Category: Industry News

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

• Serving the rising surge in travel demand post-pandemic hotels are to hike corporate rates by 15% in 2023.
• LTI announces the World’s Best Luxury Hotel Brands 2022 with Six Senses securing the 1^st position for the 3^rd time consecutively.
• AC Hotels by Marriott debuts in Scotland, more precisely in the city of Inverness, marking its ambition to develop its lifestyle brand in Europe.
• Tackpay: A cashless tipping app for employee engagement in hospitality reducing the gap between service providers and guests.
• Capital One Travel announces new curated hotel selection and airport lounge concept.
• Qatar getting ready to welcome 6 million visitors a year by 2030 with new attractions, hotels and resorts opening up for the upcoming Global Sports Event.

Reach out to us for discussions regarding connectivity, direct booking, rate intelligence, website design, and digital marketing requirements – we are happy to explore new possibilities with you for your property  – contact us today.

Enjoy the read!

Corporate room rates to increase by 15% or more

Amid a strong pan-Indian demand across segments, hotel chains in India are looking to re-negotiate contracts with corporate firms. The new rates — expected to go up at least by 15 percent from now — will take effect from January 2023.

https://www.business-standard.com/article/companies/hotels-may-hike-corporate-rates-by-15-from-january-amid-surge-in-demand-122102300572_1.html

Want to know which are the World’s Best Luxury Hotels 2022?

Assessing the hotels on 128 touch points, LTI (Luxury Travel Intelligence) has released a list of 12 best luxury hotel brands. The focus is on a brand’s ability to deliver: its passion, commitment, ethos and values, as well as the quality of its management and staff.

https://www.hospitalitynet.org/news/4113146.html

Marriott has just opened the first property under its AC Hotels brand in Scotland

The four-storey AC Hotel by Marriott Inverness is the largest hotel in the Scottish city, comprising 191 rooms. The property houses an AC Lounge with a fireplace, which will serve cocktails including a locally inspired gin and tonic and local craft beers, as well as an all-day European restaurant with a riverside terrace. Leisure facilities include a 24-hour fitness centre with a riverside terrace.

https://hospitality-on.com/en/opening/ac-hotels-marriott-debuts-scotland

 A cashless tipping app to boost employee engagement in the hospitality sector

TACKPAY is a web app platform that allows direct tipping in a cashless way. This is thanks to a QR code provided to guests that allows direct payments via mobile phone to a worker’s bank accounts. Born with the vision of enabling everyone to send, receive and manage tips in a completely digital way, Tackpay has been slowly penetrating the hospitality market by creating different use cases that we have found extremely valuable as engagement practices.

https://www.hospitalitynet.org/opinion/4113170.html

Capital one to reinvent the travel forum

Capital One Travel is seeking to reinvent travel by launching two new schemes. Premier Collection, a selection of hundreds of luxury hotels and resorts around the world, and Capital One Landing, a new alternative to the traditional airport lounge, will seek to shake up the industry. The collection is accessible via Capital One Travel and is also available to Venture X cardholders.

https://hospitality-on.com/en/hospitality/capital-one-travel-announces-new-curated-hotel-selection-and-airport-lounge-concept

Qatar to welcome 6 million guests per year by 2030

With less than a month to go for then awaiting football tournament of the year, Qatar Tourism has revealed new tourism attractions, hotels and resorts that will be open for fans to enjoy during the tournament. This unprecedented year of development represents a major milestone in Qatar’s emergence as a tourist destination, with the country seeking to welcome six million visitors a year by 2030.

https://bwhotelier.businessworld.in/article/New-attractions-hotels-and-resorts-opening-in-Qatar-for-FIFA-World-Cup-Qatar-2022-/28-10-2022-452024/

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

• Is TikTok the new plan for hospitality and travel marketing? #TikTokTravel
• Maximize your hotel revenue with Booking Engine Data Points
• Global hotel pipeline activity goes down except for Middle East & Africa
• Marriott International is to acquire the City Express brand for $100 million
• New challenge for hotels: Green Financing or not

Reach out to us for discussions regarding connectivity, direct booking, rate intelligence, website design, and digital marketing requirements – we are happy to explore new possibilities with you for your property  – contact us today.

