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The Week, That Was – March 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!!

Travel Tech Announces First 2021 Virtual Conference for USA & Canada, from March 8-12, 2021 

Join us to explore new business frontiers and discover innovative technologies. Hear from experts on how they are adapting to the new normal and generating revenue opportunities for their business. 

The event will provide North American hotels with technology-based educational resources & actionable strategic updates, designed to support their financial recovery. 

Register Now for all five days of the Travel Tech USA & Canada conference - https://event.webinarjam.com/register/1/x463mfm 

 Business travel in the age of Covid-19 

 Business travelers rely more on their corporate travel booking partner to ensure travel accommodations are safe, and making last-minute changes as government policies shift. 

 https://www.travelerstoday.com/articles/49160/20210303/business-travel-in-the-age-of-covid-19.htm 

 Italy has a new way to combat overtourism 

 Before travel opens up again, Florence wants to make sure things will not return to the way they were before. One way to make sure of that? Diverting visitors away from Florence itself. 

 https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/uffizi-diffusi-tuscany-galleries-overtourism/index.html 

 TripAdvisor’s new subscription model wins fans on Wall Street 

 With TripAdvisor Plus, the fees that hotels normally pay the company will instead go to the consumer. 

 https://www.barrons.com/articles/tripadvisor-stock-new-wins-a-fan-on-wall-street-51614709413 

 When can we go on vacation again? This is what experts say 

 While travel experts are optimistic that things will slowly begin to open up again this year, how quickly that happens will depend on where you are, where you want to travel to. 

https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/when-can-we-go-on-vacation-again/index.html 

The changing face of travel payments 

Travel players are putting together preliminary itineraries for consumers looking to book trips but holding off on taking payments. 

https://www.pymnts.com/travel-payments/2021/the-changing-face-of-the-travel-payments-supply-chain/ 

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

With the Covid-19 vaccine roll-out restoring travelers’ confidence, hospitality business is expected to show signs of recovery. As demand destination is getting closer to origin, various OTAs are working with hotels to attract early bookers with more incentives and flexibilities. Hence it is important for hotels to know which channels are giving 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+ partners.

MG Bedbank

Considered South East Asia’s largest Bedbank, Indonesia based MG Bedbank is the newest addition to the eRevMax Channel Ecosystem. It works closely with over 5,500 hotels across the region and is a trusted and preferred booking platform for thousands of travel agents. If you are looking to attract new bookings, connect to this channel today.

HyperGuest

An API based platform, HyperGuest is the first open distribution marketplace where rooms move at hyperspeed. It enables direct connectivity between hotels and travel providers (Agencies, Consortia, specialist OTAs, Group Bookings). There is no cost for using the platform, hotels pay commissions only for confirmed reservations directly to the travel provider. Connect to the platform via RateTiger to capture available demand.

grabrooms

Are you looking to increase direct bookings from brand.com? Our new booking engine partner, grabrooms provide hoteliers with multiple direct booking solutions. With smart features like dynamic rate rules, powerful revenue algorithms and mobile wallet, your hotel can expand website sales. Implement a responsive and powerful booking solution for a smooth reservation experience for your guests. Contact us for more details.

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

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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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HRS, Winsar Group and Digibreaks join the eRevMax Partner Ecosystem

With new travel regulations being put in place across geographies due to the new Covid-19 strain, the hospitality industry is facing yet another period of uncertainty. As hoteliers, it is important to continue focusing on building a strong network of channel partners to get a share of the trickling demand wherever possible. As a distribution connectivity leader, we continue to promote OTAs and source channels that can bring new reservation for hotels. RateTiger offers a network of over 450 deeply integrated global, regional and local channels. Contact us today to expand your distribution connectivity today.

HRS

Our long-standing partner HRS is a market leader and considered one of the top three hotel portals in Europe. With over 300,000 properties across 190 countries, HRS offers a huge range of hotels worldwide for both leisure and business travellers, allowing guests to book their preferred hotel room and category quickly and easily. Add them to your distribution network to expand your online visibility and market share.

Winsar Group

If you are looking to switch your PMS, Winsar Group can be your next technology partner. It provides on-cloud property management system for hotels and resorts globally with an install base of 1500 hotels across 30 countries. Their main product WINHMS PMS is designed to handle high volumes of transactions with ease. The deep integration with RateTiger allows for seamless ARI and reservation flow, making it a smooth transition for your property. To request a demo, contact us today.

DigiBreaks

With the focus on domestic tourism, it is time for hotels to connect to relevant local and regional that can bring more business. Our Ireland based partner Digibreaks, is the ideal choice if you are looking to promote staycations and weekend packages. With over 1300 properties from Ireland, Sweden and Norway listed, Digibreaks processes around 15000+ bookings every month and delivered over €60m in revenue to partner hotels last year. Connect and manage Digibreaks through RateTiger today.

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

 

 

 

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Prologic First, Trivago and Atlantis join the eRevMax Partner Ecosystem

As lockdown and social distancing restrictions start to ease across the globe, domestic tourism is set to play a vital role in the rebuilding of economies. Advance hotel bookings are steadily rising in some parts of the world. Travelers are focusing on staycations and regional travel. Various OTAs are working closely with hotels to ensure health and hygiene protocols are strictly followed. They are offering new packages and creating local campaigns to attract guests and help increase hotel reservations. Knowing the right channels that bring business to your city is a key and being connected to them is very important to increase your hotel’s presence online.  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+ partners.

