Category: Industry News

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The Week, That Was – April 2018 Week 2

 In five minutes or less, keep track of the most important news of the week, curated just for you. We present to you hand – picked news on latest industry perspectives and some general updates. Read on!!

The Beginner’s Guide to Basic (but Essential) Hotel Technology by Trivago
Hotel technology now lives in large part online. Which means that hoteliers access and engage with hotel technology online to do everything from marketing their properties to distributing their rooms, managing their daily operations, processing reservations, and everything in between.

http://hotelmanager-blog.trivago.com/beginners-guide-to-hotel-technology/

eRevMax strengthens its leadership team for LiveOS
Diako Sali appointed as Director of Global Sales

http://www.erevmax.com/ratetiger-news/ratetiger-news-archive/apr2018-erevmax-strengthens-leadership-team-liveos.html

A brief history of property management systems
A lot of hotel websites, for example, show weather information, but it is unlikely that web agencies develop their own weather widgets from scratch. More likely, they connect to existing monitor apps, so that web users can check the temperature of their chosen destination without even realizing that the information is actually provided by an external source. This communication is made possible by the use of an API.

https://www.tnooz.com/article/hotel-property-management-systems-pms/

The HSMAI Region Europe Awards 2017
The European HSMAI Awards took place in Amsterdam last Tuesday evening, marked by a great atmosphere, dancing guests, excellent entertainment, food, beverages and, but not least, top notch winners – and now the Top 20 the list is also official!

https://www.hospitalitynet.org/news/4087909.html

IS YOUR HOTEL WEBSITE READY FOR WHAT’S NEXT IN 2018?
There are two major factors that will affect website performance in 2018:
Google’s Mobile First Index
Website ADA Compliance

https://www.hebsdigital.com/are-you-ready-for-2018

Meet us at
ATM Dubai, from 22 – 25 April 2018 to see how we can assist you – marketing@erevmax.com

Thanks and have a good day!

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The Week, That Was – April 2018 Week 1

In five minutes or less, keep track of the most important news of the week, curated just for you. We present to you hand – picked news on latest industry partnerships, market performance and some general updates. Read on!!

eRevMax completes 2-way integration with Brazilian PMS provider Check-in
Interface to facilitate seamless real-time rate, availability and reservation data transfer between hotels and online sales channels

http://www.erevmax.com/ratetiger-news/ratetiger-news-archive/apr2018-erevmax-2way-integration-brazilian-pms.html

 The $28 billion opportunity for hotels
Ancillary bookings represent a significant opportunity for hotels to add revenue while increasing guest engagement. The airline industry adopted the practice of cross-selling and up-selling trip extras more than a decade ago with impactful results.  How can hotels do the same and best complete their guests’ travel experience by offering products beyond hotel rooms?

https://www.tnooz.com/article/the-28-billion-opportunity-for-hotels/

The Smart GM’s Checklist for Hotel Marketing

A smart, easy place for every GM to start is understanding the four traditional pillars of marketing that directly drive the success of your hotel.

https://www.hospitalitynet.org/opinion/4087765.html

Business travelers are eager to purchase more from hotels
Business travelers are more loyal than leisure travelers: 59% of business travelers belong to one or more hotel loyalty programs.
A new white paper commissioned by iSeatz, a technology company providing ancillary booking solutions, titled Business Traveler and their Demand for Ancillary Services, researched by Phocuswright, shows that business travelers are interested in purchasing more than just rooms from hotels.

http://hotelmarketing.com/index.php/content/article/business_travelers_are_eager_to_purchase_more_from_hotels

European visitors to GCC to increase 17% by 2020Arrivals from Europe to the GCC will increase 17% over the period 2018 to 2020, driven by extra flights, routes, competitive fares, and the rising number of mid-market hotels throughout the region, according to the latest data published ahead of Arabian Travel Market 2018, which takes place at Dubai World Trade Centre from April 22-25.
https://www.eturbonews.com/181749/european-visitors-to-gcc-to-increase-17-by-2020

Meet us at
ATM Dubai, from 22 – 25 April 2018 to see how we can assist you – marketing@erevmax.com

Thanks and have a good day!

