Latest news from the hospitality industry – W3, February 2022

Great news folks!

Americans are preparing to spend big – again – as omicron cases subside and states across the country loosen covid restrictions. Also London is showing robust signs of recovery, despite the recent blip resulting from the omicron variant, as per news reports below.

Next, we have an interesting blog on Airbnb showing how they are helping their partners to grow more digital revenue in 2022.

We then move to a Digital Marketing piece which shows how SEO and PPC teams can empower each other when they work together. Further down, how hotels can transform customer service and experiential offerings to a proactive revenue driver.

Reach out to us for your hotel channel manager, rate shopper, booking engine, or website development requirements. We are happy to have a discussion to see how we can help you achieve your property’s occupancy and revenue goals – contact us today.

 Enjoy the read.

As omicron wanes, Americans eagerly book vacations

 Travel agents, hotel operators and restaurateurs say they’ve seen dramatic spikes in demand in the past week, following a drop of more than 40 percent in daily U.S. coronavirus cases.’

https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/return-revenge-travel-omicron-wanes-112518451.html

London hotels see signs of demand increase

 Of all the major global cities and transportation hubs, London was among the hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.

https://www.costar.com/article/1867821506/london-hoteliers-see-signs-of-demand-increasing-day-by-day

Airbnb: An Attractive Solution for Accommodation Providers in 2022

 Airbnb has never failed to make its associates feel special for being a part of them. Learn how Airbnb has walked that extra mile to help their partners be successful by driving more revenue in 2022
https://lnkd.in/dd-ddgEx

How marketers can create a holistic search strategy

 Holistic search strategies combine the keyword, audience and industry data from organic and paid channels to increase ROI.

https://searchengineland.com/how-marketers-can-create-a-holistic-search-strategy-380124

Hotels’ unexpected revenue driver: Customer service

 With recent advances in technology, hotel CTOs have an opportunity to transform customer service from a reactive cost center to a proactive revenue driver. Set your customer service agents up for success with the technology that makes it simple to deliver personalized, connected experiences for wanderlusting guests.

https://hospitalitytech.com/hotels-unexpected-revenue-driver-customer-service

Hoteliers must reinvest in experiences

 Hotel owners and operators are figuring out how to add experiential, lifestyle offerings; helping activate the hotel by aligning with its surroundings and nearby businesses.

https://www.costar.com/article/1709796085/hoteliers-must-reinvest-in-experiences-to-make-up-for-lost-time-money

 

 

 

 

 

Top Travel Trends in 2022 – Back to Travel

You wake up in a luxury bedroom. You get up from your bed and remove the curtains of your room and there is the line of mountains before you, half-covered in snow, the others in green. The doorbell rings and there is someone outside waiting with freshly brewed coffee.

The last time travellers felt that kind of peace was almost two years ago when they could actually travel freely without any restrictions or even without the minimum fear of health. The pandemic in 2020 had a massive impact on the hotel industry that has brought everlasting changes. However, times are changing and travel is evolving into something new and better than before.

travel-trends-2022-ratetiger-erevmax

Let’s find out how travellers are planning their trips this year and preparing for rebound:

Travel Therapy – Recovery

Travel is no more just going out for fun; rather it has become a way to escape from the reality of the pandemic. When the pandemic arrived, everyone feared the unknown. As travellers learned more about the outcry, they grew cautious following the appropriate protocols in places. Researchers have found that people are growing tired of being cautious and 2022 is the year that the travel industry will see upward trend from travellers across the globe. With travellers taking more time to de-stress and recharge after great travel pause, wellness tourism is going to see a major uptick in the post pandemic era in 2022. GWI forecasts a 20.9% average annual growth rate for wellness tourism in 2020 -2025. So, prepare for some travel therapy demands which will help travellers to rejuvenate themselves from such a phase.

Flight Costs Are Set to Fly

Along with the hotel sector, the aviation industry has also been hit by the pandemic, massively. With demands rising in 2022 for travel, airline ticket prices might stay buoyant to encourage more travellers and generate much-needed income. In recent times, we have witnessed a spike in the fuel prices – air carriers might need to raise their fares accordingly but that will not let travel falter. With small as well as large-cap businesses trying to regain their positions in the market, business travel may boost the premium economy. After being able to save all that money in the pandemic by being locked at home, travellers may also want to spend big on their much-awaited trips this year.

