The Week, That Was – February 2019 Week 2

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 SIGNS WITH ICE PORTAL TO DISTRIBUTE HOTEL VISUAL CONTENT WORLDWIDE VIA LIVEOS

eRevMax, the leading provider of hotel connectivity and online distribution solutions worldwide, has integrated with ICE Portal to help hoteliers manage, distribute and curate their online visual content for better brand visibility.

Hotels using LiveOS by eRevMax will now be able to integrate their visuals into ICE Portal’s cloud-based content management system (CMS). ICE Portal connects to thousands of leading global distribution channels as well as thousands of affiliated travel sites (including GDSs, OTAs and search sites) in twelve languages.

https://bit.ly/2GwVdmC

Why Guest Reviews Matter? Even the negative ones

There are several things that contribute to a hotel’s reputation – starting from pre-booking experience to service during stay – guests take note of many small and big details and form an opinion. The rating is just the reflection of the opinion. If your property provides impeccable service, create great experiences, then the positive reviews you have earned will improve your appeal and influence potential guests. The more satisfied guests you have, the more likely they are to return and spend more money, as well as recommend you to others.

https://bit.ly/2I8y10C

 Bleisure is the biggest trend in business travel

“Bleisure” is on the rise and it’s one of the biggest trends in business travel.

Blending work travel with leisure travel is one of the best perks of traveling for work. It helps save on vacation costs and creates a better work-life balance for travelers and the concept is growing by leaps and bounds as revealed in National Car Rental’s second annual State of the Business Travel Industry Survey.

 https://www.travelpulse.com/news/car-rental-and-rail/bleisure-is-the-biggest-trend-in-business-travel.html

 How Trivago finds ways to make more from less

Trivago’s fourth-quarter results were similar to what investors saw last quarter – revenue was down 8%. Yet the company once again got positive bottom-line results, seeing net income of 11.7 million euros.

https://www.fool.com/investing/2019/02/06/trivago-finds-ways-to-make-more-from-less.aspx

 Google tests Hotel Price Insights on desktop

Google rolled out hotel Price Insights feature to mobile devices last August after about 1 month of testing. Now the feature is finally being tested on Desktop. On desktop the feature is located under the Prices tab and is usually displayed to the right of rates box as 3 collapsed graphs – Market Comparison; Price Evaluation; and When To Book.

https://alakov.com/blog/google-tests-hotel-price-insights-desktop

 Google My Business supports hotel check-in and check-out times

Google is now giving hotels a way to communicate even more about their properties to customers.

https://bit.ly/2Sjv5CZ

 Hoteliers adjust pricing strategies to be more dynamic

Hoteliers continue to experiment with dynamic pricing but also seem to realize that even if guests receive all the industry’s latest education and thinking on rates, partnerships with online travel agencies will not be a thing of the past.

https://bit.ly/2GgkUZc

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

Thanks and have a good day!

 

 

 

The Week, That Was – February 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 completes integration with Portugal based Newhotel PMS

Hotel connectivity solution provider eRevMax has completed 2-way integration with Newhotel Software, a global hospitality technology company headquartered in Lisbon, Portugal. Mutual hotel customers can leverage this integration to update rate and availability to third party online booking sites whenever they are updated in the property management system and receive reservations from OTAs.

https://www.erevmax.com/ratetiger-news/ratetiger-news-archive/jan2019-erevmax-completes-integration-portugal-based-newhotel-pms.html

2019: Time to relook at your Hotel Cancellation Policies

For a long time, hotel industry has been fairly flexible with the cancellation policies. However, with the popularity of meta-search sites, even after booking, consumers now keep track of room rates. Whenever there is a drop in the room rates of the booked hotel or it’s competing properties, guests often cancel their existing reservations and rebook.

