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The Week, That Was – February 2020 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 provides connectivity for upscale Ghana property

The Royal Senchi Hotel and Resort, an upscale property in Ghana has recommended eRevMax distribution solutions for improving online sales. The property has been using RateTiger channel manager, powered by LiveOS, for effective online distribution and improving booking revenue.

https://www.erevmax.com/ratetiger-news/ratetiger-news-archive/feb2020-erevmax-provides-connectivity-for-upscale-ghana-property.html

US hotel brand loyalty reaches an all-time high in 2019

Throughout 2019, total US loyalty contribution increased 7.6% to 56.2%, a jump of 8.3 percentage points or 17.3% since the top hotel brands launched aggressive book-direct campaigns in 2016.

https://www.kalibrilabs.com/press-release-1/us-hotel-loyalty-contribution-reaches-an-alltime-high-2019

STR: Hotels closer to major transit hubs reach rate premiums

Hotel performance relates inversely to a property’s distance to a transit station in the top 25 U.S. markets. As the distance to the station grows, hotel performance generally declines, although occupancy and ADR behave differently within that context.

http://www.hotelnewsnow.com/Articles/300234/Hotels-closer-to-major-transit-hubs-reach-rate-premiums

Google’s vacation rentals under fire in Europe

The 40 companies and trade bodies in nine EU countries, Switzerland and the United States, which include eDreams Odigeo, Expedia and Tripadvisor, laid out the case against Google in a letter to EU Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager.

https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2020/02/10/technology/10reuters-eu-alphabet-antitrust.html

Keep an eye out for these 5 business travel trends in 2020 and beyond

Global business travel spending is expected to reach over $1.7 trillion by 2020, according to the Global Business Travel Association.

https://www.phocuswire.com/Business-travel-trends-2020-and-beyond

 As coronavirus concerns mount, hotels can count on automated revenue technology to help defend against unhealthy business conditions

The world’s most populous country has severely restricted outbound travel, and the global hospitality industry has braced for impact. As the coronavirus nears pandemic proportions and Chinese tourism takes an indefinite hiatus, hotels across the APAC region have already reported falling demand

https://ideas.com/coronavirus-travel-revenue-management/

Meet RateTiger at ITB Berlin – Hall 8.1, Stand 113b

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 2020 Week 1

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

eRevMax expands into Vietnam with BedLinker

eRevMax, the leader in hotel online distribution and connectivity space, today announced a partnership agreement with BedLinker, a leading Vietnamese hospitality technology start-up. Through this partnership, BedLinker will now be the official sales representative for RateTiger in the region and deliver its advanced connectivity and reservation management solution.

https://www.erevmax.com/ratetiger-news/ratetiger-news-archive/feb2020-erevmax-expands-into-vietnam-with-bedlinker.html

5 insights into the 2020 forecast for US hotels

The U.S. hotel industry got a confidence boost as December 2019 performance metrics came in strong. However, after two consecutive months of RevPAR declines, do not signify a recovery. Instead, hoteliers should expect the norm to continue to be slow-to-no growth going forward in 2020.

http://hotelnewsnow.com/Articles/300139/5-insights-into-the-2020-forecast-for-US-hotels

China hotel occupancy down 75%

Hotels in other markets around the world will also see a more pronounced impact, given a greater dependence on Chinese outbound travel in more recent years. STR has projected a 28% drop in visits to the U.S. from China for 2020.

https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Hotel-News/China-hotel-occupancy-plummets

The online battle for the Indian traveler

OTAs such as MakeMyTrip, Yatra and ClearTrip have altered the way the travel industry works in India. People in India were getting more and more confident of booking online.

https://www.telegraphindia.com/business/the-online-battle-for-the-indian-traveller/cid/1742590

9 Trends That Are Surprising Hotel CDOs

HSMAI brought together about two dozen CDOs from hotel brands, management companies, and owner groups at the Chief Digital Officer Executive Roundtable in New York City on Jan. 23 to pick their brains about challenges and trends they’ve been seeing in the past six months.