Young and Exotic – Luxury Travel Redefined

With the restrictions being slowly removed, travellers are planning to go big and plan on their bucket list vacations. Travel is no more about just going to the beach or just going to the hill stations to enjoy the weather. What modern-day travellers are looking for is an adventure, something out of the ordinary life. Young travellers are rooting on exotic places, as per study popular destination includes Thailand, Ireland, Egypt, South Africa, Maldives, London, Paris, and more! Places which can give more than just popular buildings in a city to visit has been added to many travellers’ wish list.

Last-Minute Bookings

What’s more thrilling and compelling than a trip that’s planned last minute? And that’s exactly the kind of thrill young travellers are excited about. In recent times, booking windows has witnessed a shrink and saw a trend of flexible booking with last-minute planning. The uncertainty of different Covid-19 variants has left travellers hesitant when planning or booking a trip. Travellers are mostly drawn towards last-minute bookings as changing restrictions are released with dynamic situations as per the travel guidelines. After days of not being able to meet their loved ones or engaging in their travel bucket-list, travellers are planning on last-minute trip bookings as per the availability of their travel partners. The impact resonates with the custom itinerary plans and choice of hotel availability.

Workcations – Beyond Business

When preventive guidelines for Covid-19 to resume travel were released, the travellers who were exhausted working from home and needed some kind of refreshment chose to merge work with travel which would allow them to work from remote destinations. With the increase in hybrid and flexible work models, 40% of Gen-Z employees plan to take a “workcation” in 2022. Work from home could sound exciting but it comes with its own disadvantages. Travellers hence chose the best way that would eliminate distractions. Working at one’s favourite travel destination gives one mental as well as emotional satisfaction. Where else could you get the best office-window view?

Trip-Stacking

Trip stacking is the practice of booking multiple trips over the same period of time. Travellers are booking numerous trips to different travel destinations to avoid getting stuck with one cancelled vacation due to new pandemic restrictions. With modern travellers seeking more flexibility in their trip plans, trip stacking is the best way that ensures their adaptability through unsure times. With trip stacking, travellers have options from where they get to choose a trip according to their comfort level. Having a plan C along with a plan A and plan B for trips really took off during the summer of 2021 and it is only going to emerge in 2022 and beyond.

Decoding Travel Trends & more!

Uncertainty is still not in the rear-view mirror of travels in 2022. However, unlike in 2020 when people were afraid of the unknown, in 2022, people will be travelling more freely and frequently. Technology has taken a big leap in recent times helping not only in work but also travellers to find the trip that best suits them making contactless transactions and online bookings a trend that is here to stay.

Lastly, hotel business will be able to recover from the pandemic with these travel trends, which will eventually boost and build confidence in terms of generating hotel bookings. Thus, buckle up, as travellers are in the mood to make their travel choices and seeking for an exotic experience be it from locations or hotel guest experience. 2022 will witness an upshift in the hotel & travel industry.

Hospitality Industry News on Hotel Distribution and Latest Technology – W2, August 2021

Great news folks! Initial demand building up for Business Travel even though there is a lot of concern around the rise in Covid cases in some geographies. eRevMax expands channel ecosystem and adds TUI, & StaySavvy and highlights Guestline as a PMS partner. Airbnb introduces flexible search to attract travelers, Booking.com introduces Inclusivity training program for accommodation providers to deliver more welcoming experiences to LGBTQ+ travelers.  Expedia revenue jumps in 2nd quarter driven by US hotel and vacation rental booking. And a sneak peek into the traveler mindset!

Enjoy the read!

