Pros: Eventbrite is a software that is commonly used across industries. It’s a good choice for a small social event or party as well.
Cons: This software may be good for event registration but lacks attendee engagement functionalities. The fee has also been steadily increasing.
2. Whova
Pros: Whova has almost the lowest per-ticket price in the industry, capped at $5, so it is a great option for higher ticket prices. It also offers a suite of features that significantly boost attendee participation and interactions through the event app. Two birds, one stone (read more: save money on event registration tool & double audience participation).
Cons: If you expect fewer than 50 attendees, or if your event is a wedding or party, Whova may not be a good fit.
3. Xing Events
Pros: This event registration tool may be a good option especially for European events. It is a robust software for large enterprise-level conferences and trade fairs.
Cons: It offers an app for event check-in, but similar to other traditional brands, its strength may not be in offering modern mobile technology for audience engagement and attendee networking.
4. Brown Paper Tickets
Pros: They work well with charity events, performances, and various non-profit / school events.
Cons: This software may not be a great choice for mid- or large-scale conferences, and some customers have complained that the reporting is not very robust.
5. Wild Apricot
Pros: It may be affordable for a small community’s regular gatherings. It has various pricing options for different types and sizes of organizations. It is integrated with Whova all-in-one attendee engagement and logistic management system, so you can easily sync your registrant information with Whova.
Cons: If you only have an annual event and do not need to manage membership, it may not be a good fit for you.
6. Ticketleap
Pros: This event registration software is simple to use and works well with relatively small events and performances.
Cons: It doesn’t offer the complex organizational tools of conference registration software, so it might not be a good fit for large, multi-day, multi-track conferences.
7. Constant Contact
Pros: Constant Contact easily integrates with other systems (e.g. Whova, Eventbrite) so you can build invitations and registration into your email marketing campaigns.
Cons: This is an unnecessary solution if you don’t intend to send many emails to your contacts, as you will still need to be an Eventbrite customer to use the registration feature.
This article was able to summarize all the different event registration softwares that are available currently and their pros and cons. It gives you a good idea on what software you would prefer for your company depending on what they have to offer.
The Cybersecurity 202: Facebook disclosed a major hack very quickly. But the alert was short on details.
It took just three days for Facebook to notify authorities and the public that hackers had compromised as many as 50 million user accounts on the social media platform.
Facebook leaders did not have enough information to paint a clear picture of the hack and the risk to its users during the announcement.
Europe’s new privacy law, the General Data Protection Regulation, imposes massive fines on companies if they don’t notify privacy regulators about a data breach within 72 hours. The rule took effect in May and applies to any company with E.U. customers. U.S. lawmakers have proposed similar a 72-hour rule to replace the patchwork of state data breach laws that exist here
The company said Friday it had notified European data privacy regulators of the breach, in accordance with GDPR. Shortly after doing so, Ireland’s Data Protection Commission, the watchdog that monitors Facebook’s GDPR compliance, said Facebook’s disclosure “lacks detail” and criticized the company for being “unable to clarify the nature of the breach and the risk for users at this point.”
Equifax waited six weeks to reveal that the Social Security numbers and other sensitive information on 143 million Americans had been exposed in a data breach. Uber waited a year to reveal a hack affecting tens of millions of drivers — and just last week paid a $148 million settlement in connection with the incident. Yahoo also paid a fine earlier this year for waiting two years to tell investors that Russian hackers stole information on 500 million users.
Wray stressed that cyberattacks and theft of intellectual property can inflict long-term damage on American companies,
No country poses a broader, more severe intelligence collection threat than China.
The Energy Department on Monday announced awards of up to $28 million to help fund 11 cybersecurity research projects to strengthen the defenses of America's critical energy infrastructure,
Karen Evans, the assistant secretary for the department's Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response, said “energy cybersecurity and resilience” is one of the “most important security challenges” that the United States faces.
“The frequency, scale, and sophistication of cyber threats have increased and attacks can be much easier to launch,”
“Cyber incidents have the potential to interrupt energy services, damage highly specialized equipment and threaten human health and safety.”
The Senate Commerce Committee should hear from consumer privacy experts as lawmakers consider whether to develop data privacy legislation, a coalition of consumer and privacy groups said Monday
And while civilian agencies generally face the most lopsided age disparities, the importance departments place on building a long-term talent pipeline varies greatly
That means federal technologists at or approaching retirement age outnumbered their 20-something counterparts roughly 4.6 to 1.”
