CarTrawler forecasts pent-up demand for travel this year

CarTrawler has said it expects a strong return to international travel this year.

The Irish travel tech company's chief executive Cormac Barry forecast a substantial pent-up demand for holidays and business travel as Covid vaccines roll-outs increase.

“Car rental is more relevant than ever in a Covid-19 world as consumers feel safer in a private vehicle than in public transport. As restrictions are eased and reintroduced globally, we are seeing booking trends fluctuate accordingly,” he said.

Mr Barry was speaking as the company announced the appointment of Google Cloud's digital transformation officer Laura Merling as a non-executive director of the company.

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Ms Merling has over 20 years leadership experience and prior to Google Cloud, worked with among others, Slalom Consulting, McKinsey, Ford, AT&T and United Technologies Aerospace, now Collins Aerospace.

CarTrawler makes software used by airlines and travel partners to connect to car rental, airport transfer and ride-hailing providers. UK private equity group TowerBrook took control of the company in return for a €100 million cash injection in May after it was thrown into emergency debt restructuring talks due to the grounding of airline fleets globally amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

Established in 2004, CarTrawler works with many of the largest travel brands in the world, including KLM, Emirates and EasyJet.

The company has been busy beefing up its board of late with former IAG chief executive Willie Walsh appointed its deputy chairman last September. David Barger, who was part of the founding team of JetBlue Airways, and Conor Kehoe, senior adviser and former senior partner at McKinsey, were also appointed non-executive directors at that time.