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Nowadays, as travelers turn to the internet and mobile devices to research and book their travel online increasingly, the online marketing in hospitality has become a important sign for success. At the same time, the hospitality industry tries best to enhance their online booking service, hoping to turn general online travelers into loyal repeat customers that book directly on hotel websites. However, there are still are challenges as the industry has many complex factors. And this article gives solutions and results by introduce Adobe products.

In this article it talks about e business strategies. One of them being mobile device because research and booking travel have been so critical for people on the go. The HeBS is a big digital marketing firm for the hospitality industry. There are profitable online strategies to come by in the hospitality industry. These opportunities do not come easy many time it very complex but also very successful if it done right .Hotel budget have come to a plateau. Hotel need to step up the plate because online travel agencies have taken over the industry. In addition social media and smart phone have added new dimension for market that require new skills with their ideas. HeBS face a challenge by multichannel marketing success, improving return on ad spend, and making more online marketing to be able to come back by doing this they would have the solution and the result. The solution being, keeping clients of the curve of the competition by building direct online revenue. The result for that is providing insights. The market and the driving force for the differentiate competitors. The benefits will build a leading- edge for the hospitality industry

This article is a good one that demonstrates how GDS are now more often used than times before. The article states that the 2011 Global Travel Agent GDS study demonstrates how important GDS platform and shopping Displays are to the travel agents. They stated the 84 percent of those who took the survey stated that they are using the GDS just as much or even more than they did in the pass and 35 % of these stated that they were using it more than they did in the pass. The article explained how these numbers have greatly increased since 2009 where only 26% agents admitted that they used the GDS systems more than before. This study is 2011 reaffirmed Travel Click's projection, which was that GDS hotel bookings would surpass %50 million in the year 2011. This was far more than that of 2010. The article goes on to explain how the GDS will improve the booking and services of the industry all around. Furthermore, the article went on to explain a worldwide survey conducted for agents who were among the largest GDS in the world and some 495 responses were collected. The survey was conducted by Phoenix Marketing International, which is and independent marketing research firm Travel agents were indicated that promotional messages were effective and prompt during bookings and 66% of these agents request additional information about it. While, 68% of these agents looked into the GDS for more information. After this survey was complete the agents who were aware of promotional messages, 46% of them made North American bookings within 3 months as a result of the promotional messaging and 44% made non- North American bookings. The survey itself shows that promotional messages were and excellent way to get the agents interested. In the article it is quoted how the promotional messages acts in a chain reaction to reach the agent and then the customer, which allows sales all over the world.

GDS provides a perfect virtual marketplace for travel inventory sellers such as hotels, airlines, and car rental systems to showcase their wares to a global Internet travel audience. The GDS is a natural outlet for hotels, resorts, and even smaller inns that want to increase revenue and online marketing exposure. As the GDS channel produces one of the highest average daily rates of any booking channel, there is a huge opportunity for hoteliers to influence travel agents through the GDS at the point-of-sale.

Yes, GDS is of great importance for tourism development. It provides such a huge market of tourism information for customers, airlines, hotels, travel agents and any parts included in the tourism. Someone said that GDS will end travel agent, however, in my opinion; they have their own advantages and will supplement each other in the future.

Ebookers.com has a new rewards program being introduced called Bonus+, with a focus on mobile use. They have done research and developed a program that allows travelers to earn rewards on hotel bookings, packaged trips and flight bookings. Bonus+ offers a membership which has three tiers to their program. If customers reach gold or platinum status, they offer a 24-hr support for hotel bookings and free upgrades at participating hotels. If customers are to book through their mobile app, they receive more discounts on bookings. This concept is very interesting and I'd like to see how much it will effect the status of travel agents. It will be interesting to see how many more companies will try to come out with rewards programs like Bonus+.

This pretty much what we have discussed in class along with the history of  the way hospitality companies have grown so much since the 60s. 

This article describes the development of the GDS, and also introduce its role as a non-air hospitality services marketing channel. The authors introduce the evolution of GDS, and show some points about how hospitality marketing through GDS.