This article highlights the importance of announcing a security breach quickly, and explains the argument on whether it needs to be carefully analyzed before releasing the breach. It explains the importance of releasing the understanding of a hack as quickly as possible to maintain people's information (i.e. bank information) safe.
COVID-19 FORCES BUSINESSES TO INVEST IN HOTEL TECHNOLOGY
A health crisis that quickly turned into an economic crisis, COVID-19 has a particularly strong impact on tourism and the hotel industry. After the pandemic, hotels will need to find new techniques to limit their losses and make up for lost profits. Innovative hotel technology and investments in customer relations may be of great help.
Normally, 98% of visitors leave a hotel site without making a reservation
Offering flexible terms and conditions in their booking engine or the possibility of cancelling their stay by leaving a deposit will reassure the traveler and ensure the hotel's cash flow.
Thanks to a price comparison widget on the hotel's website (vs. the price on OTAs), the visitor will be able to see live that he or she will get a better deal by booking on the hotel's official website.
Live Chat
Chat hotel technology is a good communication channel on websites.
Although there are robotic chats, having a human on the other side of the screen becomes almost essential right now as visitors are looking for real contact.
A live chat will make the booking process more fluid and personalized.
During this rather special period, it will also be an effective means of reassuring customers about the hygiene measures and precautions put in place when business resumes.
Social Networks
During this period of crisis, social networks are useful to show that the hotel's teams are ready for the resumption of activity by showing, for example, the "backstage". It could also be a good idea to show that life is resuming post-confinement, by presenting local mini-guide highlighting activities in the surrounding area.
Means of Payment
Offering flexible means of payment allows an optimization of the entire purchasing process: combining two means of payment (gift card and credit card), PayPal... The more numerous and flexible they are, the less likely visitors will abandon their shopping basket.
Setting up a Call Center
Setting up a call center makes it possible to delegate incoming calls and maximize reservations by putting customer relations at the forefront. The DNA of the hotel business is the "service", and today's travelers are looking for quality support from the moment they make a reservation.
Emails, Emails
Emailing is an excellent way to keep in touch with the traveler, as long as it is not abused.
Emailing is a good way to communicate about a destination by offering packages or gift boxes including accommodation and activities. For example, a city hotel can offer a package of "3 nights stay and 3 visits to the historical monuments of the city".
During confinement, it is essential to build customer loyalty and to advise customers in order to maintain a bond
When business resumes, it will be necessary to prioritize customer relations. Hotel technology will be the tools that will enable the offer to be personalized and make a difference to over-solicited travelers. The season will be short this summer for hoteliers, who will have to redouble their efforts to attract travelers.
Can You Use Your POS To Help Eliminate Restaurant Fraud?
Fraud comes up a lot in the restaurant industry. It’s with good reason. In a business where margins are always tight, customers literally walk in and out, fraud continues to be a constant concern.
But did you know your POS has other features to help in your efforts to keep transactions safe and your business secure? Scammers are a crafty lot.
Automatic tip calculation is a genuine convenience for large parties and those who have difficulty determining appropriate gratuities.
Your POS has the ability to determine which tables qualify for an automatic gratuity, so management can easily see which large parties in your dining room will be targeted. If you see cash left after a table has already paid a bill, you may want to intervene and remind the guest that gratuity was already covered, and additional cash should only be left if they intended to do so.
Coupon scams
Discounts are a fantastic marketing tool. But they’re only good if the customer is aware of the deal.
Thankfully, your POS system can ensure all active coupons loaded into the system, and that they’re applied directly to an order, rather than after a cash transaction is complete.
Voided transactions
Except there are no guests behind those transactions – just wads of unaccounted cash. In a slow restaurant bar, this would never fly. But in a thumping nightclub with high ticket table service bills throughout the facility, a “mere” $500 discrepancy is a drop in the bucket for management, and an easy target for scammers looking to pad their own pockets. Even worse? Serving up complimentary drinks for cash transactions and pocketing the money but adding a tip to the jar as a cover-up.
The “Wagon Wheel”
In this scenario, a waiter transfers an item like a soda from one check to another prior to closing the tab when a guest pays in cash
Then, the next time a guest orders that soda, the server starts the ticket on that tab and continue to transfer the soda while they pockets the cash. Sometimes known as the “revolving soda,” this frequently happens with items like beverages where the server or bartender is preparing their own.
