First major expansion for UK-based online travel agency TravelRepublic with the launch this week of its first overseas site targeting travellers in Spain.
Travelrepublic.es will be run from a dedicated office in Barcelona, headed by existing company employee and a local, Ariel Fabregas.
Although the company has had a site for the Republic of Ireland for quite some time, this is the first occasion TravelRepublic has moved over to the European continent, a move already carved out by many of its rivals in the UK such as Expedia and Travelocity-owned Lastminute.
Spain is a logical first first step for the agency given that it has existing contracts with hundreds of Spanish hotels and many travellers in the country choose to spend their holidays domestically.
The launch in Spain marks another step in TravelRepublic's drive to concentrate on strategic developments after being embroiled for over a year in an acrimonious row with the UK's Civil Aviation Authority over consumer protection policy, culminating in a bitter court case which the agency eventually won.
In 2011 the company has already launched its debut TV advertising campaign and finally unveiled its first new website for seven years.