ACCEPTABILITY of e-ticketing concept is propelling the growth of global distribution service provider Galileo in India. The company is piggybacking itself on the growth of the domestic airlines. “Eticketing is comparatively a new phenomenon in India but travellers are waking up to it. With IATA setting a deadline of 2008 to introduce e-ticketing across the globe, Galileo is also evolving its travel solutions to help travel partners save time and money,” Galileo India, a subsidiary of Travelport GDS, president and CEO Bruce Hanna told ET. IATA’s target of 96.5% e-ticketing will save the airline industry at least $3 billion annually. Observing that e-ticketing is the future for the industry, he said it will help travel agents enhance efficiency and productivity, as it will cut down ticketing requirements and consequently printing of flight coupons. Travel agents can focus on their core competency-travel consultancy and research, rather than issuing and delivering tickets. “As many as 61 carriers, including many low-cost airlines have taken up e-ticketing. In next two to three years, at least 75% of the tickets booked will be e-tickets. It will also eradicate ticket fraud and revenue leakage through automation checks,” Mr Hanna added. On the leisure market, he said the Indian segment is growing at an average of 24% annually with metros contributing significantly. However, nonmetros account for as much as 64% of the growth. “It is a revenue opportunity for the travel agency to offer more than just tickets. This has made us introduce highly customised products like Galileo Leisure,” he said. The B2B travel platform will integrate the existing Galileo GDS with enhanced travel content sourced from Travelport’s subsidiary Gulliver Travel Associates, he said. Galileo has also introduced value added services like ViewTrip, which provides travel details online. The traveller-friendly solution will display real-time changes to any itinerary booked with a Galileo connected agent on a 24-hours basis through online access. Galileo has over 11,000 agency terminal with 21 service centres and 10 training centres across India.