This high cancellation rate especially closer to the arrival has a major impact on the hotel’s revenue management decision where often inflated estimation of potential occupancy level leads to sub-optimal rates and lost revenue.

https://www.erevmax.com/blog/index.php/2019/01/2019-time-to-relook-at-your-hotel-cancellation-policies/

 Hotel sales and marketing trends to watch in 2019

Sales and marketing is a constantly evolving discipline within the hotel industry, and some experts in the field recently shared their takes on what to expect heading into 2019.

http://hotelnewsnow.com/Articles/292059/Hotel-sales-and-marketing-trends-to-watch-in-2019

Corporate hotel loyalty programmes may drive adoption

A recent survey of European business travellers reveals that 43 per cent would be motivated to book a hotel with which their company has a corporate loyalty account if it guaranteed better rates. The research by the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) in partnership with Accorhotels found 80 per cent of travel buyers said their company is not enrolled in a corporate hotel loyalty scheme. However, 60 per cent would be interested in joining one for lodging purposes, with 85 per cent saying they find the dedicated room rates offered to travellers appealing.

 https://buyingbusinesstravel.com/news/3129841-corporate-hotel-loyalty-programmes-may-drive-adoption

Guests Demand a 21st Century Stay

Guests expect reliability, ease and security when they activate their mobile room key and unlock the door. Behind that satisfying click, however, is a complex integration of separate technologies and software. Mobile access architecture comprises four parts: 1) the property system, 2) the secure mobile credential and delivery management system, 3) the app and 4) the door lock.

https://www.hotelbusiness.com/guests-demand-a-21st-century-stay-2/

Are hotels on the verge of a parity nightmare?

Booking.com appears to have rolled out its Booking.Basic feature to European hotel listings, six months after it was first spotted on listings for hotels in Asia. Booking.Basic is an accommodation tier that periodically appears on Booking.com’s hotel listings when the rate provided to Booking.com is not the cheapest available online. The rates it offers are nonrefundable and made via a third party that is only revealed to guests after they have paid to book a room.

https://www.phocuswire.com/booking-basic-triptease

Will Chinese technology give hoteliers a fat problem this Year of the Pig?

Technology is a major barrier for hoteliers when dealing with the Chinese market. At the core of the problem is the fact that the technology platforms they are used to using are all entirely different from ours. They can´t access Google, Gmail, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or even WhatsApp.

https://www.travolution.com/articles/110128/will-chinese-technology-give-hoteliers-a-fat-problem-this-year-of-the-pig

Hotelbeds adds price and availability insight to its MaxiRoom hotel extranet

Leading global accommodation wholesaler Hotelbeds revealed new features for MaxiRoom, its free hotel extranet designed to maximise hotel occupancy through its distribution channels.

More than 60,000 out of the 170,000 hoteliers who work with Hotelbeds are connected through either technology platforms or direct integrations, the firm said. That figure has doubled in the last three years

https://www.travolution.com/articles/110116/hotelbeds-adds-price-and-availability-insight-to-its-maxiroom-hotel-extranet

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

Thanks and have a good day!

 

 

The Week, That Was – January 2019 Week 4

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!!

RateTiger joins the Spanish Association of Hotel Directors – AEDH

RateTiger Hotel Channel Manager initiates collaboration with AEDH at FITUR 2019

https://www.erevmax.com/ratetiger-news/ratetiger-news-archive/jan2019-erevmax-ratetiger-joins-spanish-association-hotel-aedh.html

 

Hotelbeds launches new features on its hotel extranet

Hotelbeds’ extranet for hoteliers adds functionalities that allow the visualization of fares and availability in real time for any hotel.

https://news.travelling.gr/2019/01/hotelbeds-launches-new-features-on-its-hotel-extranet/

 

The power of personalization and building personal connections

Expedia on how the travel industry is entering an era of both traveler and supplier personalization – leveraging high tech to deliver high touch experiences.

https://www.hotel-online.com/press_releases/release/2019-hotel-trends-the-power-of-personalization-and-building-personal-connec

 

The psychology of online reviews

From the humble beginnings of word-of-mouth to an entire industry, feedback has certainly come a long way and it’s not stopping here.

https://www.trustyou.com/blog/guest-feedback-reviews/psychology-of-online-reviews

 

How consumer driven trends are impacting the world of hospitality

Sabre released a study which reveals the top consumer trends that will shape the hospitality industry in 2019 and beyond.

