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E-Commerce for the Hospitality Industry | The Moscow Times - 6 views

www.themoscowtimes.com/...449373.html technology
shared by Hanlu Hu on 30 May 12 - No Cached
  • E-commerce has been defined as "the buying and selling of products and services by businesses and consumers over the Internet."
  • Accelerating Internet usage worldwide The Internet is the lowest cost hotel-booking channel Most travelers research hotel reservations on the Internet Social media and online hotel reviews are an increasingly important decision factor The web is the preferred media source for travel information, favored 17:1 over television and 6:1 over newspapers and magazines.
  • Adding real time search functionality to your site, capability to generate user reviews, launching contests helps to build fresh content and quality links
  • ...9 more annotations...
  • Heavy graphics, animation and flash demos cause your site to perform slowly. Sites that are built keeping these guidelines in mind will deliver better user experiences, will perform better on search engines, and ultimately drive higher ROI.
  • As things stand now, mobile queries represent about 10% of all queries made on Google. People are using mobile devices to conduct searches, as well as share content, connect with friends and browse the web
  • Embracing social media. 93 percent of social media users expect companies to have a social presence. 85 percent of social media users want companies to interact with them on social sites. A well-planned social initiative can turn fans into brand evangelists.
  • The Internet has consolidated itself as a very powerful platform that has changed the way we communicate, and the way we do business.
  • The growing importance of e-commerce in the modern hospitality industry has created an urgent need for simple solutions to manage companies' online presence. Now that each hotel is involved in e-commerce, why is hotel e-commerce so important today?
  • We forget that the human brain can only consume limited information. It is important to take a holistic approach and prioritize information. Good web site architecture and organized content improves site usability and its efficiency when used with search engines.
    • yan xie
      yan xie on 03 Jun 12
       
      It is true that we always forge how many information the human brain will take at once. Although the e-commerce is the good way for customers to know the new products and new service from the hotels, sometimes the hotels provide so much information to customers. It lets customers confused and does not know what the specifice products can meet their requirements. And sometimes, they feel some hard to understand your service so that they give up hotels service or new products to choose the one they are familiar. So how to make e-commerce usability and efficiency is a new point, which the hospitality industry company need to consider.
  • make sure your ad groups are made up of tightly knit keyword themes and that those keywords are reflected in your ad copy; ensure that your landing pages clearly reflect the offer promoted in the ad copy and includes clear calls to action and conversion factors.
    • yan xie
      yan xie on 03 Jun 12
       
      As the point two mentioned, the customers cannot get so many information at once, and they also cannot search lots of information at once. So the keyword themes is also another important thing for company to do the promotion and ads. This ads need to have the keywords to clearly reflect the offer promoted for customers. In this way, the customers will catch the information as possible as they can.
  • Top e-commerce sites are continually testing new things. It's the only way to achieve continual improvement.
    • yan xie
      yan xie on 03 Jun 12
       
      To do the continually testing new things is always a best development way for the developing company. If the company cannot test the new things in their e-commerce sites and e-commerce process, the e-commerce of this company will be far away from other companies. Company need to have the innovation to make some new things for their e-commerce and do the test all the time to select the best way for the business and customers' expericence.
  • hospitality industry has always been among the first to capitalize on new technologies
  • Gerardo Collado on 30 May 12
     
    The hospitality industry along with the resourcefulness of the Internet has allowed the Russian hospitality industry to benefit and grow with the technology of e-commerce. E-commerce is defined as "the buying and selling of products and service by businesses and consumers over the Internet". This technology is significant due to its beneficial factors of lowering costs, accessibility, decision-making, and media exposure. As well, the article provides for methods and advice regards effective strategies to utilize the Internet. Primarily, the speed of the website's functionality is essential, along with providing compatibility of browsers, thus, allowing for a better experience for users. The information in the website should be efficient, allowing for real time search whether using a mobile phone or a computer. It was informative to read the multiple functionality, that social media is playing in the hospitality industry regards the exposure and marketability. E-commerce has change the market of goods and services, from a tangible experience to digital experience, through the use of online shopping estimated at $228 Billion in 2010, a third derived from the purchase of travel and flight websites, thus, demonstrating the importance of the Internet in relation to consumerism.
  • ...7 more comments...
  • Avril Emmanuel on 01 Jun 12
     
    This article talks about why hotel E-commerce is essential today and how to go about having E-commerce work for your business/hotel. The article says, "The internet has consolidated itself as a very powerful platform that has changed he way we communicate, and the way we do business." This is the reason why businesses need to utilize the internet. According to the article these are the reasons that hotel e-commerce is important today: the internet is being used worldwide, the internet is the lowest cost hotel-booking medium, the internet is used, by travelers, to research hotels and their reservations, the internet is the home of social media and hotel reviews and the internet is preferred 17:1 over television and 6:1 over newspapers and magazines for travel information. It would be at a hotel's detriment if they do not utilize the internet and e-commerce. It isn't enough to use e-commerce for business but there must be an upkeep. It is extremely beneficial to research or monitor how customers and potential consumers are seeking information and what attracts them to a site. According to the article, e-commerce strategies that would 'help get the best from the internet world' are: 1. Search-friendly website design 2. Improving Conversion and Usability 3. Paid Search 4. Real time Search 5. Mobile Device Market 6. Social Media 7. Testing
  • yan xie on 03 Jun 12
     
    This article mentioned why the ecommerce important for the hospitality industry. And also there are more things they hospitality industry companies need to know. Although the e-commerce is the good way for customers to know the new products and new service from the hotels, sometimes the hotels provide so much information to customers. It lets customers confused and does not know what the specific products can meet their requirements. And sometimes, they feel some hard to understand your service so that they give up hotels service or new products to choose the one they are familiar. So how to make e-commerce usability and efficiency is a new point, which the hospitality industry company need to consider. As the point two mentioned, the customers cannot get so many information at once, and they cannot search lots of information at once. So the keyword themes is also another important thing for company to do the promotion and ads. This ads need to have the keywords to clearly reflect the offer promoted for customers. In this way, the customers will catch the information as possible as they can. It is true that we always forge how many information the human brain will take at once. To do the continually testing new things is always a best development way for the developing company. If the company cannot test the new things in their e-commerce sites and e-commerce process, the e-commerce of this company will be far away from other companies. Company need to have the innovation to make some new things for their e-commerce and do the test all the time to select the best way for the business and customers' experience.
  • xiyu wang on 16 Sep 12
     
