Are Travel Marketers Ready to Conquer the New Mobile Frontier?

Second White Paper in Series from HSMAI's Travel Internet Marketing; Special Interest Group, TIG Global explores tapping the booming mobile market
By 2012 more than 1.5 billion mobile devices will be accessing the Internet, presenting a new opportunity for marketing professionals to deliver information right to consumers' hands. To speak to this topic, the HSMAI Travel Internet Marketing Special Interest Group (SIG) and Internet marketing company TIG Global have released a white paper titled, 'Mobile Marketing: The New Frontier,' the second in a planned series published by the HSMAI Foundation and offered free of charge to industry professionals.

'Through our partnership with TIG Global, this series of white papers helps to increase industry awareness and understanding of emerging issues and trends, while identifying opportunities to drive revenue and profit by making smart, strategic marketing decisions,' said Robert A. Gilbert, CHME, CAE, HSMAI president & CEO.

The white paper is a compilation of ideas and feedback from the Travel Internet Marketing SIG Advisory Board, led by Loren Gray, director of e-commerce at Ocean Properties, Ltd., West Palm Beach, Fla.

'Information is now an 'anytime, anywhere' commodity, and with this designation comes the opportunity to market more effectively and efficiently than ever,' Gray said. 'Most cell phones also act as newspapers, social networking sites, blogs, video and digital cameras, and GPS devices. Marketers now have the choice to deliver information within a millisecond to consumers, even when they are on airplanes, at restaurants, or standing in line to buy movie tickets.'

'Just as the Internet completely revolutionized the way consumers book travel, now the immense, growing reliance on mobile devices is causing a second shift in how travel is purchased,' said Fred Malek, CEO of TIG Global. 'Today, rarely anyone leaves their home without their mobile phone, and twice as many people are using SMS globally compared to email. It is imperative for hotels to tap into this growing market, and as such, TIG Global is rolling out a robust mobile marketing service to allow hotels to leverage the power and revenue potential of this new distribution channel.'

'Mobile Marketing: The New Frontier' is an analysis of how to tap into what is projected to be a multi-billion-dollar business by 2013. The paper features four case studies and covers topics including 'Getting Started - Determining Your Intent,' 'Creating a Mobile Web Site,' 'Building an Opt-In Database,' 'Text Message Marketing,' and 'Location-Based Marketing.' Copies of the white paper, along with the first in the series 'Online Strategies to Gain Market Share in Recessionary Times,' are available at www.travelinternetmarketing.org .

Upcoming white papers in the series include:

• 'Web 3.0'

• 'Driving Results Through Social Networking'

• 'Driving Results Through Design'

• 'Revenue Management for Internet Marketers'

• 'Groups Online - Attracting and Booking Group Business via Online Channels'

• 'Rich Media'

• 'CRM in a Digital World'


references

http://www.hoteltechresource.com/trends-detail-sid-41077.html

www.travelinternetmarketing.org

Axxess Industries Inc. provides innovative technology solutions to CityCenter's Vdara Hotel and Spa in Las Vegas

Axxess' electronic Do-Not-Disturb indicator system has been activated at Vdara Hotel & Spa, the newly opened property at CityCenter in the heart of the Las Vegas strip. The system also includes a doorbell at every room. Soooo much nicer than the crude knock on the door.
Axxess Industries Inc creates innovative electronic solutions for the hospitality market that focus on improving guest experience by optimizing housekeeping efficiency. In addition to the electronic Do-Not-Disturb indicator system, rooms can now be serviced without that annoying knock on the door. Axxess products inform housekeeping