Despite the growingprofile of web-based systems to push tours and activities, destination GDS Unaira has decided to close its doors.
The service was run out of the Enveritas Group and billed as one of the largest databases of destinations products in the world including around 10,000 travel products such as tours, event tickets, destination passes, airport lounges and meal deals.
Switzerland-based Unaira used its platform to distribute and sell leisure-related products on behalf of third parties.
But although the company had a substantial cross-section of products on the supply side, demand may have been more difficult to come by with it closing in mid-March this year, believed to be triggered by financial difficulties, lack of growth in the number of partners and low potential for adding new B2B deals.
An Enveritas official says:
"Unaira has ceased operations effective March 10 2011 and is no longer accepting bookings. No customers will be impacted and all previous bookings are valid and will be honored by tour providers. Unaira would like to thanks all customers and partners for their support."
One significant partnership Unaira managed to seal was with Amadeus in 2007.
The pair linked up to give Amadeus travel agency customers access to the entire range of Unira products. Agents were able to access content via the Amadeus Selling Platform.
An Amadeus official says:
"Unaira has terminated its agreement with Amadeus effective 10 March and thus we stopped distributing its products since then."
The closure of Unaira ends a period of streamlining and a refocusing of the Enveritas business, including the sale of 10Best to NileGuide in January 2011.
Consumer-focused and US-based travel recommendation platform 10Best was "profitable and successful" but had been under-invested in by Enveritas, according to Josh Steinitz, CEO of its new owner NileGuide.