https://americas.hsmai.org/insight/9-trends-that-are-surprising-hotel-cdos-4/

Five ways to market your hotel locally

A safe strategy to insure against declining international travel might be to turn extra attention to local marketing. As the global economy reached new heights over the past decade, American hotel brands have become increasingly reliant on international travel as a source for online bookings.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/2020/02/04/travel-goes-local-five-ways-hotel-marketers-can-think-short-range-in-2020/#5bef4f965e54

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 – January 2020 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!!

Infographic – Hotel Revenue Management Trends 2020

Revenue managers are now leveraging artificial intelligence to make smart pricing decisions. Check out our latest Hotel Revenue Management Infographic – discover key trends that can help shape hotel revenue strategies in 2020 – https://lnkd.in/fhS3E-R

4 tips for better hotel sales and marketing

The world of hospitality sales and marketing is always evolving, and selling to customers requires a good PR message, collaboration among teams and creating loyalty experiences for high-tier members. During three different sessions at the 2020 HSMAI Marketing Strategy Conference, speakers gave their advice on how to succeed in different disciplines in the sales-and-marketing space.

http://hotelnewsnow.com/Articles/299960/4-tips-for-better-hotel-sales-and-marketing

Booking.com launches global rating system for non-hotel accommodation

Booking.com has developed what it claims to be the world’s first rating system for alternative non-hotel accommodation. The world-leading booking platform says it wants to see the classification system become globally accepted, like star ratings for hotels.

https://www.travolution.com/articles/113822/bookingcom-launches-global-rating-system-for-non-hotel-accommodation

Get ready for an even stronger Google in 2020

Brands need to monitor and respond to reviews to improve their online experience because customers will vote with their search behavior. And Google continues to influence search behavior.Here’s what happening in the coming year:

https://searchengineland.com/get-ready-for-an-even-stronger-google-in-2020-327941

2020 Airbnb Update

Airbnb is powered by our community. As co-founder, CEO and Head of Community Brian Chesky has said, we are committed to serving all stakeholders in the Airbnb community. Indeed, we believe that our success depends on a series of shared commitments that balance the interests of our stakeholders.

https://news.airbnb.com/2020-update/

 KAYAK Launches “Trip Builder”, Making it Easier to Plan Multi-City Travel

KAYAK, the world’s leading travel search engine, is testing a new product feature that makes planning your next multi-city trip even easier. A helpful tool designed for anyone traveling to more than one destination, the new feature calculates the cheapest routes between multiple cities for the biggest savings.

https://bit.ly/2RELmPq

Consumer Report: Nearly Half Of Travelers Book Through 3rd Parties

As consumer demands for personalized service and competition for consumers’ attention continue to increase, travel and hospitality brands are challenged to stay ahead. To help marketers succeed, Yes Marketing surveyed more than 1,000 travelers on their priorities as they progress along their journey with travel and hospitality companies, from the first time they hear about a brand, to becoming a loyal customer.

https://www.hospitalitynet.org/news/4096603.html

THE HOTEL INDUSTRY HAS EVOLVED, BUT HAS YOUR TOOLKIT?

Gone are the days when RevPAR and occupancy was enough. Today’s growth and profitability are driven by channel mix, customer acquisition costs, consumer review scores, length of stay trends, loyalty programs, and leveraging the booking curve.

https://bit.ly/2RNqK7M

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 – January 2020 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!!

What are the Best Practices for Creating a Google Hotel Ads Campaign?

Google Hotel Ads has emerged as an important distribution channel for hoteliers to improve online revenue. Manage Google Hotel Ads directly from RateTiger.

https://bit.ly/2TljLp6

Will the definition of a hotel be different by 2025?

The traditional hotel stay might have to make room as other industries enter the hospitality business, sustainable lodging and alternative accommodations become more mainstream and guests continue to chase unique experiences.

http://hotelnewsnow.com/Articles/299784/Will-the-definition-of-a-hotel-be-different-by-2025

Business travel is set for radical change

In 2020, businesses will need to learn from the seamless processes within consumer travel – like intuitive mobile experiences and AI-backed personalized offerings – to fulfill expectations of both traveling employees and enterprise leaders managing travel programs.

https://www.travelmole.com/news_feature.php?news_id=2040963&c=setreg&region=2

Travel SEO: Competing in organic search in 2020 & beyond

In order for smaller travel brands with lesser budgets to be competitive, they need to be more strategic with their efforts and resources and start to do SEO in the way right for their business model and offerings.

https://www.searchenginejournal.com/travel-seo-competing-organic-search/340459/

Booking.com’s Travel Review Awards 2020 spotlight the best in travel

39% of global travelers prefer to stay in a holiday home or apartment over a hotel. While hotels came in as the second most-awarded accommodation type yet again,three quarters of all the winning properties are homes, apartments and other unique places to stay, including everything from boats and igloos to homestays and country houses.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/booking-com-spotlights-best-travel-172800590.html

 Experts predict RevPAR growth for Europe hotels in 2020

Hotels in European markets are expected to record RevPAR increases across 2020 due to mega events and a robust transactions-volume market.

http://hotelnewsnow.com/Articles/299733/Experts-predict-RevPAR-growth-for-Europe-hotels-in-2020

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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What are the Best Practices for Creating a Google Hotel Ads Campaign?

Google Hotel Ads has emerged as an important channel for hoteliers to improve online exposure of their properties. In this blog, we list out some of the best practices that are involved with the creation of a Google hotel ads campaign.

What are the Best Practices for Creating a Google Hotel Ads Campaign

About 4.5 billion searches are made on Google every day, making it essential for every business to have presence on the platform. Over the last few years, Google Hotel Ads has emerged as the most popular platform in the metasearch space.  Which for years have been dominated by the OTAs. GHA which aggregates your hotel rates from participating OTAs and brand website and displays your hotel rates and availability on Google, across desktops, tablets, and mobile devices? Find out about some of the best practices for the creation of a Google hotel ads campaign.

Familiarize yourself with the interface

In order to be successful with Google hotel ads, it is essential to be familiar with the interface and know what goes into it. The sign-up process is quite similar to Google PPC campaign. Hotels need to create a Google Hotel Center account to send and manage hotel rates and availability across Google. The interface is user-friendly, effective and efficient. Once you have listed your property, connect your prices and availability to your ads by linking your Hotel Center account to a Google Ads account and start advertising.

Use data to your benefit

Data that is recorded by Google systems lets you pinpoint those things that are/are not working. Reports every week are offered in detail, and how your campaign is proceeding in each device. Make use of opportunity reports every week to detect missed opportunities. Know about the areas that you might have improved on, and prepare better for bid optimization in the following round.

With conversion tracking, you can exactly find out what happens when anyone visits your site. You can get information on cost per acquisition, how long a person stays in the accommodation and whether or not they booked a room. The use of this information and other performance metrics for the adjustment of Google hotel ads booking campaign strategies can help you to derive the best from your experience of Google Hotel Ads.

Group hotels and manage bids better

In case you are operating bids for more than one hotel property, group the properties together. This can let you manage the same in a more efficient way and optimize returns on investment. The principles happen to be the same for each hotel property that is part of the group. When you structure bids, you have to remember that.

Optimize your ads

For optimizing your ad spends, Google recommends hotels to provide entire inventory to Hotel Ads along with room and package Meta data. The details comprise of data about occupancy levels and rooms, and all the updated prices and active bids can ensure accuracy of prices. The ads which notch up the best numbers are generally those that offer the most information. Optimized ad can help hotels to have much better business and increase the bottom line.