Enjoy the read!

TikTok grows to become the rising marketing tool for B2B and B2C industries

Tourism boards around the world are choosing TikTok to showcase their countries’ travel destinations with a global travel campaign #TikTokTravel across 100 countries and regions to inspire users to creatively capture and share their travel moments.

https://www.hospitalitynet.org/opinion/4113074.html

Go smart with your guests’ data from Booking Engine

The data from Hotel Booking Engine is a source of both direct and indirect revenue. Your booking engine is not only the most profitable source of direct booking but also the most trusted source of data. Data that tells you what age, location or purpose of travel your guests have, opens up opportunities to target quality leads and convert potential guests into confirmed bookings.

https://ratetiger.com/tips-to-revenue-management-use-your-data-points-to-its-maximization/

Saudi Arabia and UAE get the hotel pipeline in the Middle East to rise

Middle East & Africa was the only world region to show an increase in overall hotel pipeline activity at the end of the third quarter, according to September 2022 data from STR. Most of the region’s pipeline activity is focused in the Middle East. Saudi Arabia (39,070) and United Arab Emirates (32,373) lead in construction activity.

https://www.hospitalitynet.org/news/4113078.html

All the 152 hotels in City Express’ portfolio will have the “Marriott” signature

The portfolio accounts for 152 hotels, including 17,356 rooms across 75 cities in Mexico and 3 countries in Latin America, as well as 5 under-construction projects, representing an additional 676 rooms. The hospitality company expects to update the brand name by adding its “by Marriott” signature.

https://hospitality-on.com/en/hospitality/marriott-international-acquire-city-express-brand

Will green financing bring ESG in hospitality industry?

In hotel real estate, promising signs of a shift towards greener capital began to emerge in 2019, when BBVA and Pestana Hotel Group issued the world’s first hotel green bond (€60 million). Since then, hotel green loans too have been on an upward trajectory. In 2022, Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Project closed a green facility amounting to a colossal SAR14.12 billion (US$3.8 billion) to develop 16 hotels in the Kingdom, setting a new pace in the global movement towards sustainable development.

https://www.hospitalitynet.org/opinion/4113038.html

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

• Hilton ranked 2^nd in the list of the World’s 25 Best Workplaces by Fortune Magazine for the 7^th year in a row.
• Amazon selects RoomIT as its Hotel Category Management Partner
• Directly targeting customer data, Booking Engine data points bring both direct and indirect bookings to hotels.
• To automate or not to automate? The hospitality industry’s dilemma continues.
• UK Hospitality Industry announced at a seminar at the London Marriott Hotel Grosvenor Square that it aims for Net Zero by 2040
• MakeMyTrip joins hands with Lohono Stays to accelerate the growth of luxury homestay segment in India.

Reach out to us for discussions regarding connectivity, direct booking, rate intelligence, website design, and digital marketing requirements – we are happy to explore new possibilities with you for your property  – contact us today.

Enjoy the read!

Hilton: the only hospitality company to be rewarded for Best Workplace

Starting from 2016 when Hilton was first recognized as a “Great Workplace to Work”, Hilton has continued to build upon its strong workplace culture through an unwavering focus on creating an environment that’s inclusive, offers growth opportunities, is driven by purpose and allows team members to bring their best, most authentic selves to work. The hospitality company provides best-in-class benefits to both hourly and salaried team members.

https://www.hospitalitynet.org/news/4112934.html

Amazon partners with RoomIT for hotel service support

CWT today announces that its global hotel division RoomIt, has been selected by Amazon to provide comprehensive hotel category services support. This includes sourcing, booking and rate reshopping, whilst helping to increase compliance with hotel policy and optimize Amazon traveler satisfaction.