To avoid this, restaurant owner’s can monitor activity and behaviors such as low sales of server-controlled items like drinks, compare bartender performance over the same shift, or set restrictions requiring a manager to authorize any transfers.
The list goes on. But, thanks to loss prevention features built into modern POS systems, hospitality managers now have the ability to get ahead of scams being run.
By leveraging algorithms to identify patterns and suspicious transactions, such as increases in coupon redemption or notably low cash totals, and help you bore down to the source of the problems, before they get out of hand.
One of the most basic needs of any business is the ability to accurately track sales and other vital transactions.
POS (Point Of Sale) systems provide automatic record keeping solutions along with many other advantages that can help small businesses succeed in a competitive economy.
A POS system typically consists of software installed on a cash register terminal that communicates with another standard computer that stores transaction data and other vital information that is vital to maintaining a business’s bottom line.
The POS market is very strong and increasingly profitable with an estimated market value of nearly $15 trillion, up from less than $10 trillion only two years ago
Advantages of POS System
A POS system allows a business to effectively track sales, analyze profits/expenses in detail, maintain inventory, analyze sale trends, as well as allow you to manage employees and other store operations.
POS Software
Item Information
Costs/Expenses
Payment Methods
Stock/Inventory
Purchase/Transaction Records
Employee Time Clocking
Tax/Discount Calculation
POS management software can assist a store manager by constantly collecting analytic data to produce detailed spreadsheet reports, eliminating the need for manually inputting formulas and data into a spreadsheet program.
This helps business owners and managers to determine the best way to maximize sales, determine what inventory restocked, easily and accurately do taxes, and other vital operations.
Web-based POS systems often feature very focused and on-demand customer support than traditional POS software, with more frequent updates and an easier method of delivering them.
Another one of the benefits of POS systems is that POS software is accessible on a number of different platforms. Instead of limiting your transactions and operations to a terminal that is in the store, you can also utilize the POS concurrently with a remote cash register in another location, a computer, a tablet or even a smartphone can all access and work with the software.
Furthermore, a multi-use tablet with a removable external card-reader is an ideal substitute for an expensive card reader unit from a POS developer, which will only serve one basic purpose.
Studies show that Web-based small business POS is becoming more popular, as the increased efficiency and availability of mobile devices make the need for mobile access more crucial, and allow personal devices like smartphones and tablets to double as financial hardware.
This article explains all the advantages of having a POS system, especially for a small business. It emphasizes the different benefits from constant software updates, and the ability for the hardware to be transposed into different electronics for easy access wherever you go! It also highlights the increase in market value within the last few years, and the continued growth it'll attract.
Operations are streamlined and simplified while reducing the need to do things manually.
Furthermore, the system can be accessed through any device, anywhere.
An all-in-one solution enhances all these capabilities even further, as it offers various integrations within the system and staff members don't need to jump from one software to another.
Better user experience
With new all-in-one cloud PMS solutions such as mycloud, the system can be customized to your current operations and change very little in your processes, meaning that employees can easily get used to the new system.
At the same time, these kinds of systems also come with an adjustable interface and every employee can set it up to their preferences.
Zero Installation and Maintenance
However, even though most cloud solutions are easy to install, companies usually need IT professionals to configure them and maintain them.
The new generation of web-based hotel PMS solutions addresses these issues. Their implementation requires no technical knowledge whatsoever and anyone with basic computer knowledge can handle them.
The best features of cloud solutions, therefore, include:
Zero CAPEX and no upfront investment
Easy to use plans that are pocket-friendly
Pay as you use plans that help hoteliers run technology only on OPEX
All the updates, upgrades, and maintenance are done automatically by the provider and there is no need to have an in-house team of IT experts to babysit your system.
Your hotel property management system needs to give you all the tools you need to manage data and operations without requiring any additional effort or investment on your part.
Throughout the life of hotels— from building construction, operation, maintenance and evolution—the environmental issue is the wasteful consumption of vast amount of resources such as water and energy and accumulation of air, soil and water pollution in a built environment. The unique service function and operations of hotel result to a stronger ecological impact when compared to other buildings used for commercial purposes. (Bohdanowicz, Simanic & Martinac, 2004)
It is imperative for hotels to construct buildings, design their facilities, operate, and refurbish structures in a way that causes the least possible harm to the environment. (Straus & Gale, 2006)
Protection of the environment through eco-friendly practices by hotels involves a radical change in operations and a long-term impact, which makes this a sustainability-driven strategy
The growing concern over sustainability in the business sector led to developments in innovative environment friendly processes and tools collectively called green technology
Green technology enables the eco-friendly practices of business firms.
