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The Week, That Was – April 2021 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!

Suha Hospitality boosts online bookings with RateTiger

Leading hotel chain Suha Hospitality has endorsed eRevMax distribution solutions which helped the group improve their online booking productivity. All properties of the brand are currently using RateTiger Connect for managing rates and availabilities across connected OTAs directly from their PMS.

https://www.erevmax.com/ratetiger-news/ratetiger-news-archive/apr2021-erevmax-suha-hospitality-boosts-online-bookings-ratetiger.html

Demand may exceed supply, as IHG sees surge in bookings

Bookings are rising in parallel with vaccinations, and a significant portion of the travel industry’s recovery will be seen in the second half of 2021 and the bulk of 2022.

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/demand-may-exceed-supply-as-ceo-of-one-of-the-worlds-biggest-hotel-groups-sees-surge-in-bookings-11618999201

Google is phasing out third-party cookies… Will it impact hotel marketing?

Google recently announced that they are going forward with their plan to block third-party cookie tracking through Google Chrome (Chrome commands 63% of browser market share). What this means exactly for hotels is not totally clear.

Read more – https://www.hospitalitynet.org/panel/125000098/126000990.html

Hotel Sentiment Short Survey- Q2 2021

As a distribution connectivity provider, eRevMax – RateTiger has been interacting with hotels worldwide to identify pressing challenges that affect your day-to-day operations. We invite you to participate in our short survey and share your valuable responses. Your participation will enable us to prepare a collective Hotel Outlook Report for the next quarter. We will make the report available to all respondents once it is published next month.
Click the link to access the survey – https://lnkd.in/ga4Xx2d

eRevMax Partner Expedia launching major brand revamp

The new brand positioning includes the tagline of “It matters who you travel with,” which is meant to illustrate Expedia’s desire to be more of a companion that can support travelers get more out of their trips.

https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Travel-Agent-Issues/Expedia-launching-major-brand-revamp

 The intersections of tomorrow’s hotel industry

Now is the time, to reinvent, revitalize and reposition the entire hotel industry by offering fewer rooms and more space dedicated to activities other than lodging.

https://www.hotelbusiness.com/the-intersections-of-tomorrows-hotel-industry/

 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 – April 2021 Week 1

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

Expedia launches virtual agent for advisors and travelers

Travel advisors who are members of the Expedia Travel Agent Affiliate Program (TAAP) now have access to new virtual agent technology within the TAAP platform. Virtual agent can cancel bookings or check the status of a client’s refunds.

https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Travel-Agent-Issues/Expedia-Travel-Agent-Affiliate-Program-virtual-agent

Europe’s hotels see values fall but longer-term outlook strong

All hotel have been affected but mainly upscale and luxury properties with more exposure to group and convention demand as well as international visitors.

https://hvi.hvs.com/DocumentDownload/3876.pdf

Chinese travelers: Back on the road?

The Chinese luxury consumer’s enthusiasm for global travel stuttered to a halt during the pandemic. Signs are it could pick up again soon, starting with the Asia-Pacific region.

https://www.voguebusiness.com/consumers/chinese-travellers-back-on-the-road

STR: February US hotel performance shows promising signs

Occupancy reached 45.3%, its highest level since October 2020, and that’s not the only good news on the horizon.

https://www.costar.com/article/653606065/february-us-hotel-performance-shows-promising-signs

BCD Travel introduces new hotel rate benchmark capabilities

The new solution will provide BCD Travel’s clients increasingly accurate standard market rate benchmarks.

https://www.prnewswire.com/il/news-releases/bcd-travel-and-gimmonix-announce-strategic-partnership-to-enhance-standard-rate-benchmark-capabilities-for-business-travel-clients-301255797.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 – March 2021 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!!

Mayaland Hotels and Resorts endorse RateTiger for online distribution

One of the leading luxury heritage chains in Mexico, Mayaland Hotels & Resorts have highly recommended RateTiger for channel connectivity and online distribution. The group has been using RateTiger Channel Manager to update rates and availability across online sales channels for the last three years and have experienced significant improvement in occupancy and revenue.

https://www.erevmax.com/ratetiger-news/ratetiger-news-archive/mar2021-erevmax-mayaland-hotels-resorts-endorse-ratetiger-online-distribution.html

Google launches property promotion ads for hotels globally

While standard hotel booking link ads are meant for advertisers to capture a booking for a hotel a user already chose, property promotion ads are designed to enable advertisers to influence the buying decision for users still looking for a hotel.

https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/10541931

Google makes hotel listings free – are you ready to grab the opportunity?