Download the report – https://www2.sabrehospitality.com/2019-global-trends-report?utm_source=hotelmarketing_com

 

How to resolve negotiated rate audit failures in the GDS

Some corporations test in their online booking environment that utilizes the GDS for connectivity. Requesting a screenshot from the client at the time they report an issue will help you identify the point of sale source of the audit. Unfortunately, during January and February many hotels will learn they have failed a preferred rate audit.

http://www.sabrehospitality.com/resources/hotel-marketing-blogs/best-practices-how-resolve-rate-audit-failures

 

Hotel coworking space: The future of hospitality

Coworking spaces in hotels provide an area for hotel guests and locals to gather to work and meet. With the number of coworking members expected to jump to 3.8 million in 2020, it is only natural for hotels to capitalise on this feature.

https://www.traveldailymedia.com/coworking-space-hotels/

 

Hoteliers use revenue management to boost off-season

The off-season isn’t a hotelier’s favorite time of year. Rooms can sit empty, restaurants are quiet and the cash flow isn’t as robust.

But, this can also be the best time of year for hoteliers to try out creative promotions, boost their properties’ profiles with online travel agencies, partner with local attractions that are weather-appropriate for the time of year and even experiment with new restaurant menu selections.

http://www.hotelnewsnow.com/Articles/292401/Hoteliers-use-revenue-management-to-boost-off-season

 

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

Thanks and have a good day!

 

 

The Week, That Was – January 2019 Week 3

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!!

Spanish upscale hotel endorses RateTiger for distribution connectivity

Hotel Guadalmedina, an upscale hotel in Spain has recommended RateTiger for stable and seamless connectivity with world’s leading OTAs. The hotel, which has been using RateTiger Channel Manager for online distribution, has improved its visibility across OTAs resulting in positive revenue and occupancy growth.

https://www.erevmax.com/blog/index.php/2019/01/spanish-upscale-hotel-endorses-ratetiger-for-distribution-connectivity/

11 uncomfortable truths about hotel revenue management

Hotel revenue management (RM) is not new and has been around for 30+ years, yet only 3% of hotels globally use revenue management technology today. The main goal of sharing these uncomfortable truths is to elevate the dialog around the importance of RM and why, as an industry, we must strive to do better in driving revenue performance using data driven insights.

https://www.phocuswire.com/Uncomfortable-truths-hotel-revenue-management

 Are you using Metasearch Channels for your hotel distribution yet?

Today, it is important for hotels to be visible on metasearch sites to increase direct bookings and visibility, thereby generating more revenue. You might be thinking – why do I need to add one more channel to my distribution mix? Here’s why –

https://www.erevmax.com/blog/index.php/2019/01/are-you-using-metasearch-channels-for-your-hotel-distribution-yet/

Airbnb Sees Increase in Hotels Using the Platform

Last year, Airbnb saw a 1​52​%​ increase in the number of rooms available on Airbnb in properties that hosts categorized as boutique hotels, bed and breakfasts, and other hospitality venues like hostels and resorts.

https://www.hotelbusiness.com/airbnb-sees-increase-in-hotels-using-the-platform/

The megatrends defining travel in 2019, according to Skift

From the rise of undertourism to blurred lines in hospitality to travelers’ demands for control, these are travel’s megatrends in 2019

Click to download the report- https://skift.com/megatrends-2019/

Will Google stay off the OTAs patch?

As Google’s meta-model becomes increasingly monopolistic, Pamela Whitby takes a look at how travel distribution is evolving. Although Expedia’s gross bookings continue to rise – by 11% to $2.5 billion year-over-year, according to third-quarter earnings published last week – Booking Holdings remains the biggest revenue spinner, and has the strongest operating margins (36.7% vs just 5,69% at Expedia). Meanwhile, China’s Ctrip remains the fastest growing, according to a recent report from EyeforTravel.

https://www.eyefortravel.com/distribution-strategies/will-google-stay-otas-patch

Online marketplaces gaining momentum in tours booking race

The tours technology specialist says total bookings made directly via operator websites went from 79% in 2017 to 67% in 2018, while the percentage of total bookings going to online marketplaces increased from 3.2% to 9.1%.

https://www.phocuswire.com/trekksoft-travel-trends-2018

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

Thanks and have a good day!

