Expedia.com VRX Partners with Expedia’s WWTE to Create Content-Rich Travel Booking Sites
Vancouver, B.C. (April 26, 2004) – VRX Worldwide Inc. (TSX-V: VRW) has entered into an agreement with Expedia, Inc. to use the WWTE™ private label booking engine to provide access to travel choices for a new series of travel Web sites that focus on rich visual information provided by VRX.
The travel websites, under the brand “Xplore,” enable consumers to virtually explore each destination using a variety of content, including VRX’s rich interactive maps and high-quality 360-degree virtual tours. As users explore each destination, Expedia®’s WWTE technology will provide access to the broad selection of flights, hotel accommodations, ground transportation, entertainment tickets or complete vacation packages.
Over the coming months, VRX plans to launch dozens of Xplore Travel sites featuring popular vacation destinations throughout North America, Europe, and Asia. The first destination specific “Xplore” website, www.xplorelasvegas.com, is now live and VRX expects to launch a minimum of one new “Xplore” site each month.
“Helping our partners put compelling travel choices in front of customers helps us both build our businesses,” said Barney Harford, vice president of air, car and private label at Expedia, Inc. “VRX’s technology will demonstrate how visual content can be used to aid the marketing of travel on line through WWTE’s technology.”
The Xplore Travel initiative will be spearheaded by VRX and run as a separate, but complementary division to its current visual content business. In addition to using VRX’s existing content from its extensive archive of destination content, VRX will update all of its current destination maps and create additional destination and hospitality content to supplement each new site.
“This is truly an exceptional opportunity for VRX,” said David MacLaren President and CEO of VRX. “Thanks to the access provided by Expedia®’s WWTE technology, Xplore lets us increase brand awareness, provide further exposure for our products, and test and measure the effectiveness of our technology to generate incremental revenues through visual content.”
About XploreLasVegas.com
XploreLasVegas.com offers unparalleled interactive visual content that showcases Las Vegas’ leading tourist attractions and most sought after resort hotels. VRX’s next generation interactive maps pinpoint the location of each attraction and hotel while its industry leading virtual tours enable consumers to virtually explore the sights of Las Vegas. VRX uses its stunning virtual tours to capture the magnificence of each of Las Vegas’ top hotels, enabling consumers visually compare the amenities, facilities, and accommodations of each property. As users explore each destination they will be able to book flights, accommodations, ground transportation, entertainment tickets, or complete vacation packages using WWTE’s robust booking engine. WWTE will provide all aspects of the booking process including online and offline order taking, fulfillment, customer support, and accounting.
About WWTE
WWTE, operated by Expedia, Inc., provides private label booking solutions for travel suppliers looking to enhance their product offerings. The WWTE private label solution gives travel suppliers the ability to enhance their own Web sites with industry leading cross-sell and dynamic packaging solutions offering access to highly competitive travel products and services. Additional information about WWTE can be found at www.wwte.com. Expedia, Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of IAC/InterActiveCorp (NASDAQ: IACI). CST: 2029030-40
About VRX Worldwide Inc.
VRX Worldwide Inc., through its wholly owned subsidiary VRX Studios Inc., is a leading provider of online sales and marketing tools to the global travel and hospitality industries. VRX’s unique, interactive, visual approach showcases destinations, attractions, and accommodations to help companies boost consumer confidence, build customer loyalty, and increase bookings. In addition to developing custom sales and marketing tools and providing content management services, VRX maintains the largest archive of high quality, bandwidth-friendly, travel related, 360-degree virtual tours and interactive maps in the world.
To find out more about VRX’s products and services visit www.vrxstudios.com. For corporate information, please visit www.vrxworldwide.com.
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Expedia, Expedia.com, the airplane logo, WWTE and Classic Custom Vacations are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Expedia, Inc. in the U.S., Canada and/or other countries. Other products and company names mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.
For VRX: DT Communications, Deborah Thompson (416) 867-2306 Deborah@dt-communications.com
Investor Relations, Barry Girling, 1 (877) 688-2321 wbg@vrxworldwide.com
For Expedia: