News & Stories

Langenhagen. The allegedly dead Global Distribution Systems are still generating good turnover with high average rates for the hotel industry. However, this turnover is limited to the business segment. Leisure time arrangements, packages or dynamic packaging are not available in the GDS system. Those who want to sell products in the leisure segment should choose the internet for doing so. This would be the corresponding solution. However, is the internet really the solution to this problem? Are operators of internet portals able to generate enough turnover by way of the leisure business in order to finance the complex presentation of hotel offers? This is an exciting and important issue for sales. Carolin Brauer, Managing Director of Quality Reservations in Langenhagen, near Hanover, explains this explosive issue in three consecutive parts. Last year, more than 330 hotels and hotel groups organised more than 134,000 bookings via Quality Reservations - by means of all distribution channels. In the first part, Carolin Brauer therefore concentrates on the aspect: many names, only few providers - who are behind the URLs of the internet portals.

Hamburg. The times when customers had travel agencies or congress offices at their destination send them a hotel catalogue to find fitting accommodation beforehand are basically passé. The Internet has transformed the search for a hotel - conference hotels present themselves in the form of printed standard planners at best. Those who do not seek a special hotel - regardless whether business or private travellers - will first look via online search engines. Marketing based on search engines is therefore becoming increasingly important. But how does it work?

Salzburg. Tiscover, an Internet pioneer from Tyrol taken over by the German online reservation portal HRS, keeps part of its independence as "Alpine Portal". In this way, reservations on request are still possible. The global activities of Tiscover and HRS have been unscrambled and mainly allocated to HRS.

Cologne. The new collaboration between the HRS hotel reservation company in Cologne and ebay.de, which was concluded two days ago, is currently limited to twelve months. The new partnership involves HRS making selected hotel offerings in an advertising format in eBay's short trip travel category. These offerings can be booked directly at the current daily rate.

Nuremberg. Last year, German consumers spent approximately EUR 13.6 billion on online purchases. In total, e-commerce sales grew by a considerable 19%.

Frankfurt. This new book describes a complex issue in an easy and understandable way: "Das Revenue Management Buch", a book by the sales expert Bianca Spalteholz from Frankfurt and the journalist Barbara Goerlich, describes very clearly the challenges hotels have to face now. In view of the current crisis, the book is being published just at the right time.

Vienna. In what was a huge undertaking, the Austrian Hotel Association assessed and compared a range of hotel related web-portals. Particular attention was paid to internet guest-ratings sites. They fall far short of European provisions in the wake of Web 2.0.

Hong Kong. Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts is the first hotel group providing unlimited Internet access to its guests in all 60 Shangri-La hotels and resorts and Traders Hotels. The hotel chain is definitely opening a new way.

Rolling Meadows, IL, USA. Information technology is accepted as an important part of an organization but does not contribute much to innovation. An American non profit organisation interviewed executives worldwide about the value and risks of IT.