Sydney - Carlson Wagonlit Travel (CWT) has secured a three-year contract to provide travel management services for the New South Wales (NSW) government, starting December.

CWT Australia general manager, Mr Darryl Laverty, said the win was significant for the travel management company as it was "one of the top five corporate travel accounts in Australia".

The key driver that had boosted the company's chances of getting the contract was its track record in dealing with government business.

CWT Australia has experience in managing both federal and state government contracts, with both segments representing approximately 28 per cent of its total business.

Its existing federal government travel accounts include those of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Department of Environment and Heritage and Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs.
On the state government side, travel accounts include the Western and Southern Australian governments.
On a global scale, CWT also manages the travel needs of the European Central Bank in Frankfurt and the Ministry of Labour and Ministry of Overseas in France.

The NSW government contract, with an option to extend two more years, includes tailored travel management solutions such as access to the best available air fares, the implementation of CWT's online booking tool, delivery of consolidated management information reports as well as traveller tracking and security.

The NSW government will also utilise CWT Connect, a travel portal that houses all travel-related information and technology solutions.

Mr Laverty said a government client was not much different from a corporate client in his needs. "However, to manage government business effectively, it is critical we understand the specific requirements of each government department and focus on taking the cost out of the overall travel programme," he said.

NSW's director-general of the Department of Commerce, Mr Michael Coutts-Trotter, said the contract with CWT would save taxpayers money and would help the government get even better prices from the airlines.

Year-to-date, CWT claims it has achieved record new sales with both existing customers and new clients worldwide, totalling US$849 million, posting a 20 per cent increase over the US$708 million recorded in 2004.