The Week, That Was – November 2019 Week 4

Spanish hotel chain boosts productivity and connectivity with eRevMax

Spanish hospitality chain Actahotels has recommended eRevMax solutions for online distribution. Twenty properties of the group, including the newly opened 313 room Acta Voraport, have been using RateTiger Channel Manager and Connectivity solutions, powered by LiveOS, for updating rates and availability across multiple OTAs and accessing high quality rate data and insights.

https://bit.ly/2XSYgMJ

Hotelbeds claims to drive high value visitors to hotels

Hotelbeds works with over 60,000 travel agents, tour operators, airlines, and loyalty point schemes from 140 source markets. More than half of bookings through global bedbank Hotelbeds are for stays of more than four nights, the company has disclosed.

https://www.travolution.com/articles/113360/hotelbeds-claims-to-drive-high-value-visitors-to-its-hotel-partners

Google Eyes: More and more travelers are looking to Google

Online travel agencies (OTAs) have always been dominant on meta search channels such as Google but advertising your direct hotel website on Google Hotel Ads provides an opportunity for hotels to divert this traffic to their brand websites.

https://www.sabrehospitality.com/blog/google-eyes-more-and-more-travelers-are-looking-to-google/

Travel Statistics to Know About in 2020

Is your hotel ready to take on 2020? Check out key travel statistics & trends that can help you maximise your hotel online bookings and revenue in the coming year-

https://www.erevmax.com/blog/index.php/2019/11/travel-statistics-to-know-about-in-2020/

Airbnb tests teaming with Google’s vacation rental business in the U.S.

Google waded into its own vacation rental advertising business on its travel pages early in 2019, and in October began giving vacation rentals hotel-like treatment in Google search.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/airbnb-tests-teaming-google-vacation-200037742.html

Reach out to us for your connectivity needs to make the most of your online revenue- https://goo.gl/3gKUJZ

Thanks and have a good day!

Travel Statistics to Know About in 2020

Travel Statistics to Know About in 2020

The online global travel market was over $629 billion in overall worth in 2017 and is anticipated to reach a figure of around $818bn by the year 2020. These are some travel statistics that you must know about for the year 2020.

Longer family holidays are becoming more popular

These days, family holidays spanning for a longer time are up. While it is always that family trips have been a staple part of annual programs, family holidays are being influenced too much by @travelling_family, @byjetpack, @thebucketlistfamily and the likes. By 2020, it is figured that around 50% of the labor force of America and the UK will comprise of freelancers. 40% more kids got home-schooled in the year 2017 instead of in 2014 (comprising of as many as 48,000). It comes as no surprise that the freedom offered by home-schooling is being embraced by parents.

Rise of Online Travel Research

These days, more and more travellers are carrying out research over the World Wide Web to know about the different types of travel options, accommodations etc available. The travel website Tripadvisor is being used increasingly to find out about hotels, restaurants, flights and more. Tripadvisor, with over 325 users every month, is in the position to have an impact on travel purchases online. Travelers who visit this website are also likelier to take time on research, with over 80% taking over 4 weeks to finish a purchase. This is a popular point to start for lots of travel searches, particularly in the preliminary stages of travel research.

Solo Travel is getting friendlier

These days, the introduction of co-living apartments is being given more and more prominence. These let solo travellers come across people on their trips having a similar mindset. WeLive is a leading name in co-living that has apartment complexes these days, with hot tubs, yoga classes, events programs, shared social leaders etc in Crystal City and New York. Travellers can stay in these complexes for a few months or only a few days. Dublin Airport made a claim that 57% out of its estimated 31.5 million passengers in 2018 were solo travellers. In Solo Travel in 2020, younger travellers can be expected more than ever earlier.

Travel decisions will be impacted by Generation Alpha

The term ‘Generation Alpha’ means the generation of people who were born after the year 2010, and is exhibiting more signs of having an impact on family travel planning and decisions than was supposed previously, as per Expedia Group Media Solutions. According to the study of Expedia Group 2019 globally, on an average, travellers from Generation Alpha are making over 3 family vacations in a calendar year.