https://www.hotelnewsresource.com/article123069.html

Using data points for hotel revenue maximization

Data from the booking engine essentially helps hoteliers understand market trends, analyze past experiences and give a competitive advantage of pricing strategy. It is a source of both direct and indirect revenue. Directly, the booking engine brings direct booking to your hotel saving you from the commission paid to 3rd parties like OTAs, GDS and metasearch. Indirectly, this data educates on customer behavior and booking patterns guiding you to strategize your marketing efforts in the right way.

https://ratetiger.com/tips-to-revenue-management-use-your-data-points-to-its-maximization/

Hotels struggle between automating or not automating staff service

Over the years hotels were sluggish in adopting to the automation process due to a lack of human touch. CVENT revealed that post-Covid over 56% of hospitality professionals anticipate that automation will be “extremely important” in 2022. What brings this sudden change?

https://www.hospitalitynet.org/viewpoint/125000170.html

UK hospitality industry to go net zero by 2040

Announced at a seminar at the London Marriott Hotel Grosvenor Square yesterday, the trade body’s new Sustainability Commitment sets out 10 pledges in four key areas – waste, supply chain, skills and biodiversity. The initiative forms part of a wider drive to help businesses, especially small and medium enterprises (SMEs), make hospitality a leader in sustainability.

https://www.hotelnewsresource.com/article123060.html

MakeMyTrip and Lohono Stays together to expand  luxury homestays in India

Vipul Prakash, COO, MakeMyTrip, said, “We have been steadily investing behind the homestay segment over the last couple of years and have emerged as the homestay hub with coverage in more than 1100 cities across the country.  The attempt now, with Lohono Stays partnership, is to further accelerate the base of ultra-luxury segment in the homestay ecosystem. We have already seen initial wins with the current offer on Lohono Stays and expect it to grow in the future.”

https://bwhotelier.businessworld.in/article/MakeMyTrip-joins-hands-with-Lohono-Stays-to-grow-luxury-homestay-segment/13-10-2022-450363/

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

• Lithuania-based upscale property Art City Inn experiences strong recovery and expansion in online bookings. Read in the first news how RateTiger products are helping them to maximize their revenue.
• Hoteliers Adapt, No Longer To Survive But To Thrive. Read further leaders of major hotel brands are applying strategies to drive demand to their properties and gain market share for the brands.
• According to New Industry Poll from GBTA, business Travel Continues Bouncing Back with a Strong Outlook for 2023
• Interest has skyrocketed since the pandemic, with a number of high profile establishments focusing their attention on those suffering from sleep- deprivation.
• Hoteliers Refine Channel Strategies To Maintain Profits
• Google Search now has a grid layout option labeled “more hotels.” This is even when Google shows the hotel listings sections, other hotel listings, explore more hotels, and now also this “more hotels” four grid layout.

Reach out to us for discussions regarding connectivity, direct booking, rate intelligence, website design, and digital marketing requirements – we are happy to explore new possibilities with you for your property  – contact us today.

Enjoy the read!

Art City Inn Vilnius recommends RateTiger Channel Manager & Booking Engine for Revenue Growth

Lithuania-based upscale property Art City Inn has been leveraging RateTiger Channel Manager and Booking Engine for optimizing and expanding online distribution. The property has experienced excellent growth in bookings by adding new source markets through RateTiger’s wide network of demand channels as well as driving direct bookings from their brand website.

https://ratetiger.com/art-city-inn-vilnius-recommends-ratetiger-channel-manager-booking-engine-for-revenue-growth/

Europe’s hotel industry ripe for growth

Hotel operators are applying lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic to strategies to drive demand to their properties and gain market share for the brands.

https://www.costar.com/article/524142778/hoteliers-adapt-no-longer-to-survive-but-to-thrive

