Latest News and Top Tech Trends from Hospitality Industry – W3, April 2022

Here is your weekly industry news round-up. Check out the short snippets here and follow below for more details.

Travel to Europe this summer will soar 600% over last summer, according to travel insurance vendor Allianz Partners.

India’s Yatra.com launched a Meta Search tool which will enhance booking convenience and save costs for business travelers.

TripActions data shows the first quarter of 2022 saw the kind of hyper-growth more familiar to pre-pandemic days.

More than two-thirds of STR-defined U.S. hotel markets (113 of 165) outperformed their 2019 comparables over the four weeks ending 9 April 2022, which is reflective of the industry’s rebound toward normalcy as well as some influence from inflation.

And finally, see how hotel marketers are using entity search for SEO.

Reach out to us for your hotel channel manager, rate shopper, booking engine, website development or digital marketing requirements. We are happy to have a discussion to see how we can help you achieve your property’s occupancy and revenue goals – contact us today.

Enjoy the read!

Americans’ travel to Europe expected to increase sixfold this summer

European destinations have made a significant effort to welcome Americans back, and data shows tremendous pent-up demand for travel to the continent.

https://www.travelweekly.com/Europe-Travel/American-travel-Europe-expected-increase-sixfold

Yatra.com launches meta search tool for corporate travel

India’s leading corporate travel services provider announced the launch of a meta search tool on their corporate travel booking platform.

https://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/yatra-com-launches-meta-search-tool-for-corporate-travel

March blew the doors off of business travel

With Omicron cases decreasing and travel restrictions dropping, spending for U.S. business travel has seen a huge growth in the past two months, according to the latest TripActions data.

https://tripactions.com/blog/state-of-business-travel-and-expense-q1-2022

Largest U.S. hotel markets showed considerable RevPAR gains

Reflective of the industry’s rebound toward normalcy, more than two-thirds of STR-defined U.S. hotel markets outperformed their 2019 comparables over the four weeks ending April 9, 2022.

https://str.com/data-insights-blog/top-hotel-performing-markets-april-2022

How hotel marketers use entity search for SEO

A step further beyond keyword optimization, entity search focuses more on the context around search terms.

https://americas.hsmai.org/insight/seo-and-entity-search-in-hospitality-marketing/

Industry round-up on Hotel Distribution and Technology News – W4, September 2021

Luxury British Chain Sarova Hotels endorses RateTiger for its reliable and strong technology – shares an interesting video testimonial – check it out in the first news piece below.

Google has made it easier for travelers to find sustainable hotel options in their destination of choice. It has launched a new feature this week, labeling hotels as “Eco-Certified” in global search results, with a leaf-shaped icon next to the hotel’s name. Get eco-certified today if you have a green hotel.

According to a McKinsey & Co report, while travel volumes are returning in many parts of the world, delivering on customer experience is emerging as the new challenge, given the change in guest behavior and expectations – read more about this below.

eRevMax Partner – TripAdvisor is making major changes to its TripAdvisor Plus subscription program in an effort to bring more hotels – particularly large chains – into the program and, in turn, more subscribers. Also Expedia Group brings loyalty programs into a single platform and claims the current loyalty programs have given members almost $10 billion in discounts through member-only deals and rewards.

Lastly an excellent news for holiday makers – industry bodies have welcomed the reopening of travel to the US for double jabbed UK travellers from November. This is expected to boost economic recovery for leisure and business travel as well.

Enjoy the read!

Luxury British Chain Sarova Hotels recommend RateTiger for increasing online sales

Sarova Hotels has recommended RateTiger by eRevMax as its connectivity partner of choice for helping increase online sales and revenue by using hotel channel management and Connect solutions. The group has been using RateTiger since 2012 for optimizing revenue strategy and online distribution.