Business travel resumes, hesitantly

Convention centers are reopening. Hotels and airlines report an uptick in bookings. But the rise in virus cases has tempered forecasts for a major recovery.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/09/business/business-travel-hotels-airlines.html

eRevMax expands Partner Ecosystem with – TUI Group, Guestline and StaySavvy

With the travel industry moving towards a steady recovery, the initial demand build-up is coming from domestic tourism. Are you connected to the right channels and keeping them automatically updated with rates and availability on a regular basis? Choose from our wide network of partners and expand your hotel’s online visibility. Our featured partners for this week are TUI, Guestline & StaySavvy – connect to them today – https://lnkd.in/gX38MZPm

Airbnb tries flexible search to attract travelers

Rather than view Airbnb stays with specific dates, users can search for places with the promise of “weekend getaways” and choose the timing after.

https://www.adweek.com/performance-marketing/uncertain-world-airbnb-flexible-search/

Booking.com offers inclusivity training to accommodation providers

Program supports accommodation providers to deliver more inclusive and welcoming experiences for LGBTQ+ travelers.

https://travolution.com/news/travel-sectors/travel-agents/booking-com-offers-inclusivity-training-to-accommodation-providers

Expedia Group Q2 earnings driven by U.S. hotel and vacation rental bookings

Expedia Group saw its revenue increase more than 270% in the second quarter of this compared to the same period last year, from $566 million to more than $2.1 billion.

https://www.phocuswire.com/expedia-group-earnings-q2-2021

Travelers’ current mindset is high-end, high-spend

Luxury travelers don’t always travel during a pandemic. But when they do, they want to go big.

https://www.travelweekly.com/Luxury-Travel/Insights/Trends-in-luxury-travel-include-bucket-list-trips-private-experiences

Reach out to RateTiger for your hotel channel manager, rate shopper, booking engine, website development or revenue management consultancy requirements. We are happy to have a discussion to see how we can help you achieve your property’s occupancy and revenue goals – contact us today

 

How to get onboard with Google Hotel Link for Free

Last month, Google has made hotel listings free for hotel businesses and travel agencies. If you are a hotel owner or a travel agency, you can now display your rates and availability in the All Options section. While the results shown in this section is based on organic search results, this is a major opportunity for hotels to showcase their properties on the world’s biggest search engine without worrying about metasearch budget.

In this blog, we have shared a quick guide for hotels to get on Google.

Why Booking links?

For long, hotels have had to compete through PPC campaigns to appear on Google Hotel Booking listings, where cost was often a big factor. This new development removes the cost barrier and gives hotels a level playing field to appear in Google when users search for accommodation. Based on the search query, a listing of various hotels appear along with property photos, ratings, prices, and a map. While the hotel website’s SEO would play a role in appearing in the top results, if done correctly, it helps hotels to connect with more travelers and drive more bookings at no cost.

Google Hotels immersive view

When a user searches for hotels in a particular location, Google shows an immersive view including both a list and a map of hotel search results that contains hotel names, photos, prices, and ratings. Often these results include property promotion ads, which are paid hotel ads on Google. The traveler then either books from the options or can further filter prices by check-in date, occupancy, price, amenities, user rating, brand, and hotel class. Clicking on a hotel sends the traveler to the hotel booking module. The overview section on the booking module shows four paid listings under the Featured options and two organic search results. Clicking on the Prices Tab, the traveller would be able to see all four paid listings along with all search results.

How to get started: Existing Hotel Ad Users

For hotels already displaying rates and availability and booking link through metasearch, they do not need to do anything as they are automatically eligible to show free booking links. Any property with a bid in a hotel campaign and participating feeds will be eligible. Bids also have no impact on the ranking of free booking links.

Hotels and travel agencies who do not take part in Hotel ads

If you are a hotel or a travel agency which does not take part in hotels ads, the first thing you need to have is a Hotel Center Account. Hotels and hotel booking partners who do not have a Hotel Center account but are interested in getting started with free booking links should fill out the interest form. Google has integration with multiple third-party integration partners including RateTiger and recommends hotels to work directly work with these providers to connect to Google. At RateTiger, we are helping many of our client hotels to set up Hotel Center Accounts. For onboarding, you need to provide us with the following:

  1. The hotel list containing all the properties that the hotel/ group/ travel agency wishes to show on Google.
  2. Selecting an option for sending hotel pricing updates to Google.
  3. Customize landing pages that will be shown to a traveler after they click on a hotel’s price on Google or Google Maps.
  4. Maintain an excellent Price Accuracy score

To know more or to get started, contact us today – https://www.erevmax.com/erevmax-contact.html

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

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

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

Join Booking.com’s Genius Program

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

The Week, That Was – Dec 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!!