GBTA: Business travel continues bouncing back with a strong outlook for 2023

Bookings and spending continue to recover, international travel narrows the gap on domestic travel, economic concerns eclipse COVID-19, even as higher expectations prevail for 2023.

https://www.gbta.org/business-travel-continues-bouncing-back-with-a-strong-outlook-for-2023-according-to-new-industry-poll-from-gbta/

 The rise of sleep tourism

Sleep tourism has been growing in popularity for a number of years, with an increasing amount of sleep-focused stays popping up in hotels and resorts across the world.

https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/sleep-tourism-wellness/index.html

Hoteliers refine channel strategies to maintain profits

As the industry comes down from its leisure-driven demand high of the summer, revenue experts are being forced to look more closely at where and how they find new streams of demand.

https://www.costar.com/article/856449429/hotel-revenue-managers-scrutinize-costs-of-acquiring-group-business-guests

Google adds “more hotels” section

The new section adds four more hotels in SERPs, in addition to the existing “other hotels” and “explore more hotels” sections.

https://www.seroundtable.com/google-more-hotels-grid-layout-34182.html

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

• The hotel industry has some serious investments to make in improving guest experience if hoteliers want to maintain current high rates, hotel revenue managers said.
• Budget plays a significant role. A cost-effective and feature-effective channel manager software will save your investments, time and enhance the guest experience. Learn from 2^nd piece of news below tips to choose the best hotel channel manager.
• 2022 forecast for digital ad spending by the US travel industry, including breakouts for search, display, and video advertising, as well as mobile versus nonmobile advertising.
• As the industry begins to embrace Travel 3.0, the third version of the internet is expected to bring autonomy to the existing internet through decentralized technology and the application of Artificial Intelligence.
• Recent estimates by travel management company CWT and the Global Business Travel Association show that corporate travel prices are likely to rise in 2023.
• As much as the landscape in the hospitality industry changes, some things stay the same when it comes to setting expectations for the average hotel stay.

Reach out to us for discussions regarding connectivity, direct booking, rate intelligence, website design, and digital marketing requirements – we are happy to explore new possibilities with you for your property  – contact us today.

Enjoy the read!

Hotel guest experience needs to improve to maintain rates

The hotel industry has serious investments to improve the guest experience if hoteliers want to keep current high rates.

https://www.costar.com/article/1569553418/hotel-guest-experience-needs-to-improve-to-maintain-rates

Tips to Choose the Best Hotel Channel Manager

Are you a hotel owner looking to grow your online business in this modern, tech-savvy age of travelers? The size of your hotel, budget, OTA connections, and various other factors play a significant role in helping you decide which hotel channel manager software you should use. Know the tips to Choose the Best Hotel Channel Manager – https://lnkd.in/g2WXP_C6

U.S. travel industry digital ad spending 2022

After an unexpected 42.7% boom in 2021, the travel industry is set to increase its ad buying by another 22.5% this year.

https://www.insiderintelligence.com/content/us-travel-industry-digital-ad-spending-2022

Web 3.0 unleashing the possibilities for corporate travel

As the industry begins to embrace Travel 3.0, powered by a wave of innovations built on mobile consumer technology, it can be anticipated that more significant changes are coming.

https://hospitality.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/speaking-heads/web-3-0-unleashing-the-possibilities-for-corporate-travel/94298730

Consumers could end up spending a lot to travel in 2023

If demand stays strong, consumers could pay more to travel in 2023 than this year.

https://www.fool.com/the-ascent/credit-cards/articles/will-you-pay-more-to-travel-in-2023/

What do guests want in a modern hotel stay?