 

 

eRevMax wins STPI Export Awards for promoting gender diversity

eRevMax wins STPI Export Awards for promoting gender diversity
Recognized for ‘Highest Percentage of Women Employees -IT’

 Global travel technology innovator – eRevMax, has been awarded an STPI Export Award under the category ‘Highest Percentage of Women Employees -IT’ (Exports upto Rs 25 crore). This award was presented at ‘STPI Export Awards’ held during INFOCOM 2018 in Kolkata last week.

eRevMax has been proactively working towards breaking down barriers in a male-dominated industry and achieve greater gender representation through a diversity agenda. An equal opportunity company, women represent about 35% of its workforce, with the ratio even higher in the leadership positions. The company’s progressive HR policies have ensured that the overall attrition of female members is substantially lower than the average industry standard.

“At STPI, we believe that diversity strengthens the innovative capacity of a company. eRevMax is one such company that is leading by example, and we are proud to recognise them for having the Highest % of Women Employees in IT at the recent STPI Export Awards 2017-18. The responsibility of increasing gender diversity at workplace doesn’t end at just hiring a woman. It must be conducive enough for them to sustain. We congratulate eRevMax for taking a sustainable approach towards creating an inclusive workplace.” said Sh. Manjit Nayak, Additional Director, STPI Kolkata.

“This award is a validation of eRevMax’s efforts in bringing a holistic transformation by promoting gender equality and diversity. As part of our company culture, we are committed to providing our women employees with an ecosystem that is supportive of personal and career aspirations. With this award, we have restated our position as the preferred ‘Employer of choice’ in West Bengal,” said Reuel Ghosh, CEO, eRevMax.

eRevMax is a global travel technology software company with development centres in Kolkata and Bengaluru and sales offices around the world. The company, with its three core product brands – RateTiger, LiveOS and AgentX101, provides channel management, price intelligence, analytics, connectivity and business management solutions to hotels and travel agents worldwide.

The Week, That Was – December 2018 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!!

Carton House Resort, Ireland recommends eRevMax for online connectivity

Carton House, a historic luxury hotel in Ireland has recommended eRevMax solutions for online distribution. The property has been using RateTiger Channel Manager to maintain real-time rate and inventory updates across online sales channels including booking engine.

https://bit.ly/2SuD7UX

Expedia to Hoteliers: Alternative accommodations won’t steal your business

Expedia wants to create value for hotels by providing them with tools to make them more efficient rather than hurting them with the increased presence of vacation rentals, the company said at its Explore partner conference in Las Vegas this week.

https://skift.com/2018/12/06/expedia-to-hoteliers-vacation-rentals-wont-steal-your-business/

 How Real-Time, Transparent Bidding Can Fix a Broken Travel Search Ecosystem

Today, even before most travelers ever step foot on a plane, they’ve already gone on an epic journey while planning their trip. According to Skift’s The State of Online Travel Media 2018 report, 73 percent of global travel searches begin with no brand or destination listed.

https://skift.com/2018/11/30/how-real-time-transparent-bidding-can-fix-a-broken-travel-search-ecosystem/

Why European Biz Travelers Go Outside Their Companies to Use Online Travel Agencies

Business travelers tend to book their trips through whatever channels they prefer, regardless of whether there is an online booking tool or agency that their company wants them to use. The research found that while travelers consistently use a company’s online booking tool to book air and hotel, they are increasingly turning to online travel agencies and direct channels as well. In fact, online travel agency use has pulled into near parity with a company’s travel agency department in many countries.

https://skift.com/2018/12/03/why-european-biz-travelers-go-outside-their-companies-to-use-online-travel-agencies/