    This article discusses about the application of e-commerce in hospitality industry. Internet has become a very powerful tool for customers when they are planing their travels. As the same time, it has become an important media for hotelierss to improve their businesses. Internet can provider a lot of online sources to customers when they make any dicisions. And how to make your web site become more competitive and attract more customers is the topic of this article. First of all, a good design for the web site is the most important thing for hotelierss. And the download speed is the basic factor. Quick download speed brings a good experience to users, and improves the ranking in organic search. Secondly, improving usability needs to be focused on by hotelierss. Large imformation may not be took in by users. You need to make your customers seethe most important information first. In other word, you need to prioritize your web site and make the imformation more understood. Paid search and real time search are also focused on by the author. Sometimes, paid search can make your hotel more compelling on the search engine. And some tips have been given in this articel to help the hotelierss to maximize conversions. Real time search is similar with paid search, and it needs compelling fresh content and quality incoming links on the web site. Maps, photo galleries, videos and press releases are creative ways to distrivute content on different channels. With more mobiles customers using, mobile represent about 10% of all queries make on Google. Hotels can exand the mobile market and improve the download speed of their site by avoid heavy graphics and flash, making their site is mobile compatible. Social media is in the same condition with mobile. Customers need more connections on social sites, so they want companies to interact with them through the social media. The last point is testing. Every new thing needs a lot of tests. It can provides changes and improvement for
  • Gaby Belardo on 16 Sep 12
     
    The article discusses power of internet and how different it is from magazine and television ads. "In terms of time your travel websites are available for are accessible for a longer period of time, the flexibility that the content can be changed without asking someone,if you have a content management system." Also travel websites will help your business potentially reach a wider audience. Another big advantage of having a travel website is it's availability even when your business is closed or no one is available to answer your phone. Everyone knows that there are so many time zones, and the visitors can come from any part of the world. So having a travel websites gives your travel business visibility for all 365 days of year 24x7.
  • Xiameng Zheng on 30 Jan 13
     
    In hospitality industry, customers are constantly seeking new sources of information to help them make decisions before purchasing services. E-commerce in hospitality industry is about the online buying and selling services. And it's become such an important source for the company and customer. Hospitality businesses are all involved in the trend. Smart hoteliers need to keep a sharp focus on the fundamental shift in ways customers are seeking information and channels that drive maximum return on investment. This article listed several basic e-commerce strategies that will help hoteliers to get the best from the Internet world.
  • Marcos Oliveira on 31 Jan 13
     
    As new technological advances are being made, the hospitality industry has always been among the first to capitalize on new technologies. The term e-commerce has been defined as the buying and selling of products and services by businesses and consumers over the internet. Now that hotels are involved directly with e-commerce it becomes even more important today because of the accelerating internet usage worldwide,the internet is still the lowest cost channel for booking, many travelers make their travel decisions via the internet. Embracing social media, 93% of social media users expect companies to have a social presence and 85% of social media users want comoanies to interact with them on social sites. A well-planned social iniative can turn fans into brand evangelists. This article dealt mainly with a brief introduction of what e-commerce is in terms of its defining and what it means to the hospitality industry. With more and more people utilizing the internet each day, the potential to have a person book a hotel room greatly increases. Several search engines have advertisements relating to many hotel companies offering specials and customers will see these ads and book. With more technological advances bound to come into play, its only a matter of time before the practice of e-commerce is taken to another level.
  • Ling Xiang on 31 Jan 13
     
    Over the last decade the population of Internet users has increased rapidly. The hospitality industry has always been among the first to capitalize on new technologies. E-commerce has been defined as "the buying and selling of products and services by businesses and consumers over the Internet." With hotel e-commerce, the landscape of the hospitality industry is forever changed. Online sales are an important part of the business. The growing importance of e-commerce in the modern hospitality industry has created an urgent need for simple solutions to manage companies' online presence. Now that each hotel is involved in e-commerce, reasons why is hotel e-commerce so important today may because the accelerating internet usage worldwide, the Internet is the lowest cost hotel-booking channel, and social media and online hotel reviews are an increasingly important decision factor.
  • Panpan Xie on 31 Jan 13
     
    E-commerce has become more and more important in our daily life, because many customers today prefer to use internet to help them make decisions. In hospitality industry, e-commerce also plays an important role, as internet is a very cheap and convenient booking channel and many people use the internet intensively. There are many e-commerce strategies for hoteliers, such as making friendly web site design, embracing social media, etc. As e-commerce has so many advantages, I think e-commerce is an opportunity for hoteliers to grasp. It is important for hoteliers to use different strategies to get the best from the internet world.
  • Hanlu Hu on 02 Feb 13
     
        This article introduced the function of ecommerce and the ecommerce effect for the hospitality industry. The author listed some important reasons about why hotel ecommerce is so important:1)Accelerating Internet usage worldwide.2)The Internet is the lowest cost hotel-booking channel. 3) Most travelers research hotel reservations on the Internet. 4)Social media and online hotel reviews are an increasingly important decision factor. 5) The web is the preferred media source for travel information, favored 17:1 over television and 6:1 over newspapers and magazines. This article also listed some basic e-commerce strategies that will help hoteliers to take advantage of ecommerce from the Internet world. 1) Search-friendly web site design.2) Improve conversion and usability 3) Paid search. 4) Real time search - natural ranking.5) Mobile.6) Embracing social media. 7) Test, test, test. Top e-commerce sites are continually testing new things.      In a summary, the author suggest smart hoteliers need to keep a sharp focus on the fundamental shift in ways customers are seeking information and channels that drive maximum return on investment. Moreover, hoteliers have to constantly learn and look for ways to harness the power of new developments and trends.
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Thieves Won't Wait. Neither Should You. | hospitalityupgrade.com - 3 views