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The Week, That Was – March 2018

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!

Google’s New Look for Mobile Hotel Ads

Recently, there is a new mobile experience on Google Hotel Ads. The tested mobile interface on Google had a refreshed hotel listing page, a cleaner call out for pricing, an updated color scheme, and a clear designation when a hotel has a competitive price.

https://www.4hoteliers.com/features/article/11140

Metasearch power plays: What hoteliers need to know about staying competitive

Metasearch sites account for over 45% of global unique visitors in travel, according to PACE Dimensions’ analysis of SimilarWeb data for the top 10,000 travel websites. This is greater than the proportion of unique visitors for OTAs, both globally and in the US.

https://www.tnooz.com/article/metasearch-power-plays-what-hoteliers-need-to-know-about-staying-competitive-in-metasearch

HospitalityUnited.Club highlights key travel trends in Europe

The big four, namely Spain, Italy, France and United Kingdom occupy the largest share of the travel pie in Europe, topping the list with 4 out of 6 travellers visiting Europe. The travel optimism for the region, which has shown a record 29% growth in long-haul trips by EU residents, has led to a good increase in occupancy and revenue per available room (RevPAR) in 2017. 

https://goo.gl/SxEChk

Global hotel inventory has grown an impressive 18% in 10 years

According to the data from STR, a global data benchmarking company that maintains the world’s largest global hotel performance sample, the world has 184,299 hotels comprising 16,966,280 rooms.

http://www.traveldailymedia.com/str-global-hotel-inventory/

Expedia Inc. Changes Name to Expedia Group Inc.

Expedia, Inc. is now Expedia Group: The world’s travel platform, bringing the world within reach.

https://www.hotelbusiness.com/expedia-inc-changes-name-to-expedia-group-inc/

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

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The Week, That Was – March 2018

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!

HospitalityUnited.Club brings together the who’s who of the industry in Berlin

Agoda, Amadeus, Fornova, InnoVel, LiveOS, Newhotel Software, Roiback, RateTiger and Sojern partnered to host a networking session on the sidelines at ITB Berlin

https://goo.gl/k9qCTL

Airbnb Makes Its Battle Against Booking and Expedia Official With New Hotel Campaign

Airbnb has been trying to add more hotels and bed-and-breakfasts onto its platform for some time, but now the company made its entreaties to those hospitality providers all the more public and transparent.

https://skift.com/2018/03/13/airbnb-makes-its-battle-against-booking-and-expedia-official-with-new-hotel-campaign/

Travelers now prefer travel apps to web for search and booking

Up until recently “mobile” really meant either mobile apps, found in places like the App Store, or mobile web, accessible via URLs. What we see now is that travelers are increasingly turning to the app experience, rather than mobile web, to search and book flights and accommodation.

https://www.tnooz.com/article/travel-apps-now-preferred-to-web-for-search-and-booking/

How Google’s dynamic emails could change the way we book travel

Advertising hotels through email have always been a tricky proposition. With Google’s dynamic emails, that limitation could be lifted and may create new marketing channels.

https://goo.gl/QBpHkp

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

Thanks and have a good day!

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Snack-and-talk with Fornova and LiveOS at ITB Berlin 2018

We have joined forces with Live OS at ITB Berlin next week to host a series of snack-and-talk sessions to explore how we are bringing 360 degrees distribution solutions to hotels. Through our recent partnership with LiveOS, Fornova Distribution Intelligence is now available directly within the LiveOS platform.
Through LiveOS, you can seamlessly access all your data and systems through a single, personalised platform. The unified dashboard will help you proactively spot key trends and opportunities through simple calls to action, which now includes Fornova Distribution Intelligence.
Join us to hear how we can help you increase your net RevPAR by enhancing your distribution management practices to reduce your cost of guest acquisition. And how we are working with LiveOS to bring these insights directly into one platform, through seamless technology integration.
The snack-and-talk sessions will take place at Hall 8.1 – Stand 132 during the following days and times:
  • Wednesday, 7th March at 4:00 PM
  • Thursday, 8th March at 11:00 AM
  • Thursday, 8th March at 4:00 PM

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Thanks and have a good day
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The Week, That Was – February 2018 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!