Check out this video from Jon Siberry, Group Revenue Manager, Sarova Hotels Ltd where he shares his experience with the RateTiger product and support – https://lnkd.in/gr666Aun

Google is now helping travelers go green

Google will label hotels as “Eco-Certified” in global search results, with a leaf-shaped icon next to the hotel’s name. The new feature relies on 29 certification programs to do the hard work of establishing a hotel’s green credibility.

https://leaderpost.com/pmn/business-pmn/google-is-now-helping-travelers-go-green

Rebooting customer experience to bring back the magic of travel

Customer experience is emerging as the challenge of the recovery, says McKinsey & Co. Whether it’s more tailored products, greater digital parity with analog services, or faster turnaround, customer expectations of what great customer experience looks like have shifted significantly.

https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/travel-logistics-and-infrastructure/our-insights/rebooting-customer-experience-to-bring-back-the-magic-of-travel

TripAdvisor Plus shift to cash-back is taking shape

Participating hotels will have to offer their lowest publicly available rates, including a commission, which for the vast part gets transferred to the consumer after check-in via several payment partners.

https://www.phocuswire.com/tripadvisor-lines-up-payment-partners-builds-wallet-tech-for-revamped-plus-program

Expedia brings loyalty programs into a single platform

The programs of Expedia, Vrbo, Hotels.com and other brands under the Expedia Group umbrella are to be unified into one service.

https://www.phocuswire.com/Expedia-Group-brings-loyalty-programs-under-single-platform

Industry welcoming lifting of US travel ban

The announcement is “a large step forward in re-starting and accelerating the travel industry’s economic engine”.

https://travelweekly.co.uk/news/air/relaxing-travel-restrictions-to-us-key-shift-in-managing-covid-risks

 

Reach out to RateTiger for your hotel channel manager, rate shopper, booking engine, website development or revenue management consultancy requirements. We are happy to have a discussion to see how we can help you achieve your property’s occupancy and revenue goals – contact us today

 

 

 

3 Essential Tips to Choose the Right Hotel Booking System

As hotels pave their way to recovery, occupancy and profitability remain the priority. However, with guest behaviour and preferences going through a rapid shift, hotels need an efficient sales strategy to optimize revenue.

For years, hotels have been trying to increase direct sales. However, to boost direct bookings, hotels need to have a user-friendly website with a sound booking engine.

The first obstacle in the path though is how to find a good hotel booking system!

3 Essential Tips to Choose the Right Hotel Booking System

There are so many options out there and they have their own set of features. It makes picking one more challenging.

Direct sales strategy for room sales is one of the most preferred tactics in the hospitality industry. The goal of a direct sales strategy is to boost direct online bookings from as many guests as possible.

Direct bookings are a great option for hotel owners because these bookings generate the most revenue. There are no agents or other distribution partners that must be paid a percentage or commission. Every guest you host has booked directly online, so you can pocket all the profit.

However, for this strategy to work, it is important to have a user-friendly website that travelers can access. Users get driven away by a slow, confusing, or complicated website. Make sure your website is intuitive, mobile-friendly, and has clear action buttons such as ‘book now’ for potential guests to click.

If you are focused on direct bookings, your website must be a priority. Once you have your website running, you will need to invest in hospitality software that syncs your existing website and other channels. If you’re looking to buy a hotel booking system but are confused about which one to choose, follow these essential tips:

1) Focus on the user experience

Yes, you want to buy a hotel booking system that increases direct room booking from the brand website. But the solution can be much more than just that, with its unique features.  One reason guests prefer to book from OTAs is the user experience. A good booking engine would be intuitive, easy-to-use, responsive and mobile-first. Make sure the booking system have the capability to feature special deals & promo codes when guests book directly with you.

2) Ask the right questions

Before choosing any hotel booking system, there are several questions that must be asked and answered. Such insights are necessary to help you make a fitting decision.

Will the solution connect with your hotel PMS? Can it handle multiple currency? Is it easy to use? Can the content be shown in multiple languages? Can it be integrated with your hotel channel manager so that inventory is always up to date? Can you offer different discounts?

These are some of the several questions you should ask before choosing a hotel booking system.

3) Ensure you have ongoing support

This is one of those things many hotel owners overlook, only to regret later. Some of the hotel booking systems can be challenging to use and getting used to. The more features they have, the more confusing they can get. Also, some of their interfaces may not be too appealing.

So, it’s a good idea to ensure you always have support from experts. Meaning, make sure the hotel booking system you plan to go with has a backend support team that extends their support so you can optimally use the system.

Final Words

  • These are three essential tips you should consider while choosing the best hotel booking system.
  • So, take your time, think things through, consider all the factors, and then make the right decision.
  • Remember, the kind of hotel booking solution you use may define the growth of your business. So, be careful and very certain of your decision.

Latest News on Travel Technology, Tourism and Hotel Distribution – W3, September 2021

Legacy Hotels & Resorts shares a strong recommendation for RateTiger Hotel Channel Manager, including a video testimonial – check it out in the first news piece below.