www.hospitalityupgrade.com/...magazine_Detail-ID-739.asp thieves hotel technology
shared by marilyn diaz on 21 Aug 12 - No Cached
  • data is under attack
  • the most afflicted industry was accommodation/foodservice
  • use a combination of hacking and malware (61 percent).
  • ...11 more annotations...
  • success stealing data “in transit” (62.5 percent) versus stored data (28 percent)
  • What this tells us is hotels and restaurants need to do more to protect sensitive payment data and be proactive in keeping up with the hackers and thieves. We also need to pay particular attention to properly securing data as it moves through the merchant IT environment.
  • Point-to-point encryption (P2PE) is a technology
  • has only recently gained momentum in the hospitality sector.
  • P2PE places “data in motion” in a wrapper that can only be decrypted by an endpoint that has the requisite key.
  • The goal of point-to-point encryption technologies is to encrypt as close to the point of entry as possible and guard against thieves who attempt to install sniffing/hacking software on a merchant’s network.
  • P2PE solutions can significantly reduce a merchant’s card data environment, mitigate potential breaches and simplify PCI DSS validation efforts.”
  • You should also understand the types of cards and transactions that can be encrypted. Does the solution encrypt both swiped cards and manually entered cards? Does it encrypt online transactions, as well as on-site or card-present transactions? Is the solution tamper resistant and, what happens if an attempted breach occurs? Where is the HSM (hardware security module) located? Even if data were to be intercepted, is it rendered unusable to cyber thieves?
  • A hosted solution will shift much of the burden of responsibility to the third-party provider and free you from having decrypted data in your environment.
  • Keep in mind, there is no single silver bullet when it comes to payment security. Even with EMV, stolen cardholder data could be used for a fraudulent online transaction. Merchants should implement a variety of technologies and techniques as part of a multi-layered approach to security that ultimately includes EMV to protect against counterfeit card fraud, tokenization to protect data at rest, and P2PE to protect data in-flight.
  • Thieves won’t wait for a unified approach and specification, and are looking to access your valuable data now. By taking a proactive approach to security that includes point-to-point encryption, asking the right questions, choosing trusted partners and keeping yourself updated, you can protect your customers’ data and your reputation.
  • marilyn diaz on 21 Aug 12
     
    This article deals with the theft that happens on a daily basis in the hospitality field. It happens when credit cards are used to pay for something, like a reservation, and thieves want the information, so they can use your credit card number for whatever intentions they may have. As the article states, "our data is under attack". I can relate to those people that have had credit card numbers stolen, because it has happened to my husband and me, and it is a horrible feeling trying to get your life back on track and recover your money.  I think it would be a great idea, with some research, to get the point to point encryption technology in a field where credit cards are used so often, not only to cover the business (hotel), but also to protect the guest, so they feel at easy when they travel on vacation or business.  The overall point of this technology is to encrypt the information as close to the point of entry, i.e. the swiping of the credit card, as possible. This would in turn "significantly reduce a merchant's card data environment", as the program would encrypt the information so that hackers cannot access the customer's information. As I mentioned earlier, questions should be asked before buying this technology, as there is always something new on the market that may be better. Credit cards are not always swiped, but can also be manually placed in the system, so you want to make sure, that both transactions are protected. Overall, the establishment should always be concerned about the customer and their safety, whether physical or mental and always be prepared for the worse.
  • ...1 more comment...
  • Jenna Rashbaum on 24 Aug 12
     
    Marilyn, This is a great article and I wish this type of technology was everywhere because like yourself I have credit card numbers stolen before and it is a long process to end that. Working in the hospitality industry we would need to make sure that it is everywhere that a credit card is entered whether that being swiped in house, typed in the system manually, or even processed via the internet. In the hospitality industry we should be very aware of our guests safety and like you mention it is not only just physical safety that is a concern it is the mental state as well making sure the guests credit cards are safe and do not have a chance of being stolen by a hacker. This is a great article, keep up the good work!
  • Jenan Williams on 25 Aug 12
     
    Great article! Personally after being a victim of credit card fraud, I'm very apprehensive of where I shop, who handles my card and how long it takes them to return it. I recently cancelled a large purchased after the cashier insisted on rubbing my card number on the reciept after the transactions had be approved. In my mind, I was thinking "If I let you do that, then I've open the door for anyone to charge thousand of dollars. I don't think so." As a manager, who hands credit card numbers for manual input, I'm very cautious of them and want to insure that they don't get into the wrong hand. Aftern each transactions is approved, that number is shredded and the credit card machine is batched out. Companies don't realize how important it is to PCI compliant. The risk in exposing sensitive information of our clients and customers can cost thousand of dolllars in fines and fee, in addition to the lost of that customer/client.
  • Nelson Placa on 26 Aug 12
     
    Marilyn, Great Article...as a Front Desk Manager, it is my responsibility to randomly check our computers to ensure employees are not placing USB driver to collect data from our system. Our company has taking this a step further by putting metal locked case around the PC to avoid possible fraudulent activity. If we have to open a PC, we must log it to show proof why a PC became unlock. Companies should adopt similar procedures to protect the consumers/guests. Nelson
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How High-Tech Can Hotels Go without network and telecommunications? - 1 views

www.4hoteliers.com/4hots_fshw.php hotel technology telecommunication
shared by Ting Li on 05 Sep 12 - No Cached
  • Ting Li on 05 Sep 12
     
    In the future, the technology in hotels are developing faster and faster, better and better, it will make guests control more by just touching the button or screen. Nowadays, guests plugged-in the hotels or restaurants by online reservation via the high-tech networks and telecommunications. There are a lot of aspects in the hotels guests using the networks and telecommunications to connect with hotels. For example, before guests come to hotels, they made a reservation online, it needs network; and then, when they get into the hotel, they will check-in by self-service or using the hotel computers, which is convenient to guests. In addition, taking the Aloft Hotels in Hong Kong as an excellent example, guests can use their SPG card to go to their rooms directly without front desk check-in, and then when they go into the room, they can connect their phones and computers whatever they want to the hotel TV. Furthermore, Las Vegas guests can use a touch button to require cleaning services,view room charges, or survey the International Flight Schedule, all of these are related to the high-tech networks, if there is no power or no network, all of these technologies are went out. To sum it up, networks and telecommunications are extraordinary significant to hospitality industry, it represents a kind of luxury and top level of a hotel, it can bring more and more guests for itself.
  • Shuqiong Huang on 05 Sep 12
     