As much as the landscape in the hospitality industry changes, some things stay the same when setting expectations for the average hotel stay.

https://www.infor.com/blog/what-do-guests-really-want-in-a-modern-hotel-stay-5-essentials

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

• Crafting and planning a hotel pricing strategy is not a layman’s task. To sell your rooms at the best available price you need to go beyond cost and profit. Read in the first news below to know how to set the best price for your hotel.
• The architects, hoteliers, space pioneers and designers shaping what travel looks like in 2022 and beyond.
• The relationship between hoteliers and online travel agencies has improved, what’s different now and the ways new technology is improving the guest booking experience.
• U.S. retains its position as the world’s biggest Travel & Tourism market despite lengthy travel restrictions by boosting domestic travel.
• Google asked more than 7,000 travelers from six countries how they plan a trip from beginning to end, starting with what inspired them to travel. Know more how to earn more valuable bookings.
• TravelTime World launched a marketing campaign recently called ‘The Heat Is On’ highlighting the low cost per day of long-stay holidays.

Reach out to us for discussions regarding connectivity, direct booking, rate intelligence, website design and digital marketing requirements – we are happy to explore new possibilities with you for your property  – contact us today.

Enjoy the read!

Room Rate API to Set the Best Price for Your Hotel

Do you know how much is your competitor charging for similar rooms? Having a clear status on the market demand and a competitive pricing strategy will help you price your rooms to your advantage. Learn from this article how to set the best room rates – https://lnkd.in/g_kBfreC

Meet 9 people who are changing the future of travel

It’s tempting to see the future as bigger, and bolder, but in many ways, we see the next era as gentler: more sensitive, more diverse and community-oriented – less about grand.

https://www.cntraveller.com/article/people-who-are-changing-the-future-of-travel

Hotel, OTA relationship has improved

The relationship between hoteliers and online travel agencies had been fraught for many years, but that has changed since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

https://www.costar.com/article/740396411/hotel-online-travel-agency-relationship-has-improved-executives-say

US remains world’s biggest travel & tourism market

Research by Oxford Economics for WTTC shows there has been no change in the top three countries – with China second and Germany third.

https://wttc.org/News-Article/us-retains-its-position-as-the-worlds-biggest-travel-and-tourism-market-despite-lengthy-travel-restrictions-by-boosting-domestic-travel

Google on how to earn more valuable bookings

Needs-based bookings are more valuable than price-based ones, lifting revenue across major categories.

https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/feature/travel-customer-journey-in-2020

Is energy tourism a new travel trend?

A UK company is encouraging travelers to book a winter holiday to avoid high energy bills.

https://www.euronews.com/travel/2022/09/05/is-energy-tourism-a-new-travel-trend-a-winter-escape-could-be-cheaper-than-paying-your-bil

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

• Bahrain-based Al Safir Hotel & Tower has found its perfect technology partner in RateTiger. Recommends RateTiger Shopper, Channel Manager & Booking Engine for total online distribution.
• US hotels set another monthly record for average daily rate (ADR) in July, according to hospitality research firm STR, in a further sign of the rapid recovery in the global hotel industry as well as inflation pushing up prices.
• As per ETC’s (European Travel Commission) forecast, Europe is going to recover 70% of the pre-pandemic travel revenue by 2022 end with summer bringing the maximum.
• For brands that are beginning their planning for this year’s holiday season, let’s take a look at five best-practice strategies for success in 2022. Read on to know how you can make it work for your property.
• Market study on hotel distribution in the EU – OTAs account for 44% of independent hotels’ room sales, a slight increase relative to 2016.
• A new study shows the best hotel price comparison sites for travellers – check our the results.

Reach out to us for discussions regarding connectivity, direct booking, rate intelligence, website design and digital marketing requirements – we are happy to explore new possibilities with you for your property  – contact us today.

Enjoy the read!