Smart Hotel Guest Rooms Are Almost Here

The smart guest room of the future is still in development. A strong return on investment for hotel owners who invest in updated technology, however, will help push these innovations into the mainstream.

https://skift.com/2018/02/13/smart-hotel-guest-rooms-are-almost-here/

Hotels admit steep reliance on online travel agencies

Hotels have a high dependency on online travel agencies to distribute their inventory, with almost every other channel deemed to be low on the same scale. The study spoke to chain hotels, independent properties and management companies.

https://www.phocuswire.com/HEDNA-hotel-distribution-study?utm_source=Hotel+News+Resource

Duetto closes $80m financing round

Duetto, headquartered in San Francisco and with offices in Las Vegas, Cleveland, London and Singapore, has quickly grown to serve more than 2,500 hotels and casinos in more than 60 countries. Those customers have consistently outperformed the market, beating their competition’s rate of revenue growth by more than 6.5% since the launch of the company.

http://duettocloud.com/duetto-closes-80-million-series-d-financing-round-led-warburg-pincus/

Skyscanner chatbots pass one million unique traveller interactions

How big is your optimisation and testing team? How do you find a balance between design/customer-focus and optimising performance? Skyscanner’s chatbots (across a range of platforms) have already surpassed one million traveller interactions.

https://www.econsultancy.com/blog/69799-skyscanner-chatbots-pass-one-million-unique-traveller-interactions

Ex-Kuoni to transform Miki Travel

Miki Travel, a DMC majority owned by Japan’s H.I.S. Group, is undergoing transformation with three strategic pillars – technology, expansion and management

http://www.ttgasia.com/2018/02/14/ex-kuoni-moeschler-out-to-transform-miki-travel/

Looking to measure profitability of your sales channels? Come and meet us at ITB Berlin, Hall 8.1, Stand 132 from 7 – 10 March 2018. Book a meeting today – marketing@erevmax.com

Thanks and have a good day!

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The Week, That Was – February 2018 Week 2

In five minutes or less, keep track of the most important news of the week, curated just for you. We present to you hand – picked news on latest industry perspectives and some general updates. Read on!!

Fragmented distribution makes corporate hotel booking compliance a challenge

Travel managers want to control costs, ensure travellers’ safety and comfort, and obtaining data helps them to optimise programmes, pricing and policies. It’s important to understand why a traveller is booking out of policy – is it location, price or experience?

https://buyingbusinesstravel.com/feature/0728387-hotel-distribution-swimming-channels

The Travel Agent of the Future

The Internet, said experts, would replace retail agencies as customers looked to big Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) to search and book their travel plans.

https://goo.gl/tGXSuD

Three ways metasearch will empower hotels to compete in 2018

As the hotel-branded direct booking with metasearch channel becomes mainstream, our partner trivago lists out the upcoming trends for 2018.

https://www.tnooz.com/article/three-ways-metasearch-will-empower-hotels-to-compete-in-2018/

Hospitality Poised for Growth in Bookings in 2018

Travel is becoming more experience-driven, and most hoteliers are concentrating innovation on the higher tiers, perhaps at the detriment of the midscale segment. “If there is one segment that should capture the attention of hotel developers in 2018, it is midscale hotels,” according to the outlook. “Forward-thinking hotel brands are already taking advantage of the opportunity to deliver travelers some of the look, feel and experience of a pricy lifestyle hotel in an affordable package.

https://www.hotelbusiness.com/outlook-hospitality-poised-for-growth-in-bookings-in-2018/

Hotels—Not OTAs—Own the Data That Makes the Difference

Hotels should aim to lead the market and proactively take share. The way to do that is to wield a hotel’s historical performance, customer data from the CRM, and actual on-property spending from folio data in the hotel’s pricing strategy. Most importantly, hotels should set their rates for the maximum profit and gauge how their pricing—not their competitors’—affects the properties’ demand.