    From what I read about this article, I think this high-tech brings benefits both to hotels and guests. It improves hotel's working efficiency. At the same time, it brings convenience to guests when they check in. As an old saying goes, kill two birds with one stone. This is worthy recommended technology.
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The Role of Internet in the Hospitality Industry - Yahoo! Voices - voices.yahoo.com - 0 views

voices.yahoo.com/pitality-industry-6499282.html
shared by Sherine Mattison on 08 Sep 12 - No Cached
  • E-Booking The first role of the internet in the hospitality industry is online booking. As aforementioned in the past, travel agents were the most common source for booking hotel rooms and other travel components like flight tickets and travel tours. However, the internet has changed this; manual booking and reservations have been transformed to E-booking or online booking via Central Reservation Systems (CRS). As of March 2008, there are over 1.4 billion internet users (Internet World Stats, 2008) and according to the Computer Industry Almanac, this number is assumed to increase to 1.80 billion in 2010 (Clickz Stats, 2005). The Travel Industry Association in the United States stated that in 2002 about 64 million out of 619 million online users were online travelers and used the Internet to purchase travel-related services and products (Zhang, 2004, p.3). "Online leisure travel sales totaled $20.4 billion in 2002 and hotel booked online reached $3.8 billion" (Ibid). In 2005 the online travel revenue reached $27.7 billion in the U.S. alone and has steadily increased (Webmetro, 2005). Now imagine how big these figures would be on a global basis.
  • Another important role of the internet is the use of it as a marketing tool. Before a hotel can offer e-booking it has to set up its own website. The hotel can apply attractive designs and offer guests a virtual tour of the entire property and show various room types. This strategy is considered a minor but may get a lot of appeal from online users. The internet also allows hotels to reach more customers by using search engine optimization (SEO), which is a tool that helps increasing the traffic and page ranking in search engine results (Hotel Travel Check, n.d.). Another internet marketing strategy for the hospitality industry is electronic customer relationship management (eCRM), which are activities to manage customer relationships by using the internet and web browsers (Hotel Marketing, 2007).
  • Sherine Mattison on 08 Sep 12
     
    "The first role on the internet in the hospitality industry is online booking." With the increase in use of online booking sales of travel related goods and services in the hospitality industry has soared. "In the past, travel agents were the most common source of booking hotel rooms and travel components." The use of the internet has changed this as more and more travellers are booking online. "Another role of the internet is the use of it as a marketing tool." Hotels are able to market themselves; when the internet is used they will be able to set up their own websites where they will be able to showcase the aesthetics of the property and the services offered. This could attract a lot of online users. The customers would be able to see virtually what they are about to purchase. This type of technology also allows the business to reach customers globally. This in turn allows the business to have an idea about the kind of customers they are catering to. Since businesses would be using less of travel agents, there would be some savings and so they would be able to offer customers more competitive rates, there an increase in sales.
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The hyper-competitive landscape of travel The heat is on: five online travel trends set... - 0 views

www.eturbonews.com/...line-travel-trends-set-explode
shared by Jia Zhu on 15 Sep 12 - No Cached
  • Expedia reports that 65% of hotel bookings within this last 24-hour window are via mobile, and 15% for flight bookings. Vegas is a particularly striking example of this last-minute mobile booking trend, with 32% of all bookings coming in via mobile,
  • does this mean that traditional travel companies and online travel companies should
  • rush into launching a mobile app?
  • ...8 more annotations...
  • there is a risk that firms focus too much on one particular channel at the expense of others
  • what the industry really needs to do now is focus on how the customer got to that point, how they moved through and interacted with each channel, and what role each channel played in getting the customer to book.
  • Big data, personalization, and being relevant is key in the marketing battle.
  • marketers need to identify those channels that are helping to drive more conversions, or can influence the conversion funnel.
  • Increasingly, revenue management needs to integrate with all the disciplines – sales, marketing, channel optimization, loyalty marketing, and operations.
  • China, where the number of outbound tourists rose by 70% in the first 6 months of 2012.
  • India, Brazil, and Russia are growing,
  • By 2020, about 50 million Indians are expected to travel overseas, according to estimates drawn up by Tourism Australia, which has been actively targeting this market.
  • Jia Zhu on 15 Sep 12
     
    This article gave us a five new online travel trends.Because travel is a hyper-competitive industry, the most pertinent emerging themes in onine travel are considered and experts insights and predictions are provided in the Las Vegas TDS North America event. First trend is the travel industry need be ready for a mobile-only world. Researches indicates that the mobile sales will increase extremely. Because it is expensive to develop mobile app, so traditional travel companies and online travel companies do not such into launching a mobile app in a short term. Convergence, commerce, content and how these impact customer behavior will be an ongoing theme. There is a risk of firms focus too much on one channel, Customers are using a range of different devices to plan, research, book and review their travel experiences.  Revenue management became essential for the business. It needs to integrate with sales, marketing, channel optimization, loyalty marketing , and operations. Think new markets and new customers like China, India, Brazil and Russia. Firms need to be actively targeting this market and make adjustment such as develop local website etc. Last trend is that there are lots of new development in the industry. Facebook start to monetize travel. Google and Apple are also developing their travel related products. This social travel planning tools become successful. Technology develops and standards emerge, mobile bookings may not just be for the last minute.
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The GDS wars, broken models and metasearch issues -- JetBlue-style | Tnooz - 2 views

www.tnooz.com/...etasearch-issues-jetblue-style travel solution hardware Business technology Software
shared by Ruth James on 24 Jan 12 - No Cached
  • Ruth James on 24 Jan 12
     
