The TWIN (Travelsavers Worldwide Independent Network) global travel management company has announced it has planted a flag in Colombia with the signing of Viajes Calitour as a new agency in its network.

Established 30 years ago, Viajes Calitour is a leader in its marketplace with 15 offices throughout the country and an annual sales turnover of over $200 million. The agency specializes in corporate travel, meetings, incentives, conventions and tourism services. It is the main travel management company for government institutions and official dependencies in Colombia.

In recent years, Viajes Calitour has been expanding into the leisure segment to offer vacation plans to their corporate accounts and their employees. They have claimed a lucrative travel niche market by booking golf trips in the Colombian cities of: Bogotá, Cali, Medellin, Armenia, Manizales, Cartagena, Barranquilla, Villavicencio, Santa Marta, Cucuta, Bucaramanga, Pereira, and Ibague. The agency has also been authorized by FIFA to be a travel seller (including selling tickets to the game) for the 2014 World Cup to be held in Brazil; Viajes Calitour is an authorized distributor in Colombia, Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia.

When asked why they joined the TWIN travel management company, General Manager Ligia Escobar Ospina said, “We wanted to expand our portfolio and offer more travel products to our clients through the TWIN affiliates. We will also be able to improve our participation in local and international RFPs by adding this global presence to our services. The economy and travel are in full recovery in our local market, and Calitour is not missing the opportunity.”

Rick Mazza, President & CEO of Travelsavers and TWIN, commented, “We welcome Ligia and her team at Viajes Calitour to our global organization. The South American travel market is going strong and this firmly established agency further deepens our presence there. TWIN, in turn, gives them opportunities to collaborate with an expanded network of colleagues abroad for their in-country support and to share in new business initiatives.”Independent travel agencies may access info on joining the network online or by email.

Travelsavers, twinsales@travelsavers.com, www.twintravelmanagement.com