First Hotel Company Qualified to display
truste Privacy Seal
Atlanta, GA - September 18, 2003 - TRUSTe, the non-profit organization
widely known for its leading privacy certification and seal program, today
announced that InterContinental Hotels Group is the first hotel company
to complete TRUSTe's extensive certification process.
InterContinental
Hotels Group will display the TRUSTe Privacy Seal on its Web sites at www.ichotelsgroup.com,
www.intercontinental.com for InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, www.crowneplaza.com
for Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts, www.holiday-inn.com for Holiday
Inn hotels, www.hiexpress.com for Holiday Inn Express hotels, www.staybridge.com
for Staybridge Suites by Holiday Inn hotels and, for the Group's rewards
program, www.priorityclub.com.
"InterContinental Hotels Group continues to lead the industry in online
innovation and commitment to customer privacy protection. We take
our role as guardians of our customers' data and privacy very seriously.
By certifying our Web sites through a third party non-profit organization
like TRUSTe, we are able to give our customers that extra reassurance that
their data and privacy are protected," said Eric Pearson, senior vice president,
Global E-commerce, InterContinental Hotels Group.
In 2002 Forrester Research reported that the majority of online travel
shoppers expressed concerns regarding the privacy of their personal information.
More than a third of all "bookers" (people who will actually make a reservation
online) indicated they look for a privacy seal before making a transaction,
and most shoppers indicated they are specifically looking for the TRUSTe
certification seal.
"Consumers have an expectation of privacy when they use online channels.
Completing TRUSTe's rigorous certification process was the next logical
step to further demonstrate to our customers that when they book direct
with our sites, they can book with confidence. The confidence that
they will always get the best available rate, that their reservation will
be there when they arrive, and that their security and privacy are always
protected," Pearson went on to say.
TRUSTe has run an award-winning privacy certification and seal program
since 1997, protecting hundreds of millions of users every month.
TRUSTe awards its seal to Web sites that adhere to TRUSTe's established
privacy standards, based on the core principles of the Fair Information
Practices, and that agree to comply with the group's oversight and dispute
resolution process. More than 1,200 companies, including Microsoft,
IBM, Disney, Allstate and Costco, have entrusted their privacy practices
to the TRUSTe certification and oversight process.
"InterContinental is leading the way in the hotel industry to address
customer concerns about personal information, identity theft and email
practices online. We are excited to have them join the program as
the first hotel group to complete our rigorous certification, said Fran
Maier, executive director of TRUSTe. "InterContinental is way ahead of
the curve. Travelers booking on the Internet have come to expect privacy
seals from online aggregators. Now that hotels are more aggressive in seeking
direct bookings, privacy certification will become a necessity."
InterContinental Hotels Group PLC of the United Kingdom [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG
(ADRs)], owns, manages, leases or franchises, through various subsidiaries,
more than 3,300 hotels and 515,000 guest rooms in nearly 100 countries
and territories around the world (www.ichotelsgroup.com).
TRUSTe is an independent, nonprofit organization dedicated to enabling
individuals and organizations to establish trusting relationships based
on respect for personal identity and information in the evolving networked
world.
Founded in 1997, TRUSTe runs an award-winning global privacy certification
and seal program. Its seal programs are considered Safe Harbors for
the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and the EU Safe Harbor
Framework. The TRUSTe seal is currently displayed on all of the Internet's
portal sites and has been rated as the most trust-invoking seal online
and the most visible symbol on the Internet. Today, TRUSTe maintains
the largest privacy seal program with nearly 1,200 Web sites certified
throughout the world.
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