Data pinpoints hotel mismanagement of inventory allocation and availability

The management of room inventory on both a hotel’s brand site and through contracted online travel agency partners is at the core of an effective distribution system. The findings are based on data gathered from brand websites and contracted OTAs for 7,600 properties around the world during a two-month period beginning in September. In its report, Fornova says it calculated demand as a function of room rate – when rates were below the median, it considered it to be a low-demand period and when rates were higher than median it considered it high demand.

https://www.phocuswire.com/Fornova-allocation-availability-report

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

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The Week, That Was – November 2018 Week 2

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 completes integration with South American PMS provider Arion Hospitality Solutions

eRevMax has completed integration with  Arion Hospitality Solutions, a leading Property Management System provider in South America. The strategic partnership between the two leading hospitality software specialists will allow hotels to manage their revenue and online distribution with only one application.

https://www.erevmax.com/ratetiger-news/ratetiger-news-archive/nov2018-erevmax-integration-southamerican-pms-arionhospitality-solutions.html

Indians are the top spenders when it comes to travelling abroad.

India is now the fastest growing outbound travel market in the world, second only to China. The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) estimates that India will account for over 50 million outbound tourists by 2022, making India a USD 45 billion outbound spend market.

https://www.traveldailymedia.com/how-indian-travellers-can-rescue-middle-easts-tourism-goals/

Google launching voice bookings for hotels

Google will launch hotel booking capability on its voice-activated Google Assistant product later this month, a move in line with Google’s slow but steady encroachment on OTA territory.

https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Travel-Technology/Google-launching-voice-bookings-for-hotels

TrustYou’s insights reveal how hotel review topics vary according to region

TrustYou, the world’s largest guest feedback platform, released a comprehensive analysis of regional and global hotel review topics. Through its continuous effort in studying and leveraging guest feedback, TrustYou created this report of the different impact scores that affect the performance and reputation of global hotels, as well as in the following markets: EMEA, German-speaking countries (DE/AT/CH), US, APAC, Japan.

https://www.trustyou.com/press/trustyou-analysis-impact-scores

Travel and Holidays – What Does the Future Hold in Store?

Every day, new marketing techniques and tools are launched almost every week – which increases the complexity of the marketing sector. Experts have different ideas and opinions about how holidays will be like two or three decades from now. The possibilities are limitless.

https://www.erevmax.com/blog/index.php/2018/11/travel-and-holidays-what-does-the-future-hold-in-store/

Connect with us for your connectivity needs to make the most of online revenue. https://goo.gl/3gKUJZ Thanks and have a good day!

The Week, That Was – November 2018 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 has unveiled unveil AgentX101 at WTM London 2018

eRevMax has unveiled AgentX101 – a revolutionary 360 Degree Platform for Travel Agents & Tour Operators during WTM London.

https://www.erevmax.com/ratetiger-news/ratetiger-news-archive/oct2018-erevmax-unveil-agentx101-wtm-london.html

 How Social Media Can Increase Hotel’s Direct Bookings

According to experts, 45 percent of travelers encounter hotel social media during the beginning of their booking journey, 45 percent encounter it during the middle and 11 percent at the end.

Recent projections have valued the *B2C e–Commerce business to over 3.2 Trillion dollars by 2020!

https://www.erevmax.com/blog/index.php/2018/11/how-social-media-can-increase-hotels-direct-bookings-2/

 The Changing Customer Experience: Keynote urges hoteliers to examine their operations

Customer loyalty isn’t dead, it’s just much harder to earn and much harder to keep because it’s so easy to leave today.

http://www.hotelinteractive.com/article.aspx?articleID=41922

 Will Google stay off the OTAs patch?