What a difference a year can make, people are booking their Christmas vacations earlier this year – US experiences spike for Christmas travel. Is your hotel website optimized to attract guests? Read some of the best practices for hotel website content.

With travel reopening in most countries, various MICE activities have restarted – reports suggest large number of events booked for later this year and into 2022, which is an encouraging sign for travel industry. Further, MMGY Global announces the launch of the MMGY Global Travel Marketing Collective, which will focus on delivering expertise for destination and hospitality brands to reach international travelers. Read on!

Legacy Hotels & Resorts experience 15% increase in online sales with RateTiger

Ten properties of the group have been using RateTiger and find it to be the perfect 2-way connectivity solution between their property management system and online sales channels to increase online visibility and revenue.

Check out this video from Eloise Hyland, Revenue and Distribution Manager at Legacy Hotels and Resorts – https://youtu.be/ocH0fcHTRCQ

US: Christmas travel seeing ‘huge spike.’

People are booking Christmas vacations earlier than ever before, with Internet search queries for December travel five times higher this August than last.

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/09/10/people-are-booking-christmas-vacations-earlier-than-ever-before.html

Best practices for hotel website content

With the pandemic underscoring the importance of an attractive, engaging hotel website, it’s a good time to remind yourself of some of the basics.

https://americas.hsmai.org/insight/best-practices-for-your-hotel-website-content/

Planning ahead: A return to meetings & business travel

One of the positive things that has come out of the pandemic is some business travelers have extended their stays because of their ability to now work remotely.

https://www.hotelbusiness.com/returning-to-meetings-business-travel/

MMGY Global announces Travel Marketing Collective

Global partnership across 34 countries delivers a new focus for destination and hospitality brands to reach international travelers.

https://www.mmgyglobal.com/news/mmgy-global-announces-launch-of-the-travel-marketing-collective-as-international-travel-rebounds/

Reach out to RateTiger for your hotel channel manager, rate shopper, booking engine, website development or revenue management consultancy requirements. We are happy to have a discussion to see how we can help you achieve your property’s occupancy and revenue goals – contact us today

eRevMax expands Partner Ecosystem with – TUI Group, Guestline and StaySavvy

Highlights introduction of Room – Rate Management feature

eRevMax is glad to introduce a new Product Feature called Room and Rate Management API through which you can create, update and delete room types or rate plans in different OTAs directly from your RateTiger dashboard.

With travel recovery gaining pace, it is imperative that hotels have a clear understanding of market. After over a year of closures and restricted travel, every hotelier needs to implement sales strategies that work best for their target market as well as for their local destinations. Hence it is important for hotels to know which channels and partners can bring maximum exposure to their property. Here are some of our technology and channel partners leading in their specific markets. Get in touch if you wish to connect to any of our 450+ hospitality technology as well as distribution channel / OTA partners.

TUI Group

Our newest channel partner TUI is one of the world’s leading tourism group. Headquartered in Germany, the group consists of tour operators, 1,600 travel agencies and over 400 hotels which are in major holiday destinations. TUI Group offers integrated services and unmatched holiday experience from a single platform for its 28 million customers in 180 regions. Expand your hotel distribution with TUI to attract more bookings and market share.

Guestline

Rexlynx PMS by Guestline is our featured partner for this edition. It provides independent hotels and small groups with the tools and insights and automates routine tasks, liberating your staff to focus on the guest. Fully configurable and PCI compliant, Rezlynx PMS is a mobile-friendly cloud-hosted solution that supports hotels or groups of any size. You can create and manage bookings for multiple properties, easily develop rate plans and apply region specific accounting rules, among various other relevant features. Contact us today to know more.

StaySavvy

One of the first booking platforms to focus on eco-conscious travel, StaySavvy is a new addition to the eRevMax Channel Ecosystem. StaySavvy promotes sustainable travel by helping reduce carbon footprint and rewarding guests for travelling in an eco-friendly way. 2% of every booking is allocated directly to an environmental initiative, such as tree planting or wildlife conservation. It is a revolutionary new room booking platform, generating social impact with every booking. Enlist with this channel to grow your domestic bookings and promote sustainable travel.

Are you looking to manage any new channel from your RateTiger platform? CONTACT US – https://www.erevmax.com/erevmax-contact.html

The Week, That Was – July 2021 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

Leisure travel is bouncing back in parts of Asia

Tourist hotspots like Phuket are now open to international tourists who don’t have to quarantine, and others like Koh Samui are following suit.

