TravelNewsAsia.com

Simon Fraser joins Budget Car & Driver in Vietnam as General Manager

Travel News Asia Latest Travel News Podcasts Tuesday, 4 August 2009

As Budget Car & Driver gets set to celebrate its one-year anniversary in Vietnam, the car rental company has appointed Simon Fraser as General Manager.

In 2000, The Australian ventured into the Asia Pacific region with chemical manufacturing giant Orica, taking on project management duties offshore in Papua Guinea and Malaysia.

Half a decade later, Fraser joined the operations and marketing division at tire and rubber behemoth Bridgestone. That was followed by a move to Vietnam in 2007 and the title of operations manager for media conglomerate News Corporation, where he managed large and small-scale joint venture projects with both Vietnamese companies and government agencies.

"With Simon on board, we've got the foundation for a dynasty," said Walter Blocker, CEO of The Gannon Group, which owns the franchise rights to Budget in Vietnam. "We had an exceptional first year, but we're confident we can take the business to another level now. We've added an all-star to the lineup."

One initiative Fraser is already close to pushing through is an agreement with SASCO one of Vietnams largest, full-service corporate travel companies that will give Budget a presence in both the domestic and international terminals at Ho Chi Minh Citys Tan Son Nhat Airport. An expansion into the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi is also in the works.

Budgets move into Vietnam was a major cross-cultural leap, as precious few foreigners drive on Vietnams roads. To address this issue, the Budget service provides each client in Vietnam with a well-trained native driver who functions as a traveling concierge, complete with strong English-language skills and knowledge of the immediate region.

Budget Car & Drivers customers can choose from an extensive fleet of vehicles, including Toyota Innovas, Ford Everests and Escapes and Mercedes-Benz sedans and vans.

Cars are priced from $99 to $249 per day and are equipped with amenities such as mobile phone, international newspapers and magazines, chilled water and towels and 24-hour customer-service support.

Budget, which celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2008, has approximately 3,400 locations in more than 125 countries. Budget is owned by Avis Budget Group, Inc., which operates and franchises the brand throughout the world.

See other recent news regarding: Airlines, Aviation, Flights, First Class, Business Class, GDS, Miles, Hotels, Promotions, Spas, New Hotels, Visitor Arrivals, Cruises, Free Deals, Avis, Budget, Simon Fraser, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam, General Manager

Subscribe to our Travel Industry News RSS Feed Travel Industry News RSS Feed from TravelNewsAsia.com. To do that in Outlook, right-click the RSS Feeds folder, select Add a New RSS Feed, enter the URL of our RSS Feed which is: https://www.travelnewsasia.com/travelnews.xml and click Add. The feed can also be used to add the headlines to your website or channel via a customisable applet. Have questions? Please read our Travel News FAQ. Thank you.

     
Advertising
Advertising
Copyright © 1997-2024 TravelNewsAsia.com