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5 tips to optimize your hotel’s profile on Booking.com – Part 2

In this series, we are focusing on easy and highly actionable tips on the best ways to optimize Booking.com channel to get more reservations for your property.

In the second part of this series, we are happy to highlight the Early Booker Rate on Booking.com.

Create special promotion for Early Bookers

Done correctly, promotion can be a great tool to grab attention of the bookers searching for a property.  Hotels can create targeted campaigns through their offers. Booking.com allows Early Booker Rate for hotels to target potential guests who prefer booking far in advance. This way, hotels can secure bookings well before a busier season giving it a chance to start from an advantageous position.

The Early Booker deals are flexible options where hotels can fix their own discounts, duration, time and booking window based on their requirements. They can set them up and run the promotion for multiple days or months when this promotion will be visible to guests.

Want to know where to start?

Booking.com recommends setting the Early Booker Deal promotion up for a minimum of 30 days in advance from check-in. Many hotels create special rates for lead time of 90 days and 180 days in advance as well.

In recent months, Booking.com made significant updates on this promotion. The Early Booker Rate is designed based on the COVID-19 recovery patterns identified in guest demand and can easily be adapted to any hotel’s particular situation and needs.

A point to remember

Hotels can leverage Early Booker Rate to improve occupancy for future dates. However, the hotel revenue management team needs to be extra careful to control this promotion and ensure only eligible guests receive this special rate.

You can now create and manage an Early Booker Rate directly from the Promotions section on your RateTiger dashboard. For any queries or to see how to set up this Rate, contact us today –marketing@erevmax.com

 

 

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5 tips to optimize your hotel’s profile on Booking.com

We are glad to bring you a short series of posts, where we will cover 5 specific tips on how you can optimize your hotel’s profile on Booking.com and attract more reservations.

Through our 5-tips series, we will share 1 recommendation on each post and explain how you can utilize it to your hotel’s advantage. Starting with the first of this series, lets talk about the Genius Program.

Join Booking.com’s Genius Program

Genius is an exclusive loyalty program which brings partner hotels and frequent bookers closer.

According to Booking.com data, on average, hotels taking part in the Genius program have experienced increase in their bookings by 18% and revenue by 17% – even including the cost of discount.

Hotels taking part in the Genius program gets a special Genius tag, ranking boost and better visibility in search results on Booking.com which helps in getting more bookings faster.

The property is displayed to a select group of customers who travel more often, book further in advance, and spend more when booking.

Hotels can always check their eligibility on the booking.com extranet:

https://admin.booking.com/hotel/hoteladmin/extranet_ng/manage/genius.html?lang=en&ref=menu&ses=9a4c805441d3dabfc9d218c48e008cf2&hotel_id=522903.

If the eligibility criteria are met, they can sign up to Genius via the “Opportunities” tab in their Booking.com Extranet.

The participating partners automatically enable the mandatory 10% Genius discount on their least expensive or most popular room and start attracting high-value Genius guests.

To know more about the perks of becoming a Genius Hotel Partner, click here.

If you are looking for assistance with managing your online channels, contact us today.

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The Week, That Was – February 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 wins strong recommendation from Warwick Doha

Qatar’s leading 5-star property, Warwick Doha, has found the perfect technology partner in eRevMax and has highly recommended RateTiger suite of online distribution and rate shopping solutions to other hotels in the Middle East.

Read more about Warwick Doha’s experience with RateTiger – https://www.erevmax.com/ratetiger-news/ratetiger-news-archive/feb2021-erevmax-ratetiger-wins-strong-recommendation-warwick-doha.html

Booking.com to focus on U.S. growth

With the pace of recovery still uncertain, the company is focused on three priorities: expanding the payment platform on Booking.com, building the connected trip capabilities and growing market share in the United States.

https://www.phocuswire.com/booking-holdings-focuses-on-payment-platform-connected-trip-and-us-growth-as-q4-revenue-bookings-down-60-percent

Airbnb plans for a new kind of travel

Airbnb is introducing Flexible Search, which will allow users to forgo putting in exact dates when they look to book lodging on the platform.