Google Hotel Ads campaigns can provide future travelers with the chance to reserve a hotel room at many important hotels all through their research. Wherever a user makes decisions related to travel, hotel ads are surfaced by Google to assist them in the assessment of booking options and pricing available to them.

Find Hotel channel manager and Online Distribution.

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The Week, That Was – January 2020 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!!

Is your PMS enough for distribution?

With inter-connectivity being one of the key focus for 2020, hoteliers need to get the distribution basics right. Are you getting real-time reservation updates directly into your hotel system? Do you get a bird’s eye view of your inventory status at all times? Are you struggling with overbookings or manual entry errors? It’s time you connect your PMS to your channel manager for seamless updates.

https://www.erevmax.com/blog/index.php/2019/12/is-your-pms-enough-for-distribution/

Google now includes taxes and fees in hotel searches

Google launched features intended to make finding, comparing, and booking hotels less stressful. Starting this week, guests will be able to browse personalized search results and narrow down properties by neighborhood, and view hotel receipts that reflect the actual amount you can expect to pay for a given stay (including taxes and fees).

https://venturebeat.com/2020/01/08/google-now-includes-taxes-and-fees-in-hotel-searches/

Four key trends the hotel industry can’t ignore during 2020

Now that we’re all back at work, attention is turning to the year ahead. Dori Stein, CEO, Fornova shares his predictions for the main trends that will influence hotel chains’ success in 2020.

https://www.hospitalitynet.org/opinion/4096435.html

Hotel Technology Trends 2020

When adopting hotel technology, the hospitality industry is like an elephant. Interestingly it also favoured elephants in its partners as well. Same as the animal, hotels preferred to spend time with those the same as them.

https://www.hospitalitynet.org/opinion/4096402.html

Could subscription travel be the new way to holiday in 2020?

A new company promises insider knowledge and free hotel stays via its subscription concept.

https://www.harpersbazaar.com/uk/travel/a30440445/subscription-travel-trend/

Is Personalization in Hospitality Dead or Alive?

Personalization of the customer experience – from digital marketing and website experience, revenue management and pricing, CRM and loyalty marketing, and on-property guest experience – has become a buzzword at industry conferences, webinars and in the hospitality media. So… is personalization dead or alive in hotel digital marketing, website experience, revenue management, CRM and on-property guest experience?

https://www.hospitalitynet.org/panel/125000035.html

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 – December 2019 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!!

Is your hotel channel manager doing what you expect of it?

Here are 5 questions that you have to ask about channel management software systems for hotels.

https://www.erevmax.com/blog/index.php/2019/12/5-questions-to-ask-about-channel-management-for-hotels/

Responsible and purposeful travel: the way forward

Technology and consumer preferences are constantly evolving and the threats to the environment and personal data are becoming ever more prevalent, according to Travel Weekly’s Insight Annual Report 2019-20.

https://www2.deloitte.com/uk/en/pages/consumer-business/articles/travel-weekly-insight-annual-report.html

Five trends shaping the future of customer experience in 2020

As we enter a new decade, customer experience is firmly positioned as a competitive advantage and something most companies are prioritizing. Instead of worrying about new technology, brands need to consider the psychological foundation. Before they even want to use the technology, customers need to feel acknowledged and understood.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/blakemorgan/2019/12/17/5-predictions-for-customer-experience-in-2020/#1314960e2ec7

Where Airbnb goes, hotels will follow

Luxury hotel brands are stepping into the homeshare arena to compete with Airbnb, and are now making strides in one of Airbnb’s most successful arenas: experiences. When Airbnb launched its Experiences program in 2016, it was a gamble, but one that seems to be paying off as it has resulted in seven times more bookings year-over-year since 2018.

https://www.gartner.com/en/marketing/insights/daily-insights/where-airbnb-goes-hotels-will-follow

Google wants to be your holiday tour guide

Getting dropped into a new city is disorienting, and all the more so when you need to ask for help but don’t know how to pronounce the name of the place you’re trying to get to. Google Maps now has a fix for this.

https://www.blog.google/products/maps/let-google-be-your-holiday-travel-tour-guide/

 How can travel brands remain human in a digital-first world

Travel brands are trying to figure out how to strike the right balance between digital touchpoints and in-person interactions.

https://skift.com/2019/12/16/how-can-travel-brands-remain-human-in-a-digital-first-world/

Is this the future of travel bookings?