The concept of sustainability emerged in the field of natural sciences in recognition of the scarcity of natural resources and the need to rationalize usage to secure sufficient resources for future generations (Kirk, 1995).
The concern of sustainability is ensuring the continuation of the well-being of people and protection of the environment from wasteful use or destructive activities.
The implementation of sustainability plans involves innovative methods and tools accessible to hotels and responsive to the multi-dimensional issues including impact of operations on the environment experienced by hotels. Green technology understood as eco-friendly tools and processes or environment friendly products support the successful implementation of sustainability plans in the hospitality industry.
1. Minimized pollution and rational energy and water consumption.
2. Respect for culture and tradition.
3. Community involvement in the hospitality economy.
4. Consideration of quality instead of quantity in terms of the visitors to tourist destinations.
5. Economic benefits redound to the community. (Robertson, 2007)
In relation to environmental sustainability, there are also considerations for inclusion into the sustainability plan of hotels to ensure that they meet environmental compliance (Butler, 2008)
However, even if sustainability planning is a tedious task, the expected outcomes are long-term and compelling because this determines the continuity or viability of hotels, firms whose future survival depends on sustainability (Butler, 2008).
1. Scale and distribution of operations in a given area.
2. Hotel demand and means of alleviating the negative effects.
3. Protection of key assets historic buildings, townscape or coastline.
4. Contribution to other related areas such as economic development and cultural preservation. (Sharma, 2004)
Since the sustainability of hotels spans multidimensional aspects, the contribution of hotels to other areas such as employment or job creation also supports its sustainability.
Green technology received recognition as an aspect of human society and therefore part of sustainability. In a sustainability panel of representatives from the hospitality industry, sustainability as a strategy meant addressing today’s needs without adversely affecting tomorrow’s needs (Knowles, 2008).
Examples of product enhancement are energy saving appliances and fixtures such as fluorescent instead of incandescent lights or intelligent air conditioning systems that regulate room temperature depending on the presence of its occupant
The extent of reduction of waste varies since this could range from minimal to significant decrease in the volume of waste generated, capacity of landfills, and transportation needs. By benefiting the environment, economic benefits also accrue. (Billatos & Basaly, 1997)
dopting waste management processes and tools accrues financial, economic, and environmental benefits for hotels.
Key to these activities is the ability to harness the full functional value of materials and product components at the least possible additional processing cost for recovery and reuse. (Billatos & Basaly, 1997)
First is design of recycling or the cost-effective manner of recovering and reusing materials. The design provides support during the disposal stage to ensure low added cost for recovery. Second is design for disassembly encompassing the methods enabling the minimization of cost in segregating reusable materials. This leads to savings that accumulate when design interventions are made during the stages of material selection and assembly that already separates reusable materials
Third is toxics management comprised of the activities of controlling and eliminating toxic materials that are innate components of products such as cadmium or lead. Excessive levels of these toxic materials are hazards to health and the environment. (Billatos & Basaly, 1997)
Environmental benefits include reduced accumulation of waste and lesser risk of soil, water and air contamination of toxic production. (Billatos & Basaly, 1997)
Pollution prevention involves the elimination of processes in manufacturing that cause pollution. This requires change by redesigning the production process in a manner that prevents the accumulation of harmful by-products or the redesign of the finished products so there would be no use for processes that result in hazardous by-products. The prevention of pollution in production design exacts capital investments but the cost of redesign is deemed less when compared to the cumulative cost of controlling pollution, which would likely increase with new regulations imposing more active methods of pollution control. (Billatos & Basaly, 1997)
Green technology as a process and a collection of tools addresses four objectives, which are a) waste reduction, b) materials management, c) pollution prevention, and d) product enhancement (Billatos & Basaly, 1997). There are processes and tools specifically targeting any one, some or all of these objectives so that the appropriate choice depends on the priority of hotels.
The technological development of product enhancement innovations is escalating and promise greater functions for business establishments. (Billatos & Basaly, 1997)
Utilizing product enhancement technologies influence the sustainability of hotels in terms of savings on operating cost, lesser pollution and waste in the built environment, and value creation for environmental conscious customers (Yaw, 2005).