http://lodgingmagazine.com/hotels-not-otas-own-the-data-that-makes-the-difference/

Google updates UX to make flight and hotel bookings easier on mobile

This week, Google is rolling out improvements to its mobile experience for its flights, hotels, and discovery products. The company, which has long made for anxious hand-wringing with its travel products, has made navigating on mobile much more straightforward. From searching through reviews to exploring hotel room categories to the actual bookings, the next iteration is a tighter, more integrated experience.

https://www.tnooz.com/article/google-updates-ux-flight-and-hotel-bookings-easier-on-mobile/
   
Connect with us for your connectivity needs in this new year to make the most of online revenue. https://goo.gl/3gKUJZ

Thanks and have a good day!

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The Week, That Was – January 2018- 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!!

Cyberattacks on Hotels – What Should Hotel Owners and Operators Do?

Protecting guests’ information (and employees’ information) from hackers is one of the biggest business challenges faced by hotel owners today. Data breaches can result in loss of reputation and loss of revenue, and can trigger costly lawsuits and government investigations.

https://www.htrends.com/trends-detail-sid-98173.html

OTAs serve up even bigger trouble for Asia-Pacific hotels

Online travel agents have captured a huge portion of the online hotel market in Asia-Pacific — phocuswright puts it at a massive 70 per cent — and a new report lays bare the impact on hotels.

http://www.travelweekly.com.au/article/otas-serve-up-even-bigger-trouble-for-hotels/

The state of Hotel Central Reservations Systems (CRS)

Today’s travelers have high expectations of a personalized e-commerce experience along their journey, which makes guest-centric functionalities a top priority for a hotel chain’s central reservations system (CRS). As a result, the hoteliers’ demand for innovative and improved CRS services continues to grow.

https://goo.gl/yHPZCt

8 traits every successful Revenue Manager needs

Have you ever wondered what it takes to become a successful Revenue Manager? The Revenue Manager has a key role in getting guests through the doors during periods of high and low demand. This article will uncover the 8 traits every successful Revenue Manager needs to do the job!

https://blog.netaffinity.com/8-traits-every-successful-revenue-manager-needs/

Why Expedia or Priceline Might Just Be the Next Great Hotel Brand

As online travel agencies decide whether to become more like hotel companies, whether by providing some of the hotel brands’ services directly to hotel owners or actually owning hotel assets, their counterparts — the hotel brands — are wondering how they might become more like online travel agencies, in some ways.

https://skift.com/2018/01/23/why-expedia-or-priceline-might-just-be-the-next-great-hotel-brand/

How to optimize hotel website images and why you should

Many search engine optimization industry experts have made the connection between optimizing images and improved Organic Search performance. Updating Title Tags, Alt Tags and Image Filenames are a few of the recommendations to best optimize images on a website for better search engine rankings and performance.

https://gcommercesolutions.com/optimize-hotel-website-images-and-why-you-should/

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

Thanks and have a good day!

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The Week, That Was – January 2018- 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 partnerships, perspectives, and some general updates. Read on!!

How the Composition of RevPAR Growth Impacts Changes in Profits

The strong relationship between changes in RevPAR and changes in GOP becomes evident when analyzing data from the 2017 Trends report. From 2015 to 2016, the entire sample of 3,331 operating statements averaged a RevPAR increase of 2.6 percent, while GOP for the sample grew by 3.7 percent. However, when stratifying the sample by the magnitude of RevPAR change, we see a linear relationship between RevPAR change and GOP change.

http://lodgingmagazine.com/how-the-composition-of-revpar-growth-impacts-changes-in-profits/

Expedia looks at US traveler trends across Boomers

Expedia has shared the results of a multi-generational travel study, conducted in partnership with The Center for Generational Kinetics which explores the consumer behavior and travel preferences of American adults from Generation Z (18-22) to Baby Boomers (55-56). Expedia surveyed 1,254 US respondents aged 18-65.

https://www.tnooz.com/article/expedia-us-traveler-trends/

How to leverage user-generated content for metasearch

The world of digital marketing is always evolving as travel brands try to keep up with consumer needs and the growing demand for transparency and authenticity. One strategy that’s growing in popularity amongst suppliers is leveraging user-generated content (UGC), such as photos and tweets that are shared publicly by customers across various social media sites.