Do you know hotels can now display their rates and availability without taking part in Google PPC or Google Hotel Ads?  Through a recent announcement, Google has made hotel listings free. Google has a list of integrated partners including RateTiger through which hotels can feed data sources for booking links. If you are interested in displaying your rates on Google Hotel Ads, contact us today on marketing@erevmax.com

https://www.erevmax.com/blog/index.php/2021/03/google-makes-hotel-listings-free-are-you-ready-to-grab-the-opportunity/

Vaccine passports: Can they save travel? Should they?

Perhaps the main obstacle to wide use of vaccine passports is political: Ethical concerns about dividing the world into vaccinated and unvaccinated for purposes of travel freedom.

https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/The-Big-Story/Vaccine-passports-Can-they-save-travel-Should-they

5 big signs that travel is roaring back

Hotel reservations on Expedia.com for some parts of the United States this summer are “all booked up” and the company expects Europe will soon follow as the number of vaccinations grow.

https://edition.cnn.com/2021/03/20/business/travel-rebound-coronavirus/index.html

Hotels show signs of life, with travel boom in sight

Hotels are preparing for the prospect of a surge in demand, as occupancy rates at U.S. hotels reached 52% last week, the highest since Covid-19 lockdowns began, according to STR.

https://www.crainsnewyork.com/hospitality-tourism/hotels-show-signs-life-travel-boom-sight

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 – March 2021 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!!

The tallest hotel in the world leverages RateTiger for online revenue growth

One of the finest hospitality addresses in Dubai, Gevora Hotel, has recommended RateTiger for efficient online distribution and channel management. The four-star luxury property has been using the RateTiger product suite, including RTConnect for 2-way ARI and reservation transfers between OTAs and hotel PMS, GDS distribution and Review Management, all powered by the LiveOS platform.

https://www.erevmax.com/ratetiger-news/ratetiger-news-archive/mar2021-erevmax-tallest-hotel-world-leverages-ratetiger-online-revenue-growth.html

Google makes hotel listings free – are you ready to grab the opportunity?

The recent news of Google making Hotel Listings free has created a lot of stir in the travel segment. Is your hotel taking advantage of this opportunity? If you are looking for a #distribution partner to help you update ARI across your connected online sales channels, have a look at RateTiger today. Through seamless integration with hundreds of OTAs and metasearch channels including Google Hotel Ads, RateTiger is your go-to channel manager. Read more about Google’s free listing and contact us on marketing@erevmax.com to find out how we can help your property attract more guests –https://www.erevmax.com/blog/index.php/2021/03/google-makes-hotel-listings-free-are-you-ready-to-grab-the-opportunity/

Return to business travel quicker in Asia Pacific than worldwide

A study by business news channel CNBC found the Asia-Pacific region is the only among those surveyed where a majority of corporate chief financial officers expect a rebound to pre-pandemic levels of business travel within three years.

https://www.traveller.com.au/business-travel-and-covid19-travelling-for-work-likely-to-decline-after-pandemic-h1ujkq

Travel Leaders: One-third of clients have booked their next trip

Beyond the third that have already booked their next vacation, 24 percent are currently planning their next vacation.

https://www.luxurytraveladvisor.com/your-business/travel-leaders-one-third-client-have-booked-their-next-trip

How OTAs add value to independent hotels

More than 95% of small and medium accommodations in Europe have expanded their global customer base through OTAs, a new research suggests.

https://www.consultancy.eu/news/5857/how-online-travel-agencies-add-value-to-sme-accommodations

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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Google makes hotel listings free – are you ready to grab the opportunity?

Hotels can now display rate and availability without taking part in Google PPC

For long, Google has remained the Elephant in the Room for the hotel industry. In the last five years, the search -engine giant has consolidated its place as the leader in the meta search, now accounting for over 57% all metasearch bookings.

It is the first place to go for many people when they start their search. Google has now made it free for hotel owners and travel agencies to list their properties on Google Search.