Overall, green technology supports the sustainability of hotels by decreasing a wide range of economic and non-economic costs to support the financial viability of hotels in the long-term and conserving the natural environment on which the hospitality industry depends for the continuity of business. By adopting green technology, hotels gain processes and tools it can use to secure its sustainability.
A range of energy saving technologies is available to the hotel industry. These technologies could make hotels green buildings by targeting various areas for energy saving.
One is electric heating pumps as alternatives to conventional electric boilers or condensing/non-condensing boilers requiring gas to run. The use of this green technology by a hotel in Hong Kong with a rooftop swimming pool showed a reduction in energy consumption by 26.5-32.5 MWh and a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 12,000 kg. When computed over a ten-year period, using this technology would save the hotel HK$226,400 in energy cost savings. The hotel can earn back the cost of adopting this technology in two years. (Chan & Lam, 2003)
Building designs able to harness alternative sources of energy comprise green technologies that support the sustainability of hotels. Solar panels continue to gain function in energy saving for hotels (“Building in a green edge,” 2008) although the payback period is longer than expected, the energy saving potential extends to the long-term. The use of building designs that harness natural light such as skylight atriums that do not use artificial lighting during the day are also green alternatives for hotels (Kirby, 2009).
Another direction of green technology for the kitchen is the reuse of exhaust heat from the kitchen by harnessing the heat from the exhaust or condensing hot air to produce steam for use in cooking. This is a means of recycling energy. However, this involves the integration of the design in the structure of the kitchen or the building itself, which means greater investment. (Higgins, 2008) Nevertheless, further innovations in this technology could enhance practical value for hotels.
In other areas of hotels such as rooms and bathrooms, e-sensor systems and LED lights comprise green technology options. E-sensor systems apply to different systems such as lighting and air conditioning. The e-sensors have the capability to change automatically the lighting or air conditioning settings depending on the area of the room where there are people or temperature changes in the room. LED lights offer greater energy savings than fluorescent lights so this represents the third generation in lighting technology. (Kirby, 2008) Systems thinking in energy management comprise a promising green technology in saving on energy costs (Sobieski, 2008).These technologies are widely available and accessible to different hotels. The energy saving is experienced in the short term and the payback period is shorted. The problem with this is hotel guests tampering with the system leading to added cost for repairs. This means that awareness and information dissemination are important for the effectiveness of these technologies.
Another green technology for rooms is the biodegradable key cards. These have the same life span as the conventional key cards except that these are biodegradable or recyclable. (Gale, 2009) These require little cost with high environmental impact.
This involves the placement of water treatment plants that recycle water used in baths for flushing in toilets. (Edwards, 2004) These comprise viable and accessible water conservation practices that would contribute savings on the cost of water to rationalize the consumption of water as a scarce resource.
One is the conscious involvement of hotels in the protection of the environment since the nature of the business of the hospitality industry and the closely connected industries such as tourism heavily rely on the soundness of the natural and socio-cultural environment for business
The other is the investment in environment protection in a manner that secures economic and financial as well as a range of non-monetary benefits for hotels in the long-term (Vermillion, 2008).
Energy consumption is also a benchmark of the eco-friendliness of hotels
The water conserving technologies provide the process and tools for hotels to achieve this benchmark.
Waste and pollution management are also benchmarks of the ecological involvement of hotels.
Green technology takes the role as an enabling process and tool for hotels to become sustainable.
With hotels competing to maintain its customer base and pull customers to shift to the hotel’s services, green technology could become an enabler for hotels to become competitive.
Investing in green technology enables hotels to significantly cutback on operating cost. This enables hotels a wider profitability margin and room to offer promotional prices to attract more customers (Jones, 2002).
Green technology has taken a central role in the sustainability of hotels. The concept of sustainability of hotels involves the aspects of environmental protection and business viability.
The use of green technology also contributes to the viability of business firms in terms of financial standing and non-financial competencies in the long-term. Going green attracts the niche market of environment enthusiasts that contribute to sales. Using the range of green technologies available would also result in savings from operating costs in the long-term, which increases the profit of hotels and gives them flexibility to invest in marketing activities.
It is a sound strategy for hotels to consider green technology as a process and a collection of tools in support of sustainability goals.
How does a customer relate to a brand? How does a hotel understand and control its virtual image? In a Web 2.0 world, hotels need to be in control of their online image to protect their brand and encourage growth.