    In 2007, in the last round of GDS negotiations; American Airlines and Delta Airlines warned that they will pull out Of major GDS if they didn't get to have their way. American Airlines threaten once again to pull out, due to other airlines pushing messages; stating that "the airline-GDS business model is broken and must change, leading up to negotiations next year". GDS seems to spite airlines by lowering the travel agents incentive fees, because the airlines lowered their fee that they pay out to GDS that year. JetBlue's vice president mentioned how much the industry took baby steps in the last sets of negotiation. There is a disturbance between the travel agents and JetBlue, in this situation. JetBlue was making profits off GDS, but at the same time GDS is releasing flight seats to travel agents; that don't need help to be filled. Therefore travel agents are making more profits because they are receiving these seats at a higher distribution cost. There are also concerns among the airlines about the GDS financial model that have been broken, and needed to be fixed. The engineer that is over this, stated that it will be fined tuned; and things will adjust. My observation with this entire article is that the airlines that were mentioned are money hungry, and competitive with wanting their own way. They are concerned about the GDS; because travel agents are reaping many benefits that they think only should be offered to them in regards to the distribution cost. It seems, like the airlines just want to be in control of everything. They have to accept that many people purchase through third parties and don't directly go on their websites.
  • Marcia Brown-Kelly on 01 Mar 12
     
    As mentioned in the article the GDS model should be examined based on current trend. American Airline now is directing clients to its direct connect site so all parties need to come together and negotiate in a way that will be beneficial to all including the consumer. It was interesting to read in the article that even though JetBlue is a low cost airline it saw benefit for corporate travelling through GDS.
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Global Industry Study Reveals How New Technologies and Social Change Will Combine to Tr... - 0 views

www.hospitalitynet.org/...4054416.htm travel mobile technology
shared by anonymous on 28 Jan 12 - No Cached
  • anonymous on 28 Jan 12
     
    This new study details the transformation of technology and the ever changing social values of the next generation of travelers. In this article it summarizes the next generation of experience, automatic transit, payment with memory, intellegient recommendation, among others. I agree with the article as travelers are already savy when it comes to searching for hotel and flights, now they will want the entire experience to become less stressful and more seamless. When this article refers to the study that explains using mobile devices and biometric technology to facilitate faster check in process, it details by country that is more comfortable using this technology. Intelligent recommendation is already being used for locals, and it will be more accessible to tourists to toughly enjoy the city's true offering. As the demographics of travelers change so will their desire for what is a pleasurable experience.
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Tripbox wants to show life remains in the online travel agency model | Tnooz - 1 views

www.tnooz.com/...the-online-travel-agency-model Hotel technology travel
shared by Bing Liu on 29 Jan 12 - No Cached
  • Bing Liu on 29 Jan 12
     
    TLabs Showcase on travel startups featuring UK-based Tripbox, a online travel agency focusing on low-cost hotels, travel ancillaries and flights. This article introduces the Tripbox's financial support to launch the business, their key customers, their revenue model and also it proides an SWOT analysis of the tool.
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KLM Announces "Social Seating" with Facebook Data: Brilliant Idea or Nightmare? - 4 views

diigo.com/0muw3 social media travel planes apps tech klm
shared by angelamenoher on 29 Jan 12 - No Cached
  • angelamenoher on 29 Jan 12
     
    Would you pick your seat based on an app for your next plane ride? Well on KLM you can and Virgin is working on one too. Personally I use that time to relax but if I could use it to avoid an avid stamp collecting chatter box it would be worth it. There may be a small fee and possible sell of personal information to marketers but on a long haul flight sitting next to a like-minded individual might make all the difference in a good vs awkward ride. Very neat! Unfortunately, the fun and celebrations of the Christmas season are often dampened by the stressful experience of holiday air travel. ...
  • ...4 more comments...
  • YONGHE FAN on 29 Jan 12
     
    WOW..That is a very interesting article. The "social seating" is a creative techonology with a great wish. But I think it is not a easy job to solve and avoid the negatives of this program. The article said the program is meant to align people of certain interests and is not meant to be a type of on-board dating service. No...No matter how many times the company emphasizes that the program is not on-board dating service, it would turn into a dating model.
  • Carl Miller on 29 Jan 12
     
    This seems like an idea that would be very popular, particularly with those who are addicted to facebook. I think it's creative and interesting in concept but I don't think I would even use it if it were free. I am pretty tall so getting an aisle or exit row seat is more important to me than who I sit by. Even if I travel with family or friends, I prefer to listen to music or catch up on reading when I fly. This is a pretty cool idea, but it's not for me.
  • Melissa Krajewski on 30 Jan 12
     
    I agree with you Carl, great idea but not for me. I'd prefer physical comfort over social activity when it comes to flying. If you are the social butterfly who uses Facebook on a regular basis you are probably likely to introduce yourself to your seat mate anyways and strike up conversation. I like the mystery. However, crying babies are never fun so I can see how some people may use this to benefit their sanity.
  • angelamenoher on 31 Jan 12
     
    Hate to say it but I would pick either a short quiet bookish seat mate for silent comfort or a hot single well traveled man if I was feeling talkative. You're right Yonghe it would turn into a potential singles app.
  • Lorena Collazos on 05 Feb 12
     
    I feel that an app that uses information from social media may be too personal for most. However I do see an opportunity from this idea. Airlines may consider adding an option for their passengers to select if they are travelling for business or pleasure. They could assign seat depending on the purpose of the passengers trip.
  • chunxia gao on 05 Feb 12
     
    To tell the truth, I will try it if it is free to choose people around you. But on the other hand, I think it is hard to implement this system.....
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Roomkey.com, Innovative New Hotel Search Engine, Launched by Venture Founded by Six of ... - 0 views

www.hospitalitynet.org/...4054418.html
shared by Carolina Alfonso on 02 Feb 12 - No Cached
  • world's leading hotel companies
  • Roomkey.com, an innovative new online hotel search engine
  • Roomkey.com provides travelers a search and book experience tailored for ease of hotel shopping through an uncluttered and trustworthy site
  • ...12 more annotations...
  • accurate hotel information straight from the source
  • the ability to compare, plan and share with friends and family.
  • John F. Davis III, a highly experienced hospitality industry visionary with a history of entrepreneurial successes, is Chief Executive Officer of Room Key
  • "Finding the right hotel is complex and, unlike booking a flight or reserving a car, it is a personal decision process - one which no one understands better than hoteliers
  • our goal is to make the experience of finding the right hotel as personal and enjoyable as the experience of staying in one
  • provide customers with a wide range of travel options and the confidence that they will receive exceptional rates
  • management team in place and a compelling search tool unique to the market today, Roomkey
  • is well positioned for success and will quickly become a large scale marketplace
  • IHG's online innovations, Roomkey.com is another industry first, offering guests breadth of choice alongside all the benefits from booking directly through our own websites."
  • Room Key's new and unique offering will embody the best of what hotel company websites offer consumers, giving them confidence in their booking decisions -- a personalized and welcoming experience
  • meaningful value to our owners and franchisees by showcasing their properties.
  • consumers will value the relevant pricing information, independent reviews, and in-depth property information
  • Carolina Alfonso on 02 Feb 12
     
