major trading hub attracting a large influx of business travellers, followed closely by Saudi Arabia. The increase in travelling expenditure, growing frequency of air travel, and rising number of foreign and regional visitors has influenced growth in these markets,” said Gomes.

Hertz is further looking at extending their GSA network with plans to launch call centres in other countries within the Mena region.

“We will also strengthen our online presence as the region is expected to see a dramatic transition to online bookings and is poised to grow at a rapid pace. This is largely due to the large percentage young people in the population who have grown up with social media and mobile applications which are driving growth in the online space,” said Gomes.

Speaking about trends, Gomes adds that the demand for both budget and high-end cars for outbound and domestic customers in the Mena region is likely to continue in 2013.

“At Hertz, we cater to segments. Our Hertz Prestige Collection is available to discerning customers, offering an impressive selection of luxury cars including Mercedes, BMW, and Porsche.

“Meanwhile, the Hertz acquisition of Dollar Thrifty in 2012 ensures that we have an impressive offering of car rentals across multiple market segments,” she added.

She further added, “There has been a major transition towards booking car rentals online and through call centres, especially in the more mature markets. More people are now doing their research online and buying their products and services online or on the phone.

Another trend picking up in the market is ‘car sharing/pooling’, especially in university and college campuses.  

“In addition, a large amount of companies are now providing staff with cash allowances to rent their own vehicles,” she concluded.

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