When a potential booker selects a hotel from the search option, in the booking module, the overview section is now showing four paid listings under the Featured options and two organic search results. Clicking on the Prices Tab, the user would be able to see all four paid listings along with all search results.

This section is now showing booking links from unpaid listings as shown in the organic search by hotels and travel companies.

This is a major opportunity for hotels. Hotel booking links have always been offered via Google Hotel Ads, which acts like a metasearch channel displaying real-time pricing and availability for hotels for specific dates of travel. With this new development, this barrier is removed and gives hotels a chance to display their direct rates and booking links without worrying about metasearch budget.

This opportunity is available for all the hotels through their Hotel Center account. Hotels which are already taking part in Google’s Hotel Prices API and Hotel Ads do not need to take any action and will be shown in All Options based on the organic search ranking.

The ranking of the organic search results will be based on an algorithm that looks at non-commercial factors, and pricing accuracy will be ensured through new tools and processes as well as using reliable data sources.

Google has a list of integrated partners including RateTiger through which hotels can feed data sources for booking links. If you are interested in displaying your rates on Google Hotel Ads, contact us today on marketing@erevmax.com

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

We aim to bring to hotels quick and easy ways to optimize their presence on Booking.com and get more reservations for their property. Through this series, we are highlighting tips that you can leverage through the various promotional options that Booking.com provides.

In the last part of this series, we will talk about the Payment solutions available through Booking.com

Allow Booking.com to take care of online payments

Data breach and payment security have been one of the biggest concerns of the hotel industry. In the last 2 years, many hotel chains have been victims of data compromise. A robust payment solution is a must-have for hotels to avoid security breach and guaranteed pay outs.

Booking.com has recently introduced guest payment options which can help hotels reach more guests, reduce cancellations, and save time on administration related stuff.

Secure, reliable, and easy to manage, the payment module gives hotels a wide range of options including internationally recognized PayPal, Alipay and WeChat Pay.

To know more about this, please check out this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgKfMcRLebY&feature=emb_title&ab_channel=Booking.comPartners

Benefits for Hotels choosing Booking payment solutions –

  • Put an end to chasing down guest payments
  • Eliminate dealings with fraudulent online bookings
  • Avoid guaranteed payouts according to the hotel policy

Benefit for Guests –

  • Choice to select from a wide range of payment options

According to Booking.com data, guests who make online payments are much less likely to cancel or have no-show than those who don’t – ensuring more secure revenue for the hotel.

Booking.com offer properties two payments solutions to choose from:

  1. Guests can only pay online (i.e. Booking.com facilitates all payments),
  2. Guests can either pay online or at the property (i.e. Booking.com only deal with the hotel’s online payments).

To know more about how you can get started, contact us on marketing@erevmax.com

 

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5 tips to optimize your hotel’s profile on Booking.com – Part 4

In this series, we are focusing on easy recommendations that you can leverage for driving more demand to your property through Booking.com.

In the fourth part of this series, we will discuss Non-refundable Rates and how you can benefit from it.

Non-refundable Rate

According to a recent survey done by Booking.com, the two most important considerations for making new bookings are flexible cancellation policies and competitive pricing offers. In the third part of the series, we discussed the benefits of Flexible Rate Plans. However, for 40% of travelers, pricing is a major factor, and this is where non-refundable rate comes into play.

Benefits of Non-refundable Rate

Non-refundable rate typically offers lower rates than fully flexible rates and are quite popular with travelers with fixed plans. Hotels often offer non-refundable rates to secure guaranteed bookings and revenue.

According to Booking.com data, hotels who offer this Rate Plan reduce cancellations by an average of at least 9% and have experienced overall booking boost by up to 5%.

Booking.com recommends participating hotels to combine at least two of three rate plans: Free Cancellation, Non-Refundable and Early Booker. Data shows that hotels who have efficiently used all three have seen a 5% increase in bookings, an 11% increase in visibility and a 9% reduction in cancellations.

Hotels can activate the Non-refundable rate plan from their RateTiger dashboard, by simply selecting the option from the promotion tab. They can also monitor and modify all existing campaigns on Booking.com from the View and Apply Promotion Module on RateTiger.

