9 lines that will mark the future of hotel distribution
Posted: Sat Dec 07, 2024 9:25 am
Mayca
Copy SEO Expert
June 1, 2016
The inaugural WIT Hospitality Conference took place at Hong Kong’s state-of-the-art ICON Hotel on 22 March 2016. The day presented interesting insights, but also served as a platform for key players to defend their positions spanning the hospitality industry.
The one-day event covered topics from how to address evolving customer needs, the love-hate relationship between OTAs and hoteliers, power shifts through consolidation and acquisition, to the growing importance of content marketing .
Drawing on both travel research ghana email list and insights shared by industry panelists ranging from hoteliers to airlines to startups, these nine critical learning points stood out in particular.
Table of Contents [ Hide ]
1 HOTELS AND DIGITAL PLAYERS MUST FIND A BALANCE IN THEIR CO-DEPENDENT RELATIONSHIP
2 HOTELS CANNOT BLAME DIGITAL COMPANIES FULLY FOR THEIR LOSSES IN CUSTOMER LOYALTY.
3. CUSTOMERS OUTREACH AND EXPERIENCE PROMOTE LOYALTY
4 “ALTERNATIVE” ACCOMMODATION IS NOT NECESSARILY A THREAT, BUT OPTIONS FOR TRAVELER TYPOLOGIES
5 KNOW YOUR TARGET MARKET AND HOW TO BE ATTRACTIVE TO IT SPECIFICALLY.
6 CONTENT MUST “MOVE, DELIGHT AND SURPRISE”
7 THE RELATIONSHIP WITH MOBILE IS INCREASING
8 ALL EYES ARE ON CHINA, FOR A VERY GOOD REASON
9 HOTELS SHOULD THINK LIKE START-UPS. EXPERIMENT AND NOT LOOK FOR AN IMMEDIATE ROI.
HOTELS AND DIGITAL PLAYERS MUST FIND A BALANCE IN THEIR CO-DEPENDENT RELATIONSHIP
Hoteliers view OTAs like the world views Donald Trump and Ted Cruz, said Maria Taylor (Regional Vice President for Southeast Asia at TravelClick) – a mix of awe, fear and bewilderment – as digital players continue to impact hotels’ ability to drive direct bookings.
For example, Colman Ho (Group Vice President of Marketing at Century City Holdings) argues that OTAs ' liberal cancellation policies mean that customers often continue shopping for better deals after booking, which can create uncertainty for hotel companies. Still, OTAs and meta-search engines are able to uncover new research trends, extend customer reach and ultimately drive business to hotels.
The conflict lies in the balance of power, says Jean-Luc Chretien (Co-CEO of FASTBOOKING), although “hoteliers and OTAs need each other”. Steps can be taken to make the relationship more mutually beneficial, for example, through sharing data analysis and insights to drive future strategies. Hoteliers would benefit greatly from integrating digital companies into their own infrastructures, such as Accor’s acquisition of FASTBOOKING.
Copy SEO Expert
June 1, 2016
The inaugural WIT Hospitality Conference took place at Hong Kong’s state-of-the-art ICON Hotel on 22 March 2016. The day presented interesting insights, but also served as a platform for key players to defend their positions spanning the hospitality industry.
The one-day event covered topics from how to address evolving customer needs, the love-hate relationship between OTAs and hoteliers, power shifts through consolidation and acquisition, to the growing importance of content marketing .
Drawing on both travel research ghana email list and insights shared by industry panelists ranging from hoteliers to airlines to startups, these nine critical learning points stood out in particular.
Table of Contents [ Hide ]
1 HOTELS AND DIGITAL PLAYERS MUST FIND A BALANCE IN THEIR CO-DEPENDENT RELATIONSHIP
2 HOTELS CANNOT BLAME DIGITAL COMPANIES FULLY FOR THEIR LOSSES IN CUSTOMER LOYALTY.
3. CUSTOMERS OUTREACH AND EXPERIENCE PROMOTE LOYALTY
4 “ALTERNATIVE” ACCOMMODATION IS NOT NECESSARILY A THREAT, BUT OPTIONS FOR TRAVELER TYPOLOGIES
5 KNOW YOUR TARGET MARKET AND HOW TO BE ATTRACTIVE TO IT SPECIFICALLY.
6 CONTENT MUST “MOVE, DELIGHT AND SURPRISE”
7 THE RELATIONSHIP WITH MOBILE IS INCREASING
8 ALL EYES ARE ON CHINA, FOR A VERY GOOD REASON
9 HOTELS SHOULD THINK LIKE START-UPS. EXPERIMENT AND NOT LOOK FOR AN IMMEDIATE ROI.
HOTELS AND DIGITAL PLAYERS MUST FIND A BALANCE IN THEIR CO-DEPENDENT RELATIONSHIP
Hoteliers view OTAs like the world views Donald Trump and Ted Cruz, said Maria Taylor (Regional Vice President for Southeast Asia at TravelClick) – a mix of awe, fear and bewilderment – as digital players continue to impact hotels’ ability to drive direct bookings.
For example, Colman Ho (Group Vice President of Marketing at Century City Holdings) argues that OTAs ' liberal cancellation policies mean that customers often continue shopping for better deals after booking, which can create uncertainty for hotel companies. Still, OTAs and meta-search engines are able to uncover new research trends, extend customer reach and ultimately drive business to hotels.
The conflict lies in the balance of power, says Jean-Luc Chretien (Co-CEO of FASTBOOKING), although “hoteliers and OTAs need each other”. Steps can be taken to make the relationship more mutually beneficial, for example, through sharing data analysis and insights to drive future strategies. Hoteliers would benefit greatly from integrating digital companies into their own infrastructures, such as Accor’s acquisition of FASTBOOKING.