https://techcrunch.com/2021/02/24/airbnb-plans-for-a-new-kind-of-travel-post-covid-with-flexible-search/

As consumers return to travel, they turn to advisors for help

Consumers, including many who never worked with a travel agent before, are turning to travel advisors as they anticipate resuming vacation plans. As a hotel, if you are looking to get offline reservations fed into your PMS, get in touch with RateTiger – we can convert bookings coming from Travel Agents and deliver them into your hotel PMS to reduce any manual error. Contact us on marketing@erevmax.com if you would like to know more.

https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Travel-Agent-Issues/As-consumers-return-to-travel-they-turn-to-advisors-for-help

Here’s Why It Pays to Book Hotel Stays Now

While low occupancy rates are bad news for hotels, they’re good news for travelers hoping to book vacations this year.

https://www.fool.com/the-ascent/credit-cards/articles/heres-why-it-pays-to-book-hotel-stays-now/

Robust travel retail growth expected in China

China will see an increase of more than 200% in international departures in 2021, reaching approximately 30 million international departures.

https://www.trbusiness.com/regional-news/asia-pacific/robust-travel-retail-growth-expected-in-china-predicts-m1nd-set/202802

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!

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The Week, That Was – February 2021 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!!

Webinar Invite: How to have a Winning Pricing Strategy to Drive Occupancy

As hotels tries to improve their exposure and open new demand avenues, eRevMax and Booking.com are happy to present webinar on 4th March, 2021 at 16:00 IST to showcase how hotels can put a winning pricing strategy in motion to drive demand for their properties.

Register Now – https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScz_QudRvJ_nuzC802iQkEXfX87Xm3wnSVDonSeY-WOJqzZlA/viewform

Business travel sees steady recovery in Europe

Most of the gain is expected to come at the end of 2021 as vaccinations increase globally and business confidence returns, according to GBTA’s latest BTI Outlook.

https://www.gbta.org/blog/business-travel-sees-steady-recovery-in-europe/

Expedia’s trends and predictions for 2021

New report finds people plan to travel more once a COVID-19 vaccine is widely available and will extend vacations this year, signaling industry recovery.

https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210216005474/en/Expedia-Group-Releases-Trends-and-Predictions-for-2021

CWT: The business case for data privacy

Throughout the pandemic, many companies have focused solely on preserving cash. But how directly involved should a CEO be in data-privacy?

https://news.mycwt.com/blog_posts/the-business-case-for-data-compliance-98811

Arabian Travel Week to ‘shape the recovery of Middle East travel industry’ says organizer

A host of events are planned to stimulate the bounce-back of the hotel, travel and tourism sectors. The hybrid Arabian Travel Market (ATM) this year will focus on the recovery of Middle East tourism, helping shape the path to recovery.

https://www.hoteliermiddleeast.com/business/123469-arabian-travel-week-to-shape-the-recovery-of-middle-east-travel-industry-says-organiser

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!

 

 

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The Week, That Was – February 2021 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!!

MG Group announces strategic partnership with distribution tech leader eRevMax

MG will employ eRevMax’s technology that features a seamless interface and will allow hotels to update rate and availability and receive reservations generated in the platform delivered in their hotel systems in real-time. The partnership gives eRevMax’s more than 9000 hotel clients dynamic access to the B2B industries newest demand side technology platform, MG Jarvis.

https://www.erevmax.com/ratetiger-news/ratetiger-news-archive/feb2021-erevmax-mggroup-strategic-partnership-distribution-techleader.html

Trivago: Hints of when and how travel will return

A top executive at Trivago thinks the period to understand the future of travel will be the third quarter of this year, the peak of the summer tourist season.

https://www.barrons.com/articles/trivago-earnings-offer-hints-of-when-and-how-travel-will-return-51612978912

eRevMax expands its Channel Ecosystem with MG Bedbank, HyperGuest and grabrooms

As hoteliers, are you ready to tap into domestic travel market? Are you connected to the right channels and keeping them automatically updated with rates and availability on a regular basis? Attract travellers to your hotel from RateTiger’s wide network of partners and expand your hotel’s online visibility. Connect to them today – https://www.erevmax.com/blog/index.php/2021/02/erevmax-expands-its-channel-ecosystem-with-mg-bedbank-hyperguest-and-grabrooms/

Triptease: Optimize your mobile experience for the travel rebound in Asia-Pacific.

