A TECHNOLOGY company has launched a unique booking service that could revolutionise the multi-million pound global cruise trip industry.

Holiday IT Ltd, of Consett, County Durham, has designed the Cruise Trip booking engine, which helps travel agents select the most competitive prices for their customers.

In the first few weeks it has been running, the demand for the service from travel agencies has been high and the company, which has ten employees, is to increase staff levels to 15 next year to help it cope.

The programme allows travel agents to search for the best quote for cabins, flights, hotels and car hire then calculates the agent's commission.

It also allows agents to build client profiles, designed to speed up bookings and ensure efficient service.

Alan Crampton, of Holiday IT Limited, said: "We are delighted with the initial success of Cruise Trip. The system is very versatile and we can tailor it to suit the needs of individual agents.

"The cruise industry is going through change at the moment and Cruise Trip will help make their systems fit for the future."

Anthony Blackmore, managing director of Cruise365.com, one of the first retailers to use the system, said the Cruise Trip programme was likely to be a big success.

He said: "It has provided us with something that is future-proof. The right technology is crucial to the success of a business and Holiday IT delivered an effective solution on time and on budget."