Currently, 88.1% of the population in North America is online, 80.2% of Europeans are online, with lesser but growing percentages in the other areas of the world.
Globally, 3,885,567,619 people were registered as online users in June 2017 and this trend is to continue with service providers seeking to exploit new territories.1
It is estimated around 69% of online people will use social media when considering booking a trip, with 44% of customers acknowledging they would only book a hotel after reading an online review. Studies have also shown that 74% of travelers will now write some form of online assessment of their trip.2
52% of Facebook users indicated that the photographs on their friends Facebook page had a direct impact upon their decisions when booking future holidays.4
Research has shown that up to 98% of people believe TripAdvisor reviews are trustworthy.8
The site holds one of the largest collections of photographs in the online world and has a resource of well over 200 million reviews.6 Every month, these reviews are accessed by over 260 million unique users.7
Each year, it is estimated TripAdvisor is responsible for over $10 billion in online travel purchases in the US alone.5 It lists over 890,000 establishments, covering more than 45 countries
Consumers are willing to believe social media reviews because they think they are written by people like themselves.
There have been several instances where positive reviews have been shown to be written by members of staff.
The assumption is, the person reviewing is like ‘me’ and the problem is, they aren’t. The reviewer may come from a very different background, have very difference experiences of the types of hotel they are staying in. From this perspective, it is clear to see their review will be biased, either positively or negatively. In either instance, the value of the review is diminished.
They can no longer afford to use the same systems that worked effectively 20-30 years ago.
Technology has moved on and the hotel sector must adapt to utilize it.10
This can be through positive reviews on TripAdvisor or the sharing of unique content on social media.11 The days of ignoring negative comments are gone, the hospitality sector must be prepared to use social media to its advantage and be ready to respond to negative observations in an appropriate way.
This article highlights the reality that online reviews can ultimately directly affect the hospitality industry because practically 90% of the population in North America is online. Online reviews can define whether a hotel or airline is the best option for travel, and influence others whether they'd be willing to travel depending on these reviews. The idea is that the Hospitality Industry has to adapt and continue to change as new ideas begin to develop and become the new norm.
New technologies are providing different channels for marketing and management that improve the capabilities of society. And computers are providing faster and more reliable processing with lower cost continually.
In Hospitality and Tourism industry, hardware, software, information management, and telecommunications systems have allowed for the processing and information flow amongst organizations. The way in which tourism organizations take advantage of IT tools may determine their future success in the marketplace [4]. We consider the importance of the trend of Information Technology by implementing an effective IT system for advertising, distribution, encouragement and co-ordination of the industry. It is important that Hotel Industry take the lead of the emerging technologies to improve management abilities and develop business plans focusing on the most efficient income of delivering value added products to clients.
B2E transactions involve a business and its employees.
C2C transactions involve two or more consumers (customer-to-customer).
The industry can make profits to many countries and pull foreign currencies into the country.
The travel distribution system is currently facing many changes as online agencies such as Priceline, Travelocity, Expedia, etc. have introduced a way to access travel suppliers directly via the worldwide web. In general, Global Distribution Systems have not shown much of an effort toward targeting on-line customers. As an alternative, Customer Relation Systems have remained trustworthy to their travel agency distributors.
The Internet is not the full solution to success in the Hospitality and Tourism industry. However, the Internet is the “overall business answer” across industries
The success of the Hospitality and Tourism industry will depend upon the abilities to identify and answer quickly to current and potential customer needs
Starwood Hotel Group was standing ahead of other Hotels to offer a online “virtual tours” of its properties. This feature provides a site visit to potential guests without having to travel to each property. And now, many well-known hotels are also providing this promotion feature for stand top of the roles to attract potential customers.
Google presented the vision of Internet marketing is likely to grow by 2015. Some of them are worth to be informed and aware about.
50% of ad campaigns will include video ads bought on a cost-per-view basis
50% of ads will be bought using this real-time bidding technology to tailor experiences for different viewers
Smartphones / mobile phone will be the number one screen for digital brands to engage users
There will be at least 5 metrics that advertisers will regard as more important than the “click”
75% of web ads will be “social” in nature such as facebook. Therefore, Ads will be shared, discussed, subscribed to and recommended
Multimedia formats enable great creativity and interaction – these will grow from 6% of display ad impressions to 50%, especially for brand building campaigns
Digital display advertising is going to grow to a $50 billion industry
This forecast shows that competition to attract potential customers via worldwide web will be more and more drastic.