Discover the fundamentals of a great mobile experience in this virtual workshop for hoteliers in Asia-Pacific.

https://www.triptease.com/blog/free-workshop-optimise-your-mobile-experience-for-the-travel-rebound/

Booking.com changes hotel cancellation and deposit policies

From 6 April, the website will only support cancellation and prepayment policies that require fees for the first night’s stay, 50% of the total stay or the entire stay.

https://www.thecaterer.com/news/bookingcom-cancellation-deposit-policy-change

UK travelers start booking holidays in May and onwards.

The data, released by Holiday Extras found that the top six destinations are Spain, Greece, USA, UAE, Italy and Turkey.

https://www.traveldailymedia.com/uk-travellers-are-starting-to-book-holidays-in-may-onwards/

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!

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The Week, That Was – February 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!!

Webinar Invite – Understanding Traveller Sentiment for Driving Hotel Business

With occupancy restrictions and changing guest expectations, hotels need to be competitive while being profitable. Join us for a webinar on 17th Feb to know how to leverage the right technology for distribution and operational efficiency.

Register today – https://www.erevmax.com/eshots/webinar/erevmax-prologicfirst-register-feb21.html

Where hotels are investing now

Technology is getting a lot of attention among hotel owners. Cloud-based technology, 5G and machine learning are among common tech investments by hotel owners, as the pandemic accelerates the need for leaner hotel operations and enhanced tech features for both staff and guests.

https://www.costar.com/article/1099742678/hotel-owners-the-driving-force-behind-tech-adoption

Capture the fastest-growing segment of bookers with Booking.com’s Mobile Rates

With the growth in domestic tourism, Booking.com is expecting almost 74% of bookings to come from a mobile phone. Adding a mobile rate to your property will increase your visibility with these customers and unlock your market potential with last-minute mobile bookings. You can update Mobile Rates on Booking.com directly from RateTiger.

https://www.erevmax.com/blog/index.php/2021/02/capture-the-fastest-growing-segment-of-bookers-with-booking-coms-mobile-rates/

Expedia expands hotel discount availability

Expedia Partner Solutions extends package rates to all TAAP travel agent members. Previously available only to a select group of partners, Expedia TAAP package rates are now available to all tiers giving them 20% on accommodation when booked alongside a transport component.

https://travolution.com/news/travel-sectors/travel-agents/expedia-travel-agent-affiliate-programme-extends-benefits-to-help-partners-recover

Agoda launches GoLocal Tonight

The new service helps hotels across Asia-Pacific to capitalize on the growing post-pandemic trend towards last-minute domestic bookings.

https://www.webintravel.com/agoda-sees-growing-demand-for-last-minute-deals-launches-new-tool/

Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky: “It’s going to be a year of focus”

Not only has focus helped Airbnb withstand the coronavirus pandemic, it will also be what sets the company up to capitalize on travel’s rebound.

https://www.phocuswire.com/airbnb-ceo-brian-chesky-going-to-be-year-of-focus

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!

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Capture the fastest-growing segment of bookers with Booking.com’s Mobile Rates

In these uncertain times, travellers are looking for extra flexibility. As hoteliers, you need to cater to the ever-changing guest expectation to drive demand to your property.

eRevMax offer seamless connectivity to multiple channel partners to expand your online brand visibility. With the growth in domestic tourism, Booking.com is expecting almost 74% of bookings to come from a mobile phone. Adding a mobile rate to your property will increase your visibility with these customers and unlock your market potential with last-minute mobile bookings. You can update Mobile Rates on Booking.com directly from RateTiger.

The use of mobile in emerging markets has changed how travel is searched and booked and by managing mobile rates, you too can improve reservations coming from mobile bookers.

Did you know?