As Google’s meta-model becomes increasingly monopolistic Pamela Whitby begins a series on how travel distribution is evolving. Part 1 takes a look at the Google factor

https://www.eyefortravel.com/distribution-strategies/will-google-stay-otas-patch

Digital trends to watch in 2019

There’s been a massive shift in guest behavior and booking habits due to trends like artificial intelligence and mobile usage. But the question isn’t whether these trends are important. Hereére three core trends that hotels need want to watch in 2019.

http://hotelnewsnow.com/Articles/291331/Digital-trends-to-watch-in-2019

Connect with us for your connectivity needs to make the most of online revenue. https://goo.gl/3gKUJZ Thanks and have a good day!

Travel and Holidays – What Does the Future Hold in Store?

Every day, new marketing techniques and tools are launched almost every week – which increases the complexity of the marketing sector. Experts have different ideas and opinions about how holidays will be like two or three decades from now. The possibilities are limitless.

Virtual travel will be ‘in’:

Travel is likely to become virtual In the future. By the year 2050, holidays for most people will be about enjoying the popular as well as not so popular attractions of the world from the comfort of home. Time travel will be in, and it will be possible for travellers to visit New Orleans before Hurricane Katrina ravaged it or seeing the Pyramids right after their completion – all through virtual reality. They will be able to customize their surroundings and the weather, and also get a digital tour guide. They can also make situational or hypothetical travel – such as visiting the Taj Mahal without the tourists. This will help them remove the stress of travel without needing to visit the locations actually.

Travel and Holidays

More personalized travel experience:

Travel brands, in order to get brand recognition and loyalty, need to make use of customer data in such a way that shoppers can get value. The travel marketing techniques are likely to be made more personalized to help customers find the most relevant travel products and ideas for their choices – whether it comes to room, hotel, airline, airport or occupancy duration type.

Smarter Retargeting:

While retargeting has existed for quite a few years, it is expected to see more innovation. Travel companies will use live user session user profiling in real-time, which would allow a smarter retargeting that offers more relevant recommendations and information to users. For travel brands, it can increase the ROI significantly on every interaction.

Use of Chatbot technology:

Travel brands are making increasing use of the chatbot technology from companies such as Amazon, Expedia and Skyscanner, in an attempt to pre-empt the purchase requirements of customers. The use of Cortana or Alexa can be expected sooner rather than later.

Use of PWAs (progressive web apps):

These come with all the good things about mobile websites and mobile-based applications. These are delivered online and act just like native apps. PWAs help sell holidays quickly and form an important part of the overall user experience. The programs also operate in areas with inferior connectivity or in those spots where connectivity drops and comes – as in cars or trains. These will help travellers on the move.

Get Hotel booking channel manager software at https://www.erevmax.com/ratetiger/ratetiger.html.

Run Udai Run

eRevMax CTO completes Great Scottish Run in Glasgow

He has done it! Again. On 30 September, Udai Singh Solanki, our CTO and Managing Director – India finished the Great Scottish Run and stunned all of us at eRevMax!

A sports enthusiast, Udai has taken his passion for running and made it an integral part of both his personal and corporate life.

The Great Scottish Run was a major challenge. This was Udai’s first half marathon outside India. With more than 15,000 runners taking part in one of Scotland’s biggest running event, the day began with glorious sunshine. The 13.1-mile journey started in George Square in the heart of Glasgow. The runners had to cross some of the iconic landmarks of the city including using the Kingston Bridge, the Clyde Arc, Nelson’s Monument and Finnieston Crane. And just as the organizers promised, every mile was different.

The bagpipers, live music and drumming bands ensured the runners have a good time all along. “It was fun to finish Great Scottish Run – Half Marathon. The cold weather, wind and some occasional rain shower made for the perfect set up for long run. It was an amazing experience!” said Udai.

Udai has been practicing with a running group in Kolkata to improve his stamina and endurance level.

“Running requires persistence, patience, and hard work, principles vital for successful business as well. It also liberates your mind. These long-distance runs have been meditational for me,” said Udai, who has been encouraging his colleagues to take up fitness and sports seriously.

Just a week before the Scottish run, he completed Damloop by Night 5 English Miles in Amsterdam, where he was attending a business meet.

Team eRevMax says a huge congratulations to Udai. We already can’t wait for next one.