Al Safir Hotel & Tower Trusts RateTiger for Rate Parity and Revenue Management

The 4-star luxury property has been leveraging eRevMax solutions, including RateTiger Shopper for rate intelligence and managing price parity, Channel Manager for keeping rates and availability in sync across all sales channels as well as Booking Engine for keeping brand.com updated with real-time inventory and rates.

https://ratetiger.com/al-safir-hotel-tower-trusts-ratetiger-for-rate-parity-and-revenue-management/

US hotel rates reach another record high as sector recovers

ADR in the US reaches $159.08 in July, 17.5% higher than in July 2019

https://www.businesstravelnewseurope.com/Accommodation/US-hotel-rates-reach-another-record-high-as-sector-recovers

How are Europeans Travelling this Summer in 2022?

As per European Travel Commission’s forecast, Europe is going to recover 70% of the pre-pandemic travel revenue by end of 2022, with summer bringing the maximum. When it comes to choosing accommodation, 57% of European travelers have a likeliness towards hotels. Let us have a look at what is on the bucket list of European travelers this summer 2022- https://lnkd.in/gWaqcear

Holiday 2022: How brands can stand out this season

For brands that are beginning their planning for this year’s holiday season, let’s take a look at five best-practice strategies for success in 2022.

https://www.fastcompany.com/90780916/holiday-2022-how-brands-can-stand-out-this-season

European Commission publishes market study on hotels’ distribution practices

The results of the market study do not indicate any significant change in the competitive situation in the hotel accommodation distribution sector in the EU compared to 2016.

Download the PDF – https://competition-policy.ec.europa.eu/system/files/2022-08/kd0722783enc_hotel_accomodation_market_study.pdf

Which website has the cheapest hotel rates?

A new study analyzed 1,000 hotels across twenty cities, within the U.S. and internationally to find which comparison site is the best.

https://www.cnbc.com/2022/08/26/how-to-find-cheap-hotel-rooms-survey-compares-popular-website-rates.html

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

• With Google dominating the market, and around 15% of the hotel reservations coming from metasearch, make sure hotel is marketing on metasearch channels – read to know how.
• Hotel automation is moving to new levels – check out what this New Orleans based hotel is doing differently.
• Major travel booking sites focus on making online travel planning even more easy and intuitive through better search results.
• Rakuten shares outcomes from recent research showcasing how travellers search, influencer channels by generation and various other interesting trends.
• Innovative hotels are using NFTs to attract international travelers. In 2021 alone, NFTs transacted for more than $17 billion, generating earnings of more than $5 billion. Find out more about NFTs in the last news piece.

Reach out to us for discussions regarding connectivity, direct booking, rate intelligence, website design and digital marketing requirements – we are happy to explore new possibilities with you for your property  – contact us today.

Enjoy the read!

Metasearch – Hotel’s Best Friend to Drive More Direct Bookings

Online booking is now a key source of hotel bookings & metasearch plays a major role. The moment a user types a location on Google, multiple options are displayed along with the price and details of the same hotel on different sites. The facility of comparison before booking makes 94% of the travelers find the best deal on metasearch. Know more tips to win metasearch bookings – https://lnkd.in/gXrPeka6

Welcome to the world of hotel automation

Guests staying at a Sextant hotel in New Orleans check in without any interaction with a human being. They’re greeted by a virtual concierge visible on a computer monitor but based thousands of miles away.

https://www.protocol.com/enterprise/sextant-hotel-hospitality-automation-virtual#toggle-gdpr

Online travel planning is getting easier

Airbnb, Google Travel and a few other platforms have tweaked their search engines, and that means less slogging through pages and pages of results.

https://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/destination-of-the-week/at-last-online-travel-planning-becoming-a-little-easier-8098144/

How consumers search for travel deals

Brands are benefitting from consumers searching for affiliate channels and loyalty sites, especially when looking for hotel accommodations.

https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/376747/rakuten-travel-research-shows-how-consumers-search.html

How hotels are using NFTs to attract travelers

NFTs are appealing to international travelers, especially Gen Z & Millennials who are early adopters.

https://www.traveldailymedia.com/how-innovative-hotels-are-using-nfts-to-attract-international-travelers/