  • 80% of travellers use a mobile app when researching a trip*
  • 50% of accommodation searches and bookings are made on mobile*
  • Mobile rates give partners 28% more bookings from mobile traffic*
  • 2-in-3 mobile bookings are made by Millennials or younger customers. Everyone might search from mobile but Millennials book.

What is Mobile Rate?

A Mobile Rate is a special discounted rate that’s only visible when someone uses Booking.com’s app or accesses Booking.com’s website using a mobile browser. You can use Mobile Rates to increase your bookings from mobile devices by up to 28%. Mobile Rates are active throughout the year.

How does your business benefit from Booking.com’s mobile rate?

Attract more bookings

Offering mobile rate drives more potential guests to your property page.

Mobile rates on average give partners 26% more bookings from mobile customers.

Mobile rates on average give partners 3% higher click-through rate from search results to the hotel page.

Stand out in searches

Once you activate the feature, a special badge will appear next to your property in search results and on your property page and during the booking process.

Position your property to digital natives who share experiences via social media.

Target mobile users with a special discount to encourage them to book your property immediately while they are on mobile.

Better price, better reviews, better ranking

Two-thirds of mobile bookings are made by millennials – who write more reviews than any other traveller segment. Attracting these bookers can positively impact your overall ranking on Booking.com.

Millennial smartphone ownership is rising: >94% in advanced economies, and >62% in emerging economies*. Attract this customer base with a special discount.

Avoid attention shifts to a competitor when they change device and start a new search process.

How Mobile Rates work?

  • Mobile rates are only visible to guests on mobile devices (on both the Booking.com app and mobile browsers).
  • A minimum 10% discount is recommended.
  • Mobile rates apply to all your rooms and rate plans. The discount combines with discounts for the Genius programme, as well as any other promotions you have set up. However, it does not add on to Country rate or Limited-time Deal.
  • You can set up 30 blackout days per calendar year.

The majority of reservations on Booking.com’s platform is made using mobile devices, so offering a Mobile Rate helps you tap into this large group of potential guests. Mobile Rates can also help you target millennials. The property can activate, edit and deactivate the mobile rates any times.

Creating Mobile Rates via RateTiger

If you do not already have a Mobile Rate set up for Booking.com, you can easily create one using through RateTiger.

  • Log in to your RateTiger platform – https://live.ratetiger.com/#/login
  • In the main dashboard, you will see the Promotions tile. Click on Create Promotion to go to the Promotions page.
  • On this page, select Mobile Promo and then select the channel – Booking-XML
  • Input the discount / promo and click on Create. The Mobile Rate gets created for Booking.com.

You can always update the settings of your Mobile Rates or deactivate them so that potential guests no longer see them.

Lastly there are a host of additional solutions through which your property can benefit and attract more bookings. You can get full details of the Booking.com Recovery Toolkit on the partner page.

RateTiger, powered by LiveOS, provides rate shopping, channel management, booking engine and online distribution solutions to hotels worldwide. It offers 99.9% system uptime and is security certified under ISO, PCI and GDPR compliant. eRevMax continues to expand its partner base through new integrations to offer hoteliers seamless connections across different systems including PMSs, CRSs, OTAs, Metasearch channels, GDS, Wholesalers and offline tour operators among others.

Subscribe to RateTiger today and start using this feature. Reach out to us for your connectivity needs to make the most of your online revenue- https://goo.gl/3gKUJZ

 

 

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Hoteliers to stay cautious as per eRevMax’s Hotel Sentiment Outlook 2021

eRevMax has published an in-depth Hotel Sentiment Outlook for 2021 based on hotel survey conducted in December. The report highlights varying levels of business confidence among hoteliers with Middle East showing strong travel rebound while most Western markets are far from normalcy.

The travel sector is unpredictable and with the spread of the new Covid 19 strain, the situation continues to look grim. The survey shows that hotels are cautious and looking for ways to generate new business.

As far as expectations regarding the time required for the market to recover and reach pre-Covid levels, the industry is largely divided. Around 40% of participating hoteliers felt that the travel industry will take up to 2 to 3 years to reach pre-Covid levels of business. While short term recovery has been witnessed in some regions, by and large, hoteliers feel that recovery will take longer, possibly by 2024. Almost 75% respondents believe that there will be a spike in domestic tourism while all other segments of tourism – MICE, corporate and foreign travel will continue to underperform over the next few months.