    Six of the largest hospitality firms around the world (Hilton Worldwide, InterContinental Hotels Group Choice Hotels International, Hyatt Hotels Corporation, Marriott International, and Wyndham Hotel Group) have joint to create a new online hotel search engine. Roomkey.com is the name of this new search engine and its main purpose is to enhance the hotel booking experience for customers. As it is described in the article Roomkey.com expects to differentiate itself from other search engines by providing accurate information straight from the source. They believe choosing a hotel is a personal decision and the more information customers can feel more confident in there booking decision. In the near future it is intended for this page to be an interactive site where people can comment and plan or compare their vacations with others. At the beginning it will focus only in U.S travelers and then it will expand to English speaking countries.
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Hotel Giants Work Together to Launch RoomKey.com, an Innovative New Hotel Search Engine... - 0 views

www.hotel-online.com/...Jan12_RoomKeySearch.html
shared by Gerson Dias on 05 Feb 12 - No Cached
  • Finding the right hotel is complex and, unlike booking a flight or reserving a car, it is a personal decision process - one which no one understands better than hoteliers.  We believe Roomkey.com will provide consumers with an innovative resource that will give them unprecedented confidence in their booking decisions
  • Gerson Dias on 05 Feb 12
     
    Six of the world's leading hotel companies, Choice Hotels International, Hilton Worldwide, Hyatt Hotels Corporation, InterContinental Hotels Group, Marriott International Inc. and Wyndham Hotel Group, launched Roomkey.com, an innovative new online hotel search engine. It enables consumers to search and book directly with the hotel, and it gives consumers confidence that they have made the right choice by providing accurate hotel information straight from the source. The brain behind this project is John F. Davis III, Chief Executive Officer of Room Key, who is a highly experienced hospitality industry visionary with a history of entrepreneurial successes. The technology platform for RoomKey.com was acquired from hotelicopter, an innovative flexible hotel search and direct platform, which allows Room Key to evolve and enrich the user experience quickly. Additionally, hotelicopter's affiliate platform provides destination marketing organizations with a hotel marketing platform that helps drive more direct bookings to their local hotels, now under the Room Key Solutions brand. Shafiq Khan, Senior Vice President of eCommerce, Marriott International, said, "Room Key's new and unique offering will embody the best of what hotel company websites offer consumers, giving them confidence in their booking decisions - a personalized and welcoming experience that offers flexibility, accuracy, and benefits of booking with the hotel companies' proprietary sites." Now is time for consumers to use new "Rom Key"and make their way to hotel rooms around the world.
2More

How to get the most out of GDS systems - 1 views

www.rezstream.com/...global-distribution-system-gds
shared by Mirta Echazabal on 01 Feb 12 - No Cached
  • Mirta Echazabal on 01 Feb 12
     
    GDS systems began in the 1960s with the airline industry in order to track, schedule, check availability and pricing for flights. The first two GDS's that were created was SABRE which was owned by American airlines and Apollo owned by United. GDS provides a perfect marketplace for the travel industry, helping them increase revenue and online marketing exposure. According to researchers travelers that book packages which include hotel, airfare and special events tend to stay longer at destinations and spend large amounts of money. Large and small businesses that sign up for GDS systems to be accessed in their property may receive a small amount of online reservations. Smaller properties can expect 10-20 reservations per month, larger properties may receive as many as 5-10 per day. One of the factors which reflect on the amount of reservation your property may receive consists of your location, unique amenities and services which may appeal to travelers. I have worked in the industry for over 2 years and numerous times I have had to handle reservations made by expedia, travelocity and other third party reservations and room types are not guaranteed. Guest usually arrive to the hotel stating how they have requested double beds and unfortunately on a night where the hotel is sold out the guest has to be told that their request can not be meet because with third party companies room types are not guaranteed. Guest are constantly upset and expect to be compensated in some sort of way, although they are paying approximately $200 dollars on a room that is going for $400. In my opinion GDS are great for saving money and providing the hotel with occupied rooms, but can really cause an inconvenience for those guest that are not able to receive what they requested.
  • Sungoo Kang on 01 Feb 12
     
    Great article mentioning the detail of GDS cost; an initial one-time sign up fee, a recurring annual maintenance fee, 10% per GDS reservation to the travel agency or travel website that provided the customer reservation. To make consumers book their trip or room through your own website, make sure you have a well designed website, easy to use navigation.
2More

Airport Hotel Gets Tech Renovations for Event Space - 1 views

www.marketwatch.com/...nt-space-renovation-2012-02-16 event planners technology hotel airport
shared by Kevin Character on 26 Feb 12 - No Cached
  • Kevin Character on 26 Feb 12
     
    The Atlanta Airport Marriott just completed event space renovations that will enable event planners to host any size party/ meeting with the most updated technology. The Georgia hotel features 28,300 square feet of event space, including two ballrooms and 27 breakout rooms. The hotels lobby features a complex monitoring system for flight tracking information and departures by Delta Airlines. Touch screen kiosks have also been installed at concierge stands that will allow planners and people attending events to search for nearby restaurants and attractions. Additionally, the most recent renovation included in the installation of multi-use TV screens in the rooms. The screens allow guests to hook up iPods and other music devices. Guests may also use the new TV's as computer monitors. This connectivity is becoming more common in event spaces and visitor centers. I personally know that similar technology was recently installed in New York City's Central Park. Touch monitors enable park visitors to navigate their way around more efficiently. Additionally, tour guides have been equipped with handheld devices to track visitor usage and access information quickly.
  • Marcia Brown-Kelly on 02 Mar 12
     