To know more about it, contact us on marketing@erevmax.com

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5 tips to optimize your hotel’s profile on Booking.com – Part 3

Through this series, we are highlighting some of the deals and promotions that you can leverage to attract more business to your property through Booking.com.

In the third part of this series, let’s look at Flexi Rate and how and when to activate it.

Be more flexible with your rate policy

Thanks to the uncertain times we are living in, traveler behaviour has gone for a radical shift in the past one year. With flights being rebooked and travel plans being bumped, many guests are now wary of sudden change in plans.

According to a survey done in April 2020 by Booking.com, 73% of customers cited free cancellation as their main reason for booking a property. A fully flexible rate plan allows hotels to offer potential bookers more freedom in case their travel plans or general circumstances change.

However, because of its flexible nature, this rate plan is also the most expensive one making it the most profitable for hotels.

Flexible – 1 day policy

Due to the ongoing pandemic, most hotels across the world have taken a flexible approach to their pricing policy. Booking.com has recently created the Flexible – 1 day policy which allows hotels to quickly extend all your free cancellation periods to one day before check-in. This basically means a guest can cancel for free until 24 hours before the check-in. After that point, they will be charged the cost of the first night if they decide to cancel.

Benefits of the Flexible – 1 day policy

  • Drive more bookings by potential guests looking for flexibility.
  • Improve visibility in search ranking.
  • Decide which rates you want to convert to ‘Flexible – 1 Day’ policy and have full control on all rates.

Adding Flexible Rate Plans

Hotels can create and manage the Flexible Rate Plan either from their RateTiger Channel Manager platform or from the Booking.com extranet. For any queries or to see how to set up this Rate, contact us today –marketing@erevmax.com

 

 

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The Week, That Was – March 2021 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!!

RateTiger becomes the first hotel technology platform to integrate Agoda Promotions API

eRevMax, the leading hotel distribution and connectivity solution provider, has become the first technology company to complete Promotions API integration with Agoda. Hotels using RateTiger Channel Manager can now create specific Promotions on Agoda directly from their RateTiger platform to attract more visibility and rebuild demand.

https://www.erevmax.com/ratetiger-news/ratetiger-news-archive/mar2021-erevmax-ratetiger-becomes-first-hoteltechnology-platform-integrate-agoda.html

What Google’s overhaul of hotel booking ads really means

How do hotels gain placement in the new organic list of prices for hotels? And will the paid-for listings just be dominated by brands associated with Booking Holdings and Expedia Group – those that have the marketing muscle to keep spending for visibility?

https://www.phocuswire.com/What-Google-overhaul-of-hotel-booking-ads-really-means

UK: Bookings rise for summer peak as confidence grows

Booking volumes for the peak summer holiday period are starting to pick up as destinations prepare to welcome back British tourists.

https://www.travelweekly.co.uk/news/tour-operators/bookings-rise-for-summer-peak-as-confidence-grows

Attract Israeli tourists through special Country Rates on Booking.com

A recent news regarding the inflow of Israeli tourists to the UAE has created a lot of positive stir amongst travel watchers.  We would like you to take advantage of this opportunity. You can now activate Country rates which are targeted discounts that you can offer to guests from your markets of choice. You will find personalized country rate recommendations on the RateTiger Channel Manager.

Contact us today to know more or to see a demo – marketing@erevmax.com

How to attract more Chinese travelers post-COVID

One of the strategies seen by some tourist destinations is to attract Chinese travellers, which is one of the biggest movers and shakers in travel.Additional steps are critical to interact with Chinese citizens to help spark international travel demand when travel is more easily accessible.

https://www.traveldailymedia.com/how-to-attract-more-chinese-travellers-post-covid/

Sojern: Domestic demand in hotel searches soaring in Asia Pacific

Domestic stays dominate with over 90% of travelers are looking for short staycations.

https://www.sojern.com/blog/covid-19-insights-on-travel-impact-asia-pacific-march/

 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 – March 2021 Week 1

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

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

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

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

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

 Business travel in the age of Covid-19 

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

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

 Italy has a new way to combat overtourism 

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

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

 TripAdvisor’s new subscription model wins fans on Wall Street 

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

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

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

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

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

The changing face of travel payments 

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

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

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

Thanks and have a good day!