World Tourism Organization (WTO) estimates that over 1.5 billion tourists would take international journeys in the year 2020.
Airlines have a stronger straight link to customers as they compete directly against travel agents [23]. Furthermore, they could have stronger control over the customers due in part to the e-ticketing. In this respect, online technology has replaced the travel agency by adding value via fare shoppers, promotions, and personalized recommendations
Another e-Commerce model such as Auction style-pricing models are becoming customer preference, where the customer are able to control the price of the products and services to be consumed.
Customers are almost guaranteed that they will obtain the best price by negotiating via an online agent such as Priceline. But a shortcoming to all of this is that the customer will not understand all of the normal benefits of air tickets as they are sacrificed via online auction purchases. For example, in many cases the travel ticket does not permit any changes or accrual of or without significant penalty charges.
Online companies have more of a chance at success in Hong Kong due to the dense population, strong education systems, high credit card and cell phone usage. This leaves room for the future development of the next Priceline or Travelocity in Asia which could pose a major threat to hospitality & tourism organizations. Based on the high volume cell phone usage in Hong Kong, Mobile commerce should be a new trend on next stage. [29]
As low cost computer real-time data, fast speed internet access, voice and video communications become a reality, travel agencies may no longer be needed. On the other hand, the Internet challenge can also mean chance. Hotel owners and operators who understand and master e-commerce or m-commerce challenges will be able to jump ahead of online threats from large players such as Priceline. Otherwise, many will find themselves out of business.
Information Technology tools have allowed travel intermediaries to expand their role in the industry by presenting opportunities to venture into other markets on a geographical level.
Not only should hoteliers focus on the business traveler, but they should also consider whether there are other types of potential target customers as we may find that both young and older generations were sitting in the Internet shops utilizing online services during their vacation as well.
Organizations have to invest in the expertise and equipment (Hardware, Software) for building a strong IT base at first.
Internet security has been a major issue surrounding the Internet community.
Governments are currently addressing Internet based global commerce by considering rules of conduct, guiding principles, laws and taxation. [*30]
Today, hotels are distributing their product via more and more channels. How they keep control of availability and price, maintain a consistent level of customer service, in addition to keep their distribution partners up to date at the same time has becomes a complicated and expensive process.
The core transactions of our business involve intimate face-to-face interactions, which have certain limitations in regard to the use of e-commerce in the hospitality industry compared with other enterprises
It is important to take a look at how Internet technology will affect the future of the tourism industry. Most IT tools are being utilized
The hospitality & tourism internet future suggests a universal system where property management systems will eliminate the need for expensive on-site computer hardware/software.
Future success for hospitality & tourism companies depends upon their abilities to identify a target market and the strategic opportunities available for survival and growth.
It is crucial for hospitality & tourism organizations to stay on top of the roles of the major online players that are posing a serious threat to the industry such as Travelocity, Priceline, Expedia, Yahoo, etc. Their role in the future of hospitality & tourism marketing is crucial to the survival of Hoteliers.
This article highlights the different aspects that e-commerce brings to society. It highlights the many ways that e-commerce has affected the Hospitality Industry and the things that can be done about it, and it also highlights the economical and political impact that e-commerce might have on the future of our society (especially the hospitality industry).
Finding the right software to run operations such as automated check-ins and concierge services is a big key to hotel efficiency.
In fact, EZee Frontdesk is rated among the fastest growing softwares in the property management realm. Plus, it makes linking of smart devices such as tablets and smartphones possible, which adds its versatility.
Hoteliga is a cloud-based hotel management software that makes invoicing, hotel reservation, revenue control and customer management as easy as possible.
Maestro offers hotels and hospitality establishments a host of cloud-based solutions spanning front desk, hotel reservations, POS, and event management.
Additionally, the software is available in nine languages and allows the integration of third-party software such as Jovago and TripAdvisor.
FCS Cosmo tools give hoteliers the power to create a seamless flow of data used for reservation confirmations, front desk operations, and real-time monitoring of resources. That’s why it’s a great choice to optimize room-assignment efficiency and simplify check-in.
Cloudbeds is a hotel management software designed to simplify hotel operations management via its integrated management suite.
That suite includes reservation management, room assignment, accounting, and housekeeping tools.
Tracktik is an intuitive piece of software that allows hoteliers to manage perhaps the single most important resource in any business: the workforce. It lets your management keep track of your teams and makes sure the business stays efficient.