The Philippines is set to gain from the merger of corporate travel management company Direct Travel Inc. and its long-time partner ATPI, in a deal that creates one of the world’s largest travel management firms.

In a statement on Thursday, the company said the combined entity is expected to manage over $6 billion in annual travel volume and deliver advanced services across corporate, leisure, events, and specialized travel sectors. 

“ATPI has a commanding presence in the international travel management space and a strong history of collaboration with Direct Travel, making them a perfect fit to strengthen our efforts in delivering exceptional service at scale,” Direct Travel CEO Christal Bemont said.

Meanwhile, ATPI CEO Ian Sinderson said combining the two organizations will allow them to serve clients more effectively by leveraging their specialized services, innovative technologies, and skilled customer teams.

In the Philippines, ATPI runs a 24/7 travel service for global clients and manages its International Center of Excellence in Makati, using Filipino talent and technology to support worldwide operations. 

The acquisition is expected to boost its local role as a key hub, providing services across energy, marine, corporate, and sports sectors.

Likewise, the deal will also speed up the global rollout of Direct Travel’s Avenir Travel Edition platform, which gives travel managers real-time insights and improves experiences for business travelers. 

Direct Travel noted ATPI’s strong expertise in complex sectors like energy, marine, sports, and mining, and said the deal will let it build on ATPI’s track record and expand its reach, including in the Philippines.

Jefferies LLC served as exclusive financial advisor and Perkins Coie LLP as legal counsel to Direct Travel, while Baird acted as exclusive financial advisor to ATPI.