According to Short Term Rentals 2019, 95% of family trippers mentioned that their priority was to keep their families happy and entertained, while other important priorities were closest theme parks or main attractions (as mentioned by 85%), making travel plans around the time of school holidays (mentioned by 85%), outdoor activities (mentioned by 85%) and value and deals (mentioned by 89%).

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The Week, That Was – November 2019 Week 3

eRevMax offers connectivity with Viajes El Corte Inglés

RateTiger, the hotel connectivity solution expert, has completed a two-way integration with one of the leading Spanish travel agencies, Viajes El Corte Inglés. The interface is the latest addition to the eRevMax Channel Ecosystem that connects hotels to over 400 online distribution channels worldwide.

https://bit.ly/2O9d06N

TripAdvisor launches its first self-serve advertising platform

The launch of TripAdvisor Media Manager follows the introduction of a suite of new-to-market advertising services and solutions that enable advertisers to reach more relevant, high intent audiences.

http://ir.tripadvisor.com/news-releases/news-release-details/tripadvisor-launches-its-first-self-serve-advertising-platform

Booking.com to open Genius rates to other OTAs

Starting December 2, your Genius rates will be offered to frequent travelers across all companies within the Booking Holdings family – not just Booking.com.

https://medium.com/@puortosimone/booking-com-extends-genius-rates-to-other-otas-59a7fa242ffe

Google: Travelers search habits are ever-evolving

Today, travelers are not just searching for places, but instead are increasingly searching for experiences that can inspire, excite and provide the new sense of perspective.

https://www.travolution.com/articles/113303/guest-post-consumer-search-habits-are-ever-evolving

Why Millennials increasingly choose travel agents over OTAs

Reports from the field and research studies now suggest that Millennials, more than any other generation, are relying on travel agents when booking their getaways.

https://www.travelpulse.com/news/travel-agents/why-millennials-increasingly-choose-travel-agents-over-booking-engines.html

Airbnb seals $500m Olympics sponsorship deal

Airbnb has signed a $500m deal to sponsor the Olympic Games until 2028, as the accommodation-booking platform targets the world’s biggest sporting event.

https://www.olympic.org/news/ioc-and-airbnb-announce-major-global-olympic-partnership

apaleo hits new milestone with 250 properties contracted

Its innovative, API-first approach drastically reduces set-up times, eliminates integration and interface fees, and allows new properties to go live in minutes. With multi-property functionalities, apaleo is ideal for hotel chains that want a simple switch away from inflexible legacy systems.

https://blog.apaleo.com/hotels/apaleo-hits-new-milestone-with-250-properties-contracted

Reach out to us for your connectivity needs to make the most of your online revenue- https://goo.gl/3gKUJZ

Thanks and have a good day!

What Does A Channel Manager Do?

A hotel channel manager allows properties to manage multiple online distribution channels from a single solution, Hotels can update rate and availability and receive reservations directly to its systems like PMS and CRS in real-time. Advanced channel managers provide 2-way XML connectivity with online sales channels including OTAs, GDS, metasearch, wholesalers and booking engines for seamless data transfer.

What is a Hotel PMS?

PMS or Property Management System is a software solution which can be installable or cloud-based for managing hotel operations like handling guest profiles, check-in and check-out, occupancy management, checking room availability and bookings.