Prologic FIRST

One of our long-standing technology partners, Prologic First is known for its smart solutions for the hospitality industry. Over 2000 hospitality businesses across 40 countries use Prologic First as a preferred technology vendor. Their lead product WISH PMS is an advanced, new generation Hotel Front Office Software that consolidates all hotel front desk functions into a single workplace. Prologic First provides WISH PMS to both multi-property and standalone clients. With its contactless features, hotel guests can update their profiles, acknowledge registration cards, view the folio, avail express checkout, settle their bills and give feedback from their phones. If you are looking for a PMS provider, get in touch with us today.

Trivago

Are you looking to attract leisure travelers? Trivago, the global hotel search engine, empowers more than 120 million travelers every month in their search for the ideal hotel. In total, trivago’s sites cover more than 2.5 million hotels and other types of accommodations in 190 countries. Connect to trivago today through RateTiger and boost your hotel’s visibility with trivago’s Rate Connect and advertise direct rates to millions of travelers. Get your property listed now to grow your domestic booking share.

Atlantis

Are you looking to increase your hotel’s direct bookings? Implement a smart booking engine on your brand website for a smooth booking experience for your guests. Atlantis Online Reservation System (ORS) provides hoteliers with multiple direct booking solutions, including reservations management and integration to popular PMSs. Atlantis marketplace provides $450 million in gross bookings every year. If you are looking to change your booking engine, contact us today.

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

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Travel Tech EMEA Day 4 – Operations – Automation vs Human touch: the impact on operation and customer experience

Hospitality, by definition, is the relation between the guest and the host. Since the very beginning, guest engagement is determined by human interaction. Even with the growing popularity of automation, the key differentiation between a good hotel and a great one has been the human intervention. All that has changed now.

If automation was one of the considerations for hoteliers in the beginning of the year, it has become the top most priority now. Covid-19 has been the biggest disruptor in modern times with guest behaviour and preference gone for a radical shift. Social distancing and minimal contact have become the norm forcing hotels to look beyond human-centric service and embrace automation.

If the smiling front desk and house-keeping staff were a key contributor to guest satisfaction, in the post-Covid world, the expectation is self-check-in and robot cleaning with personalized service in place. As hotels readjust their operations to minimize touch points, striking a balance between automation and human touch has become the biggest challenge now.

In today’s session at Travel Tech EMEA, Vinicius Geraldo of HS LATAM is joined by Neha Ginoria of eRevMax  to discuss with industry experts – Neil James of ReviewPro, Felix Said of myHotel, Erik Tengen of Oaky, Chris Alexadre of GuestRevu, Amit Rahav of HyperGuest regarding Automation and impact on hotel operations and customer experience. Join us – register now – https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/6930318956520107533

 

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Travel Tech EMEA Day 3 – Digital Marketing – New ways and changes on guest booking journey

We all have been hearing about the change in guest behaviour and booking journey. Truth be told, the world has changed. Social distancing has become the norm. Everyone is extra cautious, and it looks like this is the ‘new normal’.

The new buzzword for the hospitality industry is ‘hygiene and sanitization’. ‘Safety’ has become the foremost consideration for travellers and they are ready to pay a price for it. While online still remains the most preferred way of booking, guests are giving far more weightage to remote check-in, digital key and remote services replacing the earlier expected face-to-face interaction.

While breakfast buffet was the earlier norm, no-contact in-room dining is the preference now. Weekend DJ evening is a thing of the past, instead you need to highlight safety measures and seclusion that you offer.

As for booking window, predictable seasonality is over for the time-being. With Europe and USA facing the second wave, there is apprehension and fear which is reflected in the irregular booking behaviour. Sadly this is expected to stay so and hoteliers need to adjust to shorter lead times. Non-refundable early booker rate is a thing of past. Guests now expect extra flexibility and support.

Brands across the globe are now coming to terms with the volatile business environment. What does this mean for hotels and their online digital marketing?

In today’s session at Travel Tech EMEA, Cofounder Vinicius Geraldo joins Alejandro Gomez and Rita Jusztina Varga along with the expert panel of speakers – Rodrigo Teixeira from Asksuite Hotel Chatbot, Nicola Seghi from SimpleBooking, Alberto Recanatesi from Bookassist, Theodoros Katsimpras from Bookonlinenow and Pavlina Zychova from MyStay to discuss Digital Marketing – news ways and changes in the guest booking journey. Register to exchange ideas and insights with the stalwarts – https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/6930318956520107533

 

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Travel Tech EMEA Day 2 – Online Sales and Distribution – Demand generation strategies

For over nine months now, the hotel industry is in a survival mode. The global hospitality industry has been facing its worst crisis, and with Europe again going for stricter restrictions and lockdown, hoteliers are grappling with the distribution challenge. The revenue needed to stay afloat in business is putting pressure on hotels to focus on occupancy. However, the long-term profitability requires a hard look at the distribution approach given the traditional channel-mix has become a thing of past.

As seen in the past crisis of 2008, this is also the time for hoteliers to rely on OTAs for driving demand in the post pandemic world. A smart distribution manager would also ensure there is no brand dilution due to price cutting. With guest behaviour going through a radical shift, hotels need to adapt to changes, and focus on the value addition through transparency, visibility, promotions and personalized communication on key channels while preventing inventory leak.

In today’s TRAVEL TECH EMEA Day 2 session, HS LATAM Founder Vinicius Geraldo joins Lybra- Zucchetti’s Jennifer Nagy and FunnelTV’s  Enzo Aita to discuss Online Sales and Distribution – Demand generation strategies in difficult times, with our panelists – Francine Heywood from OTA Insight, Rudi Azevedo from RM_Academy, James Bishop from SiteMinder and Claudio Limacher from YieldPlanet. Do join the session – https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/6930318956520107533