How tour operators are planning for travel in 2021

Not only have tour operators made changes for safety circumstances, but travelers will also have increased options to navigate a post-pandemic world with the help of guides and experts.

https://www.travelpulse.com/news/tour-operators/how-tour-operators-are-planning-for-travel-in-2021.html

Google’s travel search insights for 2021

Google searches show 100-percent growth for beaches and staycations and 200-percent growth for RV rentals, emphasizing the short-term trend of staycation and road trips and a boom for leisure markets.

https://americas.hsmai.org/insight/recovery-connections-customer-insights-for-the-new-year/

How we will travel in 2021

The big trends for 2021 travel are showing that we’re being more thoughtful about our future trips, with sustainability and wellness high on the list – here’s how globetrotting is set to change.

https://www.thejc.com/lifestyle/travel/travel-news/2021-travel-trends-news-1.510066

5 predictions for 2021

From the rebound of key hotel performance metrics to the potential return of group demand and international travel.

https://hotelnewsnow.com/Articles/306094/5-predictions-for-2021

Are we witnessing a re-distribution in travel?

There is much less demand for staying in hotels, where everyone has to share the same common spaces. Rural locations are also more popular than the urban destinations where the majority of demand used to be.

https://www.heraldscotland.com/business_hq/18953089.shifting-trends-travel-put-scots-tech-firm-course-growth/

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!

The Week, That Was – Dec 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!!

Prologic First, Trivago and Atlantis join the eRevMax Partner Ecosystem

Domestic travel is driving recovery for hotel businesses across the globe. Are you getting your share of the room bookings? RateTiger provides real-time connectivity with 450+ channel and technology partners assisting hotels worldwide to increase revenue opportunities and streamline business processes. Choose from RateTiger’s wide network of partners and expand your hotel’s online visibility. https://www.erevmax.com/blog/index.php/2020/12/prologic-first-trivago-and-atlantis-join-the-erevmax-partner-ecosystem/

Google launches Hotel Insights tool

The Hotel Insights tool provides small and medium-sized businesses with extensive insights about the demand for hotel bookings from Google searches every day.

https://travelinsights.withgoogle.com/

Hotel Business Outlook for 2021 – Take this Short Survey

eRevMax is preparing to publish a collective Hotel Outlook Report for 2021. As a distribution connectivity provider, eRevMax has been interacting with hotels worldwide to help them strategize and find new demand sources in these difficult times. Please join this initiative and participate in a short survey to share your valuable response.  https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=wYQ5sTjBNkq2B3dI0fSKeSxWE_Rc8p5NgXDqbPjgRI1URjBRTUIyTzBHT0VFMEVUMTRHSzVZWjk5SS4u

How will Airbnb & Co. grow their rental inventory?

Industry leaders expect the spike in demand to continue and are now putting a focus on growing the supply of rental properties. The company calls individual hosts “the core of our host community” and says, “Historically, we have seen an increase in the number of, and revenue from, professional hosts on our platform.”

https://www.phocuswire.com/how-will-airbnb-vrbo-booking-others-grow-rental-inventory

Tripadvisor launches new trip designing platform

Called Reco, the service helps travelers plan vacation experiences that are handcrafted by trusted experts who build tailor-made itineraries featuring the best of what a destination has to offer.

https://tripadvisor.mediaroom.com/2020-12-08-Introducing-Reco-from-Tripadvisor-New-platform-matches-travelers-with-a-personal-Trip-Designer-to-simplify-vacation-planning

Sojern: COVID-19 Insights On Travel Impact, Asia Pacific – December.

The latest report analyses travel intent for Singapore, Australia and Hong Kong following the vaccine announcements, and looking into 2021.

https://www.sojern.com/blog/covid-19-insights-on-travel-impact-apac-december/

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!