The Week, That Was – November 2019 Week 2

Russian upscale hotel recommends RateTiger for optimizing online revenue

Russian upscale property Petro Palace Hotel has recommended RateTiger, powered by LiveOS, for stable connectivity with online sales channels and competitor rate intelligence. The hotel has been a long-standing customer of RateTiger, using Channel Manager and Shopper for its online distribution.

https://bit.ly/2XkNf6A

Wholesalers impact on corporate hotel bookings

A study from American Express Global Business Travel and GfK finds that as many as 40% of US business travelers book outside of policy. This is not good news for hotels that still agree to static net rates, because as wholesale rates start to appear on the CBTs, these hotels will find their negotiated direct corporate rates undercut yet again.

http://www.eyefortravel.com/distribution-strategies/hospitality-staying-open-race-bottom

TripAdvisor: Trip.com deal ‘exciting opportunity’ in China

The strategic partnership between Trip.com Group, the company formerly known as Ctrip.com International, and TripAdvisor includes content agreements, a joint venture and a seat on TripAdvisor’s board for Trip.com Group.

https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Travel-Technology/TripAdvisor-Kaufer-Trip-dot-com-deal-exciting-opportunity-in-China

Google pushes travel websites down in free search results

Google dominates the online search market, with at least three quarters of the market. People use the search engine to research trips, so for at least a decade online travel agents have refined their websites with trustworthy content and easy booking tools to show up high in Google results.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-11-08/google-s-search-ad-embrace-crushes-online-travel-agents

Booking Holdings sees brand collaborations as key to restoring growth on steroids

Are online travel agencies’ glory days, when revenue was growing 25 or 30 percent and room nights booked were jumping at similar clips, long-gone history? Is today’s competition in online travel, with Airbnb breaking through and Google asserting itself ever-more intensely, too rigorous to replicate the robust growth of a few years ago?

https://skift.com/2019/11/07/booking-holdings-sees-brand-collaborations-as-key-to-restoring-growth-on-steroids/

Business Travelers Sentiment Remains Strong With Most Frequent Travelers Wanting Even More Travel

Business travelers remain optimistic and sentiment remains strong despite economic headwinds in some parts of the world. Senior-level business travelers including senior/executive management (74 percent) and directors (77 percent) agree the health of the economy is excellent, according to the second wave of research out today from the GBTA Business Traveler Sentiment Index™ in partnership with RoomIt by CWT™, the hotel distribution division of CWT.

https://www.hospitalitynet.org/news/4095846.html

Reach out to us for your connectivity needs to make the most of your online revenue- https://goo.gl/3gKUJZ

Thanks and have a good day!

The Week, That Was – November 2019 Week 1

In five minutes or less, keep track of the most important news of the week, curated just for you. We present to you hand – picked news on latest industry perspectives and some general updates. Read on!!

eRevMax upgrades its integration with Miki Travel

Hotels using RateTiger Channel Manager and RTConnect for online distribution and connectivity now can use the seamless interface to publish their contracted rate and availabilities to travel agents affiliated with the wholesaler and receive reservations generated in the channel in real-time.

https://www.erevmax.com/ratetiger-news/ratetiger-news-archive/nov2019-erevmax-completes-2-way-integration-with-miki-travel.html

6 Great Types of Content for Hotel Website for Increase in Bookings

A good hotel website that is rich in content can help you to attract potential customers and influence them enough to book a room in your hotel. Good content can also improve your hotel website’s search engine ranking. Here are 6 types of great content for your hotel website that can increase bookings.

https://www.erevmax.com/blog/index.php/2019/11/6-great-types-of-content-for-hotel-website-for-increase-in-bookings/

Brands see ROI in direct bookings, member discounts

A slowing growth environment in the hotel industry prompts hotel companies to assess the strength and success of their efforts to grow loyalty for their brands. The world’s largest hotel companies are pushing hard for more loyalty members to book directly with them to ensure they get a bigger piece of the pie before the pie starts to shrink.

http://hotelnewsnow.com/Articles/298891/Brands-see-ROI-in-direct-bookings-member-discounts

Japan: Rakuten eliminates all parity requirements

Japan’s largest domestic online travel platform has officially committed to remove all rate and availability parity obligations in its contracts with the nearly 33,000 hotels listed on its site.

https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=2abc6aab-b710-41c2-af7a-be0285ea3ba1

Airbnb to verify all of its listings

Airbnb properties will soon be verified for accuracy of photos, addresses, listing details, cleanliness, safety and basic home amenities. All rentals that meet the company’s new standards will be “clearly labeled” by December 15, 2020.

https://techcrunch.com/2019/11/06/airbnb-to-verify-all-of-its-listings/

 Kayak launches Kayak Guides

The new feature allows users to create and share personalized travel itineraries with friends, family and fellow travelers. In the near future, travelers will be able to search within Guides for specific locations, themes and more.