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/07/19/travel-recovery-in-asia-but-covid-risks-remain-minor-international.html

Americans prefer hotels and resorts to vacation rentals

In addition to favoring hotels’ amenities and ease of booking, 74% of survey respondents feel hotels keep travelers safer.

https://www.valuepenguin.com/americans-prefer-hotels-and-resorts-vacation-rentals

Tips for managing a return to corporate travel

As the situation continues to change daily, there are a number of factors that can be considered now to best manage the return of business travel.

https://www.traveldailynews.com/post/tips-for-managing-a-return-to-corporate-travel

How embedded fin-tech fuels hotel bookings

Many independent hotel owners will have to up level their payments systems from legacy systems to SaaS based offerings.

https://www.paymentsjournal.com/managing-payments-how-embedded-fintech-will-fuel-travel-revenues/

Day passes help hotels plug pandemic holes in revenue

As hotels and resorts continue to look for ways to lure leisure and local travelers amid the pandemic, day passes have gained new relevance.

https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Hotel-News/Day-passes-helping-hotels-plug-pandemic-holes-in-revenue

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

Thanks and have a good day!

You may Know the Hotel channel manager and Online Distribution.

The Week, That Was – July 2021 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

RateTiger certified by Global Hotel Alliance (GHA) as a recommended distribution partner

Global Hotel Alliance (GHA), the world’s largest alliance of independent hotel brands, has certified RateTiger by eRevMax, as a preferred distribution provider for its member properties. eRevMax has recently completed seamless integration with GHA, which is the latest addition to the eRevMax Ecosystem that has over 450 integrations including leading hotel technology platforms, OTAs, PMS, CRS, GDS, wholesalers, booking engines & more.

https://www.erevmax.com/ratetiger-news/ratetiger-news-archive/july2021-erevmax-ratetiger-certified-global-hotel-alliance-distribution-partner.html

U.S. travel bookings hit a new high

As of May 2021, traffic sits at 302.5M, which is higher than pre-pandemic levels. And not only are people browsing travel sites, they are also converting into customers. Top five U.S. OTA/Metasearch sites show a 24.3% increase in average monthly traffic YoY

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/similarweb-digital-intelligence-report-from-travel-bookings-to-job-board-listings-signs-of-recovery-evident-across-the-board-301323121.html

Younger travelers more likely to choose all-inclusive packages

New research from Expedia Group reveals the influence of inclusion and diversity on booking decisions.

https://www.expediagroup.com/media/media-details/2021/Younger-travelers-are-more-likely-to-choose-accommodations-with-inclusive-policies/default.aspx

eRevMax Partner Ecosystem Highlights – Global Hotel Alliance, Trip.com

Online travel agents are increasingly important for a hotel’s distribution strategy to make their property visible among potential travelers. Not just the right OTA mix, but also the right promotions and deals targeted at different customer segments is very critical to convert lookers into bookers. Contact us today to expand your distribution connectivity today – marketing@erevmax.com

https://www.erevmax.com/blog/index.php/2021/07/erevmax-partner-ecosystem-highlights-global-hotel-alliance-trip-com/

Tripadvisor unveils new app

Refreshed mobile app debuts alongside new “Vacations Miss You” campaign, and provides more personalized inspiration for consumers already at their destination or planning ahead.

https://tripadvisor.mediaroom.com/2021-06-29-Tripadvisor-Unveils-New-App-as-Summer-Travel-Rebounds

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!

 

eRevMax expands Partner Ecosystem with Tour10, Hotel Intelligence and Simplotel

With various companies opening their borders for vaccinated travellers, summer travel is expected to be strong and booking trends and hotel sentiment already reflect a sense of optimism. It is important for hotels to make sure they refresh their hotel description and listing travel sites and make their property visible on relevant OTAs and sell on channels that are bringing future bookings into their cities. eRevMax, the leader in hotel distribution technology, continues to partner with travel channels, booking engine providers and other tech companies to provide hotels with maximum connectivity options to choose from. RateTiger currently offers a network of over 450 deeply integrated global, regional, and local channels. Contact us to discuss how you can expand your distribution connectivity today.

Tour10

Headquartered in Spain, Tour 10 is an online wholesale travel agency with presence in 160 countries. The company works with over 180,000 properties worldwide to create magnificent vacation packages for its guests while taking care of all covid protocols. If you are looking to attract leisure travellers, you may want to consider adding Tour10 to your distribution mix. Contact us to know more.