The survey findings show that hotels are prioritizing online sales to drive demand with channel management and booking engine solutions, even as there is a definite shift to automated touchless solutions.

To know more such key insights, please download the full report – https://www.erevmax.com/ratetiger-news/ratetiger-news-archive/jan2021-erevmax-hotel-survey-highlights-varying-levels-business-confidence.html

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Make 2021 count with RateTiger

We are living in unprecedented times and Covid-19 has – in more ways than one – altered the way we live, think, work, or even socialize with people around us.  With the Covid-19 vaccine roll-out restoring travelers’ confidence, hospitality business is expected to show signs of recovery. It is a crucial time for hoteliers to remain resilient and be prepared to drive demand. Hence a healthy distribution mix and robust technology set-up is key for your hotel.

RateTiger is happy to present its integrated distribution platform to make revenue management effective and seamless. Contact us  for a free demo to see how we can help you capture demand through tactical planning.

Avail our New Year Offer* – get 2 months free upon signing a 12-month subscription.

CRS / Channel Manager – Centrally manage ARI & bookings – access 450+ channels & diversify your distribution mix through 2-way XML connectivity

Rate Shopper – Analyze competitor rate strategy across channels to stay ahead in the market

Booking Engine – Increase your hotel’s direct sales and maximize booking opportunities

GDS Connectivity – Connect to all major GDS – publish ARI across 600,000 travel agents worldwide

Metasearch Marketing – Manage all metasearch sites including TripAdvisor & Google Hotel Ads directly from RateTiger

Website Development – Customized responsive website design for better engagement to drive conversions

Business Analytics – Get insights on pace, occupancy, channel performance & other metrics for informed decision making

Take benefit of our New Year offer – this could be the vaccine your hotel needs to drive new demand! We look forward to working with you.

Contact us – for a demo today.

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The Week, That Was – January 2021 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 Survey Report – Hotel Sentiment Outlook 2021

Based on hotel surveys conducted in December, #eRevMax publishes the Hotel Sentiment Outlook for 2021. The report highlights varying levels of business confidence among hoteliers with Middle East showing strong travel rebound while most Western markets are far from normalcy. With the spread of the new #Covid19 strain and fresh lockdowns in certain parts of the world, the travel sector continues to remain unpredictable. The survey indicates the depth of the impact of Covid-19 as hoteliers look for sustainable solutions to stay resilient.

To download the full report, click here –  https://www.erevmax.com/ratetiger-news/ratetiger-news-archive/jan2021-erevmax-hotel-survey-highlights-varying-levels-business-confidence.html

Is vaccine tourism possible?

Vaccines are already changing the sentiment around travel, but there’s one more thing that’s become part of the discussion: vaccine tourism.

https://www.fodors.com/news/coronavirus/thinking-about-traveling-just-to-get-vaccinated-you-need-to-read-this-first

Kayak: Where Americans want to travel in 2021

Vaccine news restores travelers’ confidence. Recent data from Kayak show that flight searches out of U.S. airports are up for several domestic and international destinations in the new year.

https://www.cntraveler.com/story/where-americans-want-to-travel-in-2021-according-to-flight-searches

Regenerative Travel: Are we heading for a better ‘normal’?

Travel companies have a real opportunity to create a new blueprint, one that nurtures people and planet, rather than consumes resources.

https://globetrender.com/2021/01/13/regenerative-travel-are-we-heading-for-a-better-normal/

What does the future of hospitality hold?

While the consensus revolves around the need for the industry to evolve in order to better adapt to the current environment, some suggested that hotel rooms, as we know them today, “will become a thing of the past”.

https://hospitalityinsights.ehl.edu/-top-hospitality-trends 

Tripadvisor launches new social distancing platform

Crowdfree will track when businesses and public places have peak and low crowd times to help travelers effectively social distance.

https://patch.com/massachusetts/needham/needham-based-tripadvisor-launches-new-social-distancing-platform

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!