This article goes into depth with the development of the primary electronic distribution channel. Surprisingly, as early as the 1960's travelers and travel agents where booking reservations via letter, telex, or telephone. Most of the reservations for airlines, hotels, and car rentals were conducted via telephone. Because of such an increase in demand of the service, airlines installed computer terminals to reduce cost and increase bookings for the airlines. Airlines believed it would be cost efficient to install such system instead of hiring extra staff. The airlines also predicted that travel agents would reserve more with the airlines that supplied the GDS terminal, which in fact turned out to be true. After, the travel agents became heavily comfortable with the system, they noticed that it could also accommodate to bookings for hotels, car rentals, and travel services. The potential of the travel distribution was obvious and many non-air travel companies became major participants within the system.

The first products distributed by GDS was hotel lodging reservation system, such as different types of rooms, description and price categories with the airline system. GDS has been increased on the travel market, such as number of flights. Travel Agencies (TA) also use GDS to offer complimentary products, such as car rental, hotel and other related forms of accommodation, bus tickets, vacation tickets, yacht rides and even flowers and champagne,That means, GDS has become more important distribution channel for nay product through TA. Also TA had more opportunity of more products their own system and GDS system from increase number of booking volume with lower operating costs. It was the first and major goals of GDS being used in the hospitality industry. Even though hopitality ingustry use GDS system, there are few problems, such as show only simple structure. For example, there are 4 different kinds od room and 3 categories od comfort, it means they have 12 different kinds of combination. Because of the GDS database structure, only there 12 combination could be displayed. It took a while to fit all the multiple types of comport rates, rooms and services in GDS standard database structure. Instead of choosing GDS system, they cans choose other alternative system with develop several computerized system to make a database structure closer to product specification. Nowadays, GDS using all of the hospitality industry from reservation hotel rooms to car rentals and Travel Agencies. Through GDS as globally, people are able to to book different kinds of hotel rooms in different destination all around the world, tours, airline seats, cruises and eeve limousines.

Looking at these numbers it becomes very clear how important GDS are to the hospitality industry, more rooms booked means increased revenues and more jobs for hospitality professionals. I am sure that this technology will evolve and transform so it is important to stay current and understand how to get the most out of it.

What's global distribution system? This question is kind of cliché in our group, but this article gives a very good introduction about GDS and it's quite easy to understand comparing to many other articles introducing GDS. This article tells us: How GDS develops from being used only in airline industry to being generally adopted in hospitality industry; What is the working idea behind the GDS; Four major GDS including Amadeus, Galileo, Sabre and Worldspan; Advantages provided by GDS.

This is an article that goes through the history of bookings from the early 1900s through to today. It walks through the players in the industry, the changes in technology and the factors impacting the changes. It discusses the rise of the Computer Reservation Systems and subsequently GDSs, ultimately bringing readers to todays OTAs.

The article talks about major trends in tourism events, ranging from green initiatives through F&B to the 2nd largest reason people go to events is networking opportunities and providing quiet areas where people can network in is a good idea. More events are being planned so it is necessary to book event venues early.

Like everything nowadays is evolving, also the meetings are evolving in order to stay trendy and appealing for consumers. Meetings are growing exponentially YOY at a rate of between 5-10% according to the prestigious CWT meetings and events company for 2020 (without counting coronavirus). The reality is that the meetings industry also needs to evolve in order to stay in business with the new trends, clientele and times. This list provides 19 trends that every event planner needs to consider to make their event a success, including but not limited to the new demographics in the world (millenials).

This article is about 19 event trends that event planners should be informed about. People are expecting different things from events that in the past years where not expected. Trends have changed, for example, it is a trend now to have minimalistic events instead of gaudy ones. Now people also expect creativity out of the event and to have a unique event. People also care about security of the event and fast WI-fi. All these trends are important to know and will continue changing with the years.

GDS has been around since the 1970s and is extremely beneficial for the hotel industry. It creates a common entry point for several OTA's and travel agents so that they can obtain accurate information about the hotels. 5 Benefits to GDS in hotels: Reach market segments globally, more revenue, growth, instant updates and growing the corporate segment. All these benefits of using GDS can result in greater exposure for the property.