    This is great, This hotel is certainly utilizing technology that will be most convenient for meetings and events. Multi -use TV screen are very nice. More and more hotels now are investing in Ipod docking stations. Love the idea of the touch screen kiosk at the concierge stand.
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IATA Offers Views of GDS, Agents and Distribution - 0 views

www.travelagentcentral.com/...-agents-and-distribution-33825 GDS
shared by Irina Stepanenko on 21 Sep 12 - No Cached
  • “Technology with origins dating back to the 1960s, such as that imposed upon travel agencies by the GDS middlemen, simply cannot support the nature of the data required to provide accurate, dynamic price quotes consistent with the way consumers are buying travel today,"
  • But at least 50 percent of the world’s flights continue to be sold through travel agencies, which rely on global distribution systems (GDSs) to display and compare airline products. And the areas of comparison are limited to some very basic metrics such as price, time, and routing—just as they were four decades ago.
  • "Although GDSs have made an invaluable contribution to the industry and made global distribution possible, a GDS screen today looks much like a screen from the 1970s. They are unable to handle the rapidly increasing range of product offerings from airlines."
  • ...3 more annotations...
  • There is a real challenge in getting these new products and services to the customers in the way they now want to purchase them while legacy carriers are still using the old structures and networks they relied on in the past.”
  • “Airlines are becoming increasingly sophisticated in the types of product they are offering and consumers are becoming increasingly sophisticated in their purchase decisions. The frustration is that these trends are being stymied by the outdated systems of the GDSs.”
  • It is important that US legislators and federal regulators recognize that as monopoly suppliers, GDSs have no incentive to innovate in order to allow passengers to purchase the airline services that meet their particular needs,
  • Ashley Reed on 21 Sep 12
     
    The limits of GDS's are discussed in this article, as well as the lack of initiative of the big 4 GDS's to adopt and develop newer and more updated systems because of their prevalence in travel. According to the article, the face of the GDS systems look nearly the same as they did in the 1970s, and the airlines systems are not up-to-date enough to meet consumer demands. The author points to consumer trends in the demand for personalization, package variety, and simply the desire for more packages.
  • Irina Stepanenko on 01 Feb 13
     
    Global Distribution System is an outdated technology, that cannot be consistent with the ways travel is purchased nowadays, according to International Air Transport Association (IATA). Airlines are constantly adding service or 'bunbundling' their products. The ability to buy priority boarding or seating options, meals and baggages cannot be reflected through the GDS, thus the only way to purchase them is through the airline website. This is harmful to both airlines and customers. Even though, GDS has played an important role, it is time to start developing a new product that will 'present full product or data offerings via a new interface'. IATA is being involved into creating the necessary standards before starting to work on a new platform. GDS-managed technology is slowing the process down. However, there may be some legal issues involved in exchanging the system, which has to be resolved before the launch of a new technology.
7More

Visas, Vaccinations and Weather: the top information corporate travellers can expect - 0 views

travelport.mediaroom.com/index.php
shared by Jia Kim on 18 Sep 13 - No Cached
  • visa information (59%), followed closely by immunisations (41%) and weather (40%). Other information provided includes city maps (37%), restaurants (25%) and entertainment (10%).
  • Extra baggage and hotel Wi-Fi are the most commonly authorised ancillaries, at 57% each. Advance boarding (45%), hotel breakfast (45%) and flight upgrades (39%) are also popular options provided
  • 26% corporations allow no ancillaries to be booked for corporate travel trips.
  • ...3 more annotations...
  • the range of destination services and ancillary options grow increasingly more complex
  • Within the ancillary mix, it becomes further segmented by organisations offering options such as upgrades and lounge access only to select groups of employees.”
  • Travellers’ needs are evolving and ‘Generation Y’ now expects customised content, intelligent itineraries and easily bookable ancillary content.
  • Jia Kim on 18 Sep 13
     
    Travelport, one of the world's largest GDS companies reported about corporate travellers' preference and expectation. Visa informations is the top information followed by immunisations, weather, city maps, restaurants, and entertainment information. More customers, expecially corporate travellers want to book with ancillaries. The most commonly authorised ancillaries are extra baggage and hotel wifi. I've learned that the range of destination services and ancillary options grow increasingly and more complex. Because travellers' needs are evolving and yonger generations now expect customised content, intelligent itineraries and easily bookable ancillary content.
6More

Airlines' New Online Marketing Strategies - Articles - Executive Travel - 0 views

www.executivetravelmagazine.com/...ew-online-marketing-strategies airlines marketing strategies travel online marketing
shared by Jennifer Koren on 17 Nov 13 - No Cached
  • Rather than eliminate the need for travel, however, the Internet seems to have enhanced it as airlines stoke the public’s appetite to go places and social networks turn airline passengers into cheerleaders for airlines and destinations.
  • Virgin Atlantic uses a hip voice along with photographs and design to excite customers about the travel experience.
  • By 2008, the entire airline industry had transitioned from paper to e-tickets for a savings of $18 billion, according to the International Air Transport Association.
  • ...2 more annotations...
  • “The handheld device has broached a whole new paradigm of convenience.”
  • Southwest Airlines felt the online wrath of several passengers who posted videos to YouTube after airline employees told them they were too fat to fly. An anonymous traveler wrote to Richard Branson complaining about the food on a Virgin Atlantic flight, a letter that—along with photographs of the offending meal tray—soon went viral. And David Carroll, a Canadian folksinger whose guitar was broken while in the custody of United Airlines, became the voice of customer rage when the airline declined to reimburse him for the broken instrument. Carroll posted on YouTube three bitingly funny music videos assailing United. More than 10 million people have viewed them.
  • Jennifer Koren on 17 Nov 13
     
    In this article, Christine Negroni discusses the future of airline booking and travel. Over the last ten years, there has been a shift from telephone reservations to computer reservations with the birth of the World Wide Web. With new mobile devices and smart phones, customers are now trying to find the newest, easiest way to work a plane ticket or a vacation. Companies have to strategically plan how they will market to thei customers. FOr leisure, companies will want to reach them through Facebook and Twitter. With the internet, airlines today need to focus on their image. The image is just as important as the product you sell, or the plane ticket the customer purchases. With Youtube, anyone can post whatever they'd like, so hospitality companies and airlines especially, need to be weary. Because the aviation industry is so large, the internet give customers and companies a way to interact on a deeper, more personal level.
1More