https://www.koddi.com/user-generated-content-for-metasearch/

Expedia and TripAdvisor win consumer hearts and minds online and offline
Data and analytics platform Engagement Labs has released its latest TotalSocial rankings of the top-performing online travel agency  and travel search brands in the US, showing Expedia and TripAdvisor at the lead. The report evaluates brand reputation for each travel site by measuring social conversations over the past six months, compared to a previous ranking published in June 2017.

https://www.tnooz.com/article/expedia-tripadvisor-ota-social-media/

Data trends in 2017: TripAdvisor pivot, Costco’s rise and what they mean for the travel industry

The digital travel ecosystem is constantly evolving. Key players come and go, and market trends often shift to the unexpected placing of an added emphasis on the need to stay ahead of the curve. 2017 was no different as the year saw the emergence of exciting new players and shifts in the OTA market. There are two specific events had ramifications that are likely to continue to have a considerable impact on the sector in 2018.

https://www.tnooz.com/article/trends-2017-tripadvisor-pivot-costco/

What Investors Want to See From TripAdvisor in 2018

With its library of 500 million reviews and an average of 390 million monthly visitors, TripAdvisor (NASDAQ:TRIP) bills itself as the world’s largest travel community. Over the past few years, however, these prized assets haven’t translated into the kind of growth investors seek. As a result, TripAdvisor’s stock has dramatically underperformed fellow online travel companies Priceline (NASDAQ:PCLN) and Expedia (NASDAQ:EXPE), falling by roughly 53% since the beginning of 2015. Here’s a rundown of what investors will be looking for this year as TripAdvisor attempts to get its groove back.

https://www.fool.com/investing/2018/01/12/what-investors-want-to-see-from-tripadvisor-in-201.aspx

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

Thanks and have a good day!

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The Week, That Was – January 2018- Week 2

In five minutes or less, keep track of the most important news of the week, curated just for you. We present to you hand – picked news on latest industry partnerships, perspectives, and some general updates. Read on!!

Beyond Rate Parity – Why Transparency Still Matters?

2017 was a watershed year for rate parity. While several countries in Europe have put restrictions on the Rate Parity clause, the issue has been under the microscope in North America and Asia Pacific.

https://tophotel.news/beyond-rate-parity-transparency-still-matters/

How hotels can regain their pricing power

Hotels continue to experience record occupancy, so why can’t they drive their average daily rate? Duetto’s Marco Benvenuti explains how they could with Open Pricing.

http://duettocloud.com/videogallery/how-hotels-can-regain-their-pricing-power/

Business travel 2018: the state of play

There is going to be more money around this year, so on the face of it business travel should pick up speed. The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) thinks it will, after taking a look at global economic prospects, and is forecasting business travel spending to grow by 6.1% against a likely 5.1% in 2017.

https://www.eyefortravel.com/distribution-strategies/business-travel-2018-state-play

Revenue managers to ‘adapt and adopt’ in 2018

What are some events and trends that you can identify and plan for now? And how can those be revenue managed in 2018

http://www.hotelnewsnow.com/Articles/264980/Revenue-managers-to-adapt-and-adopt-in-2018

Luxury Hoteliers Believe Customization Is Key to Winning Over Millennials

Smart hoteliers know they can’t afford to ignore the next generation of luxury travelers. Why? Because they are an economic force to be reckoned with. Customization, wellness, and technology are must-haves for any luxury hotel brand that wants to remain relevant — regardless of the age of their customers.

https://skift.com/2018/01/09/luxury-hoteliers-believe-customization-is-key-to-winning-over-millennials/

7 Steps to Achieve Hotel Website Accessibility and ADA Compliance

At the minimum, hoteliers must ensure that their websites are accessible to and navigable by customers with disabilities and substantially comply with the WCAG 2.0 AA principles

https://blog.hebsdigital.com/7-steps-to-achieve-ada-compliance/

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

Thanks and have a good day!