Hotel Intelligence

France based booking engine provider, Hotel Intelligence is a newly integrated RateTiger partner and provides AI based solutions for hotels. The company helps increase hotel direct bookings by up to 10% through its simple and intuitive platform, that is flexible and reliable. Contact us today to know more about Hotel Intelligence.

Simplotel

India based Simplotel is currently powering over 2000 hotels worldwide with their booking engine and website solution. It helps hotels drive their direct business with OTA like features to increase website revenue. If you are looking to try a new booking engine or get a new website, contact us to know more about Simplotel.

Are you looking to manage any new tech partner or channel from your RateTiger platform? CONTACT US TODAY – https://www.erevmax.com/erevmax-contact.html

 

The Week, That Was – June 2021 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 releases Q2 Hotel Sentiment results for European accommodation providers

Europe shows positive Hotel Sentiment for Q2 – Q3 2021. Our latest survey report reflects a sense of optimism for the first time since Covid19. The survey conducted for hoteliers in April – May 2021 reports high expectations in terms of occupancy and business growth. To know more about the trends, access the full report here: https://rb.gy/e6rvnq

Leisure travel likely to hit pre-COVID levels by next year

Leisure is probably going to hit 100% of pre-COVID levels by some point next year, and United Airlines is saying that they’re already seeing leisure fares match the prices people paid in pre-COVID times.

https://finance.yahoo.com/video/leisure-travel-likely-hit-100-181911057.html

Airbnb’s future is about ‘living,’ not just travel

Working from home trend is reshaping Airbnb’s business, as it spurred flexibility in terms of where and how people live or how long they stay in one place.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-05-26/airbnb-s-future-according-to-ceo-brian-chesky-living-not-just-travel

The Importance of a Property Management System (PMS) in the Hotel Industry

With travel recovery steadily picking up pace, hotels are seeing encouraging signs with reservations starting to trickle in. Expanding hotel occupancy and online revenue will be one of the key focus for rest of the year and there will be an increased focus on inter-connectivity of systems and getting the distribution basics right. Does your Property Management System integrate to various other technology solutions you use today? Are you getting third party reservations delivered directly into your hotel system? Do you have a bird’s eye view of your inventory status at all times? Find out the key to a good Hotel PMS. Read more – https://lnkd.in/gq73Rs5

Google Hotels adds vacation rentals

Google is adding vacation rental listings to its Google Hotel platform, with both vacation rental and hotel options set to appear alongside each other in search results for a given destination.

https://searchengineland.com/348972-348972

Expedia launches huge deals promo

From June 8 to 12, travelers will be able to save up to 60% on hotels and activities for travel until the end of January 2022.

https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Travel-Agent-Issues/Expedia-post-pandemic-sales-blitz

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 – May 2021 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 becomes one of the first channel managers to offer Promotion feature for Expedia, Booking.com & Agoda

Hotels using eRevMax channel manager and connectivity solutions can now create specific Promotions on Expedia along with Booking.com and Agoda directly from their RateTiger platform to attract more visibility and rebuild demand.

https://www.erevmax.com/ratetiger-news/ratetiger-news-archive/may2021-erevmax-releases-promotion-feature-expedia.html

Seeing is believing: The power of short-targeted videos in travel marketing

There is a significantly higher chance of your potential customers watching your video content than engaging with your emails, or reading information on your website.

https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/travel-marketing-engineering-bounce-back/1717202

Spanish Hoteliers Upbeat As COVID-19 Restrictions Ease

Hotels across Spain are reopening as the vital summer season gets underway, fueled by an easing of travel restrictions and increasing vaccination levels.

https://www.costar.com/article/209858740

Airbnb predicts historic travel rebound in 2021

Airbnb has been conducting surveys and are optimistic about the future of travel. It recently shared its top 2021 travel trends and tips for hosts which reflect a strong pent-up demand leading to significant travel rebound. If you haven’t already signed up with Airbnb, now is the time to get started. You can manage you property on Airbnb via RateTiger – contact us today on marketing@erevmax.com

Read more – https://lnkd.in/gFAdNeG

Reaching potential travelers

Where should travel marketers be spending their budgets right now? Americans are thinking of life beyond COVID-19 and travel marketers will need to understand consumers’ appetite for different types of advertising.

https://adage.com/article/YouGov/top-post-vaccine-travel-and-vacation-trends-marketers-should-know/2337826

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!