Sabre and American Express Global Business - 0 views

www.breakingtravelnews.com/...merica-express-global-business technology travel GDS Sabre
shared by Brittany K. Ward on 23 Sep 13 - No Cached
  • Brittany K. Ward on 23 Sep 13
     
    Sabre and American Express has teamed up for a new service "to provide a more personal travel experience" to their clients. Now American Express Global Business Traveler clients who book through TripCase, Sabre's mobile app, are allowed to access real-time data. Clients can receive flight updates and live synching of itinerary from Amex to their TripCase app. Cardmember's also receive information through the app about card benefits and deals, one example the article gave was airport lounge access and free Wi-Fi access. Amex has gone as far as making sure cardmember's are automatically updated whether they book their business trips online or over the phone, making it easier for last minute changes to be accommodated.
10More

5 Technologies Event Planners Can't Live Without: Successful Meetings - 0 views

www.successfulmeetings.com/...nt-planners-can-t-live-without technologies event planners meetings technology hospitality hotel software Green solution mobile tech travel business
shared by jazminesnyder on 09 Oct 15 - No Cached
  • because they allow us to access all details and
  • These applications are advantageous to planners
  • any web-enable
  • ...6 more annotations...
  • execution aspects of an event from
  • d device
  • you are now blessed with the ability to link up your event management system with a customer relationship management (CRM) system
  • With rising travel costs and gas prices, it is no surprise that people are much more likely to consider an event online than invest in a flight across the country and a hotel room.
  • Some of the best traction you will get is from people sharing interesting tidbits they may have learned and enticing others to learn more
  • When combining tablets with mobile event applications, planners can also communicate in real-time with participants and share or update information in seconds.
  • jazminesnyder on 09 Oct 15
     
    This article points out 5 information technologies that event planner can't (or shouldn't) be without. The first, and most obvious, is the smart phone. The author lists a few tasks that can be accomplished right from our smart phone, including making to-do lists, setting alarms for meetings, etc. the second technology is the SaaS Cloud App(s) that allows event planners to "access all details and execution aspects of an event from any web-enabled device...". You can also list this software to your CRM system which I think is really cool. The author goes on to discuss virtual events, social media and viral marketing, and lastly, ipads/tablets. She makes the claim that having events virtually and promoting your business through social media can save you time, money, paper, and resources in general.
5More

The Right Hotel Technology - StayNTouch - 0 views

stayntouch.com/right-hotel-technology hotel technology hospitality travel
shared by yoyohad on 31 Aug 14 - No Cached
  • Upon arrival at the guest room, the robot calls the room to alert the guest.  When the robot senses the door opening, its lid opens allowing the guest to retrieve their delivery.
  • With the new app, travelers scan their passport page just like scanning check for online banking.  After a third party verifies the passport for additional security, the traveler is provided with a boarding pass, allowing him or her to proceed directly to security for international flights.
  • New technology in hotels is moving at a such a rapid pace, it’s no longer a question of if technology will impact the guest experiences, but a question of how.
  • ...1 more annotation...
  • any investment must either improve service or provide a return.  In other words, if a solution can markedly increase service delivery to your guests, then it’s probably worth it. If the investment in the new technology can provide a return, then it’s most certainly worth it.
  • yoyohad on 31 Aug 14
     
    As I was reading this post, I noticed that the writer used an interesting phrase. "New technology in hotels is moving at a such a rapid pace, it's no longer a question of if technology will impact the guest experiences, but a question of how. " Technology is affecting everyone's daily life nowadays. From the smart appliance in the kitchen to the digital controllable house, such as the technology you can find in the HGTV smart home, and to the every little thing that begin with an 'i'- iphone, ipad, irobot... When we are on the road, or out enjoying a meal, we also wish we can stay at somewhere that can connect us to the world by technology. Can you imagining staying at a hotel with no internet? Nope, not only we are demanding internet, we are also looking for free internet. These little things might not change the hospitality sharply, but when everyone in the industry has it and you don't, it's like losing at the very beginning of the competition.
10More

Mobile Revolution: Enhancing Hotel Operations & Service | News | Hospitality Magazine (HT) - 0 views

hospitalitytech.com/ncing-hotel-operations-service
shared by kayshap96 on 18 Oct 18 - No Cached
  • Mobile Revolution: Enhancing Hotel Operations & Service
  • People use their mobile devices for nearly everything, from talking with friends, family or colleagues to paying bills and even booking travel plans. In the hospitality and hotels industry especially, mobile is becoming a major touchpoint for customers. A recent study found that 60 percent of consumers are more likely to choose a hotel that allows guests to check-in and access other amenities with their smartphone.
  • The internal impact With staff that is always on-the-go, it is crucial to have a proficient and secure mobile communication solution. With messaging apps, managers are able to communicate in a timely and secure way, so they don’t jeopardize confidential guest information.
  • ...7 more annotations...
  • This is also especially beneficial during an unexpected crisis that staff needs to be made aware of. Using a mobile messaging solution, managers can send alerts via SMS to all staff to keep everyone up-to-date without the hassle of gathering everyone in one place. Overall, mobile messaging is a cost-effective communication channel that managers can easily install, implement and manage.
  • An internal mobile messaging solution allows managers to relay information to staff, such as housekeeping or concierge, to let them know about late checkouts or special requests, in real-time. This is not only more effective than email, but also encourages two-way communication between staff and managers on a more regular basis.
  • mobile messaging can also boost productivity and broadcast important alerts among staff.
  • The external impact Mobile has made it possible to enhance customer experience. Hotels can be more engaging and personalized with guests by using features such as mobile bookings, self check-ins and push notifications to regularly communicate.
  • Another study has found that one in two respondents would make or confirm travel plans via mobile message, while one in four would purchase a flight or book a hotel via mobile message.
  • Hotels can use mobile to completely eliminate the use of phones in hotel rooms. For example, a guest can send a mobile message asking when the pool closes and receive an immediate, automated response. It’s also an effective way for hotel staff to engage with their guests, which also keeps the brand name top of mind during the stay.
  • With the adoption of mobile, hotels are not only effectively increasing communication amongst staff members and guests, but they’re also providing an enhanced experience to set themselves above their competitors
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