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-kayak-guides-help-you-find-your-one-in-a-billion-trip-300952032.html

 Booking.com launches third Booking Heroes competition

The competition invites Booking.com customers to tell the world their story of an accommodation provider that made their trip unforgettable. The Booking Heroes competition champions the outstanding hospitality of accommodation providers that offer their guests far more than a place to rest their head. By sharing their stories, customers can earn a chance to win €25,000 of Booking.com travel credit – both for them, and their Booking Hero.

https://globalnews.booking.com/bookingcom-highlights-hospitality-heroism-and-outstanding-travel-experiences-with-its-third-booking-heroes-competition/

Google Promoted Hotels available on mobile

Promoted Hotels placements have been introduced to mobile, expanding their presence on Google Hotel Search. As is the case in desktop search, Promoted Hotels will appear in one to two placements on the first page of the search query and will update based on the filters provided.

https://koddi.com/google-promoted-hotels-available-on-mobile/

Reach out to us for your connectivity needs to make the most of your online revenue- https://goo.gl/3gKUJZ

Thanks and have a good day!

 

 

 

 

 

6 Great Types of Content for Hotel Website for Increase in Bookings

6 Great Types of Content for Hotel Website for Increase in Bookings

A good hotel website that is rich in content can help you to attract potential customers and influence them enough to book a room in your hotel. Good content can also improve your hotel website’s search engine ranking. Here are 6 types of great content for your hotel website that can increase bookings.

  1. New menu

If you have just released a new menu, you have to announce the same. Use your hotel website to allow guests to find out you are preparing new mouthwatering dishes in your in-hotel restaurant. This can provide them with a good reason to check out your online menu. It can fill them up with enough anticipation to make a reservation. It can even attract local guests who are loyal to your business and who might like to often dine at your restaurant.

  1. Top local attractions

Write down about the places of interest in your area, and all that the region has on offer for travelers. Sharing such information can show travelers that you are knowledgeable and assistive, and the content can also attract random people looking for those topics on Google and other search engines. You may also write about the best restaurants, walking routes, shops etc in your area.

  1. Upcoming events

If there are upcoming events in your region, you may cover them as well, similar to the local attractions. You can write down various details regarding the event, such as the number of people who are anticipated to attend it, how far the venue is from your hotel etc. Write down whether a special discount is being offered with the tickets.

  1. Holiday content

You can create content that is related to holiday events. Mention whether your hotel would be offering complementary wine on Valentine’s Day upon arrival or free dinner to moms on Mother’s Day. You may write a post about a treasure hunt that you might be hosting on Easter at your hotel or the top 5 foods to have in your in-hotel restaurant for Christmas dinner. When you create content timely around particular holidays, you can attract customers enough to turn them into your hotel guests.

  1. Video tour

You may also make a video tour of your own hotel property. It can transport guests straight to your hotel property via their PC / mobile screen. You can hire a professional to shoot high-quality videos that can portray your hotel with all the vivid details, lending a personal touch to the same. You may walk guests straight through the outdoor spaces, restaurants, common areas such as lounge, rooms, suites and more. All these can help customers get a bigger and better view of your hotel property.

  1. New feature

You may also use your hotel website to announce any new feature that you have added at your hotel, such as a redecorated restaurant, Jacuzzi baths, king-size beds in all rooms, spa facility, gym, swimming pool etc. Basically, if you have bettered your hotel in any way, let potential guests know about the same.

Content plays a huge role for traffic pulled and bookings are done on your hotel website. Get Hotel channel manager & Online Distribution.