With the growing of the travel industry the GDS is a great tool that many travel agents use to narrow the search of what exact details they are searching for. GDS is an efficient way for agents to promote their product and services. This tool helps with the aspect in business such as revenue generated, growth opportunities, and give instant updates on rates so there is no secret.

Five benefits of using a GDS's. Talks about reaching a global market, improving revenue growth opportunities and the ability to have live updates for prices.

Technology has a grand impact on the hospitality industry. Some of these trends include online travel agent bookings and social media influencers. Millennials are the largest demographic traveling and the focus must be on them.

This article is very interesting. Hotels are using direct hotel websites for bookings to further drive their revenue and with great results! There are many of their websites being used to book hotel rooms. Research shows that they are among the top four channels in the markets bringing in about $35 billion in revenue.

CWT M&E has created a new website platform to help hotels and other venues streamline the process of booking meetings and small venue events. This is a helpful tool for meeting planners who are able to access over 250,000 meeting rooms easily and be able to book and modify any meeting room reservations directly through this website, instead of going through a variety of different channels in the past. The reason why this website was developed goes to show the first kind of solution for small meeting bookings which represented over 70% of client's budget before the pandemic. My take on this is that once pandemic restrictions are lifted, there is going to be a huge surge in demand for these meeting spaces so it will be crucial for hotel properties to be able to list their availability on this website which would be reducing any additional costs that go into booking meetings.

A GDS system is a massive advantage for a hotel because it will increase demand which directly increases revenue. A GDS system can be even more beneficial if the hotel is targeting corporate travelers. However, a GDS system is not without its drawbacks. While there are options, it is not uncommon for a hotel to pay an initial fee and agency fee.

This article gives a solid big picture overview of what GDS is and why is there a need to use a GDS. Also, it tells who are the three major players and what are the associated costs of using a GDS.

This article signifies the use and importance of Global Distribution System (GDS) in hotels. GDS is a network that travel agencies are provided with information to help hotels book more. Hotels that target corporate travelers have an advantage using the GDS system. Businesses still turn to travel agents rather than booking directly. The GDS system will give a wide range customer base, more booking and more.

In this article, the difference between CRS and GDS in the hotel industry. These two systems may be similar but cater to different business and different markets.

This article talks about the differences between CRS and GDS, their similarities, and how they both help hotels gain exposure. GDS help inform travel agencies and other organizations about travel arrangements like hotel room availability and flight schedules and prices whereas CRS is designed specifically for the hospitality to manage room availability and rates. According to the article, although these systems are both helpful, it seems more valuable to have both, as CRS in combination. With GDS will help to promote establishments to a greater market through various booking platforms.

According to the article, the Red Lion Hotel on the River - Jantzen Beach has implemented the GroupMAX online reservation system in order to streamline and simplify event planning for meeting professionals. Planners that choose Red Lion Hotel on the River for their event will be equipped with a powerful set of tools that include various templates and themes, libraries, bundles and customized event websites. The booking process for each event also includes a dedicated social network, which helps drive attendance and extend the event lifecycle, allowing attendees to connect before, during and after the event. An event-centric social networking option dramatically boosts the perceived value of the event. While guests enjoy the convenience of online booking and networking, meeting planners can track the progress of their events via their own set of online dashboards that provide automated email alerts and other tools helping to mitigate the difficulties of managing room blocks and bookings.

The Red Lion Hotel has implemented the GroupMAX online reservation system to streamline and simplify the event planning. For hosting the events and also using the related facilities, Red Lion has became the convention destination. Now GroupMAX may combine the housing management, communications, booking processes and logistics together and working with the hotel. Red Lion has a lot of powerful tools to guarantee the event. Also, the mobile version of booking website can be accessed from other mobile devices. Booking process for each event is more like a social network. The event will present the value. Meeting planners will track the progress of the events through the dashboards that provide automated email alerts. Those things all make sure the events going smoothly.

