ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT
Date: June 11, 1996
TO: Vancouver City Council
FROM: General Manager of Corporate Services
SUBJECT: Proposal No. 28-96-01: Travel Agency Services
RECOMMENDATION
THAT Atlas Worldwide Travel Management be appointed as the City's
travel agency for a second three-year term commencing on the date
of approval of this recommendation, subject to a contract
satisfactory to the Director of Legal Services.
GENERAL MANAGER'S COMMENTS
The General Manager of Corporate Services RECOMMENDS approval of
the foregoing.
COUNCIL POLICY
On June 23, 1992, City Council instructed the Director of Finance to
tender the City's business travel requirements on a formal basis.
Council also directed that the selected travel agency be appointed for
a term of three years and that the appointment be reflected in an
agreement with normal safeguards for early termination.
DISCUSSION
The closing date of this call for proposals on the City's travel
requirements was April 22, 1996. Eight proposals were received from
the following travel agencies:
- Amex Canada Inc.
- Atlas Worldwide Travel Management
- BCAA Corporate Travel Services
- Carlson Wagonlit Travel
- Distinctive Travel Services Inc.
- Hume Travel Corporation
- North South Travel and Tours Ltd.
- Uniglobe Seymour Travel Inc.
A review group comprised of the travel arrangers from the City
departments and boards having significant travel needs (Engineering,
City Clerk, Police, Park Board and Corporate Services) was formed to
review the proposal material and recommend a travel agency to Council.
Copies of the proposals are on file with the City Clerk should members
of Council wish to review this material.
The evaluation of proposals was conducted under the following
categories:
1. Proposal Material
The evaluation of proposals took into consideration the travel
agencies responses to the City's proposal call in a number of
areas, including verification of authority to travel, compliance
monitoring of the City's travel policy, specific service
requirements, management reporting, administrative matters such
as manner of payment, and general travel agency information.
The staff review group determined that Atlas Worldwide Travel
Management was superior in this category.
Several agencies offered revenue sharing or cost rebate
mechanisms which are tied to cost savings targets or air fare
dollar volumes. One agency offered reimbursement of all hotel
and car commissions. However, each of these offerings are
subject to conditions which, in our opinion, would minimize or
eliminate the potential savings in the City's travel costs over
the three-year term of the contract. Consequently, the staff
review group decided that this factor should not be taken into
consideration in the evaluation process.
2. Oral Presentation
The oral presentation part of the evaluation process gave the
staff review group an opportunity to obtain a first-hand
impression of the people the City would be dealing with at each
agency. The staff review group also used a list of prepared
questions to assist with the comparison of all of the agencies.
The information obtained from this part of the evaluation process
was combined with the outcome of the evaluation of the proposal
material to arrive at an overall determina-tion of which travel
agency would best be able to meet the City's requirements as set
out in the RFP, and also provide quality service in a friendly
and competent manner.
The consensus of opinion of the staff review group is that Atlas
Worldwide Travel Management is best able to provide the required
travel agency services to the City.
CONCLUSION
After reviewing the proposals and hearing presentations from each of
the travel agencies, the staff review group is unanimous in
recommending the appointment of Atlas Worldwide Travel Management as
the City's corporate travel agency for a second three-year term,
noting that Atlas Worldwide Travel Management has responded to the
City's needs over the last three years in a competent, professional
manner.
* * * * *