With online travel agents, we’ve already seen the way the travel industry has changed. While travel purchases are currently made through online booking agents or directly with the hotels or airlines, it won’t be long before we see new and advanced options come into play.

https://www.iol.co.za/travel/sponsored/is-this-the-future-of-travel-bookings-38980837

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

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The Week, That Was – December 2019 Week 1

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

eRevMax announces seamless connectivity with leading Chinese B2B platform HaoQiao

eRevMax has completed 2-way XML integration with the largest travel wholesaler in China, Haoqiao. Hotels using RateTiger and RTConnect, powered by LiveOS, can leverage the interface to distribute rates and availability on the booking platform, is used by over 17,000 travel agencies worldwide.

https://bit.ly/2RrceEq

Google’s playbook to become a super app in travel

The giant’s slow but unstoppable rise to travel industry domination can not be explained without the more than one billion daily users of Google Maps.

https://www.phocuswire.com/Google-playbook-travel-super-app

How Airbnb profits from our love of experience

As people begin to value “things” less and “doing stuff” more, Airbnb has simultaneously personalized and commoditized the food-related experience.

https://www.eater.com/2019/12/4/20951866/airbnb-rentals-experiences-travel-food-tours-cooking-classes

Total revenue forecasting: Sunny with a chance of profits

Marketing and revenue management rely on accurate demand forecasts to plan campaigns and optimize revenue.

https://ideas.com/total-revenue-forecasting-profits/

Hotel revenue changes suggest new guest preferences

From the high-tech preferences of Generation Z to the experiential fondness of millennials and the health and wellness realities facing baby boomers, hotels continually adjust the amenities and services they offer to satisfy their guests based on extensive consumer research. From the perspectives of owners and operators, the changes in guest preference manifest themselves on the hotel operating statement.

http://hotelnewsnow.com/Articles/298888/Hotel-revenue-changes-suggest-new-guest-preferences

As cycle nears end, benchmarking required to be reborn

Hoteliers are in no doubt benchmarking has been one of the major, if not the most major, catalysts of the last decade helping fuel hotel performance, and the data is only getting better and more involved, according to sources. Now hoteliers are considering how benchmarking might change as the industry reaches what many consider the end of a cycle.

http://hotelnewsnow.com/Articles/299236/As-cycle-nears-end-benchmarking-required-to-be-reborn

Hotel guests want cybersecurity

For hotels, the issue of cybersecurity is – or should be – among the most critical factors in partnering with any third-party. With so many interconnected technologies the risk is greater and greater that you’ll run onto a technology that isn’t wholly secure.

https://blog.apaleo.com/hotels/a-make-or-break-issue-for-hotels-guests-want-cybersecurity

Which? brands most travel comparison sites a ‘waste of time’

New survey ranks sites used to find flight and hotel deals and reveals that many offer a poor user experience – and do not list the best prices. After asking more than 2,200 holidaymakers about their experiences of using comparison sites, the consumer body found that only Skyscanner, Kayak and TripAdvisor scored highly in terms of finding the best deals and being easy to use.

https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2019/dec/04/which-survey-brands-most-travel-comparison-sites-waste-of-time?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

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

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What Does A Channel Manager Do?

A hotel channel manager allows properties to manage multiple online distribution channels from a single solution, Hotels can update rate and availability and receive reservations directly to its systems like PMS and CRS in real-time. Advanced channel managers provide 2-way XML connectivity with online sales channels including OTAs, GDS, metasearch, wholesalers and booking engines for seamless data transfer.