By using an online reservation system to streamline the Red Lion Hotel's event planning needs they have created an online booking and networking system for meeting planners. This system allows them to track their events and managing booking dates/times to avoiding double booking. Planners will have access to online reservations, network of contacts, and tools to set up their events. There is also a mobile component to make reservations that can be accessible from any smartphone at anytime.

This article mainly talks about a new free software called Globa.li for small hotels. For the smaller establishments, they can not only get a sustainable rate, but also it is hard to manage the relationship with their customers. Globa.li can help these kind of hotels to have a good situation when they compare with big corporates for online bookings. This software can manager the rates, availability and bookings online, even from smart phones. It even can book online for properties.

As mobile devices become more advanced, particularly cell phones and tablet devices, more pressure to keep up with mobile and social trends is placed on the hospitality industry. People are using their mobile devices more now than they have in the past. So much so, that "two thirds of Americans sleep with their mobile device in range, something we cannot say about desktops". A world of information is at your fingertips because of the capability of mobile devices. Information that can help us make decisions about anything. Even last-minute decisions about hotels and food. More people are using their mobile devices to book rooms and many of the people that do this, are booking a hotel for the same night. The fact most of the people who do this are under 30 means that it is very likely that this trend will increase. People are expecting the technology to be there so that they can pick a hotel and a restaurant to go to if they are unfamiliar with a city. They are expecting a hotel chain to have a mobile site or better yet an "app" that will not only allow them to book a room, but, one that will give them directions from where they are to the hotel. The same can be said for restaurants. Potential customers want to be able to look over the menu and determine if they want to come to the restaurant, all from their mobile device. Mobile guests are also using customer review sites to determine where they will lodge or dine. They are using sites like TripAdvisor which allows you to post comments about your stay. The sight even allows the guests to post pictures. "Customer reviews are also important to the hotel industry, but the jury is still out on exactly how hotels should react with people who post reviews." It is always great when a guest posts a positive review of the hotel, but imagine how one bad stay could tarnish a hotels reputation. And what if there are cleanliness issues that the guest can photograph and upload to the site? Exactly what to do in this type of e

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. and Sabre Travel Network have signed a multi-year distribution contract that will distribute all Royal Caribbean, Azamara, and Celebrity cruise schedules and fares on the Sabre GDS system. With the Sabre system travel agents in Mexico can now make bookings on Royal Caribbean cruises and associated lines. This system. This system will allow travel agents in Mexico to increase productivity when booking Royal Caribbean cruises. I think this is an interesting step by Royal Caribbean to expand their relationship with Sabre Travel Network and a new region for booking. The impression I get from this agreement is Royal Caribbean is looking at opening their cruises to a new consumer market. This focus is aimed more on making sales and entering a new market. Now Royal Caribbean will be focusing on Mexican consumers. This system will allow travel agents in Mexico to have an easier time at booking a cruise with Royal Caribbean, Azamara, and Celebrity.

According to the article The Role of the GDS in How Today's Travel Agents Look and Book, the technology has evolved in the past years and even though GDS system are still used, they do not take place in all circumstances. We need to divide travel agents into two groups: corporate travel agencies and leisure travel agencies. Leisure agencies have been moving their focus towards multi-component itineraries that account for more than half of their sales. This leads to the need for more information that has been traditionally available through the GDSs. As states in the article, travel agents use online sources outside the GDS to obtain information, which include supplier websites. Leisure agents are more prone in their search to use variety of online services (as for example travel bogs and reviews) when they research the products where as GDS remains the main booking system for corporate agents. Due to the shift of booking using direct channels, it has been though that GDS will soon disappear. But GDS still remain the main booking platform for airfare shopping. There is an interesting trend that this described in the article, that grabbed my attention. There are new systems in the market such as graphical user interfaces that are available for travel agents to use but veteran agents who have been in the business 10 years an more are resistant to use this system and prefer the old legacy screens. Younger agents on the other hand find this technology easier to use and are more likely to use GUI for their booking system. I enjoyed reading this article as it was connected to our discussion board this week and assured me in my opinion that GDS systems are still a main part of travel bookings and will probably continue to be a predominant booking channel for quite a while.