The Week, That Was – Nov 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!!

Webinar – eRevMax partners with HS LATAM to host TRAVEL TECH EMEA

Join us for Travel Tech EMEA from 23 – 27 Nov 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.

Register Now to attend all the sessions – https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/6930318956520107533

Google adds more COVID-related health and safety info to Google Travel

Starting this week, when users search for hotels through Google Travel, they may see new information about COVID-19 safety precautions at the property – like enhanced cleaning procedures, or if there’s an option for a contact-free check-in, among other things.

https://techcrunch.com/2020/11/10/google-adds-covid-related-health-and-safety-info-to-google-travel/

Tips for how to travel – and host travelers – safely this holiday season

CNBC’s Global Traveler asked doctors for medical advice on how travelers and holiday hosts can more safely celebrate the next seven weeks.

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/11/11/how-to-travel-safely-and-host-travelers-over-the-holidays.html

Hotel CEOs see big improvement in 2021

Speaking on a panel of CEOs, he said that by the second or third quarter of 2021, there will be “an increasing sense that Covid is getting behind us,” and as that happens there will be a step up in travel – “not instant but pretty quick.”

https://www.travelpulse.com/news/hotels-and-resorts/hotel-ceos-see-big-improvement-in-2021.html

Over half of Americans still traveling for Thanksgiving

Recent Tripadvisor site data shows Key Largo, Fla., Sedona, Ariz., Key West, Fla. and Scottsdale, Ariz. are recovering from the pandemic much faster than other U.S. travel destinations.

https://tripadvisor.mediaroom.com/2020-11-09-Tripadvisor-Reveals-2020-Thanksgiving-Travel-Index-Over-Half-56-of-Americans-Still-Traveling

Hospitality bookings continued to lead travel industry improvement, says Sabre

In Q3, Sabre saw positive signs as GDS and hospitality bookings steadily improved, along with passengers boarded, as leisure bookings recovered faster than corporate bookings.

https://www.fool.com/earnings/call-transcripts/2020/11/06/sabre-corp-sabr-q3-2020-earnings-call-transcript/

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!

The Week, That Was – Oct 2020 Week 5

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 advisers: A secret weapon during Covid-19

In the wake of Covid-19, travelers are relying more and more on agents to have the insider knowledge on hotels, border openings and quarantine rules, as well as protecting their payments on future trips if they need to be canceled or postponed.

https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/travel-agents-covid-19-pandemic/index.html

As tourism dries up, European countries moving to use Airbnb rentals for long-term use by citizens

Now that the pandemic has all but cut off the steady flow of visitors, many European cities are seizing an opportunity to push short-term rentals back onto the long-term housing market. Governments enacting or planning new laws to curb explosive growth of rentals aimed largely at tourists.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/25/world/europe/airbnb-lisbon-housing.html

Amex GBT adds sustainability badges for hotels in its Neo booking tool

Clients now can configure the tool to display hotel options with the badge, which signifies that a hotel meet certain environmental standards.

https://www.businesstravelnews.com/Technology/Amex-GBT-Adds-Sustainability-Badges-for-Hotels-in-Neo

Hotel metasearch opts for commission-based model

As many hotel marketers slowly increasing their ad spending again, commission-based models for charging for ads grow in popularity as the recovery blossoms.

https://skift.com/2020/10/27/a-newer-way-of-charging-for-hotel-metasearch-ads-is-catching-on/

eRevMax partner Hotelbeds launching new initiative to promote sustainable accommodation within its hotel portfolio

The company now has over 15,000 properties within its portfolio certified as sustainable and easily identifiable to the more than 60,000 travel trade client partners.

https://press.hotelbeds.com/news-room/press-release/hotelbeds-launches-green-hotels-programme-support-sustainable-tourism

Holiday bookings down this year, but rates are rising

In lieu of less people traveling this season, rates have already begun to rise and people are opting for longer lengths of stay.

https://www.essence.com/culture/essence-pepsi-hbcu-homecoming-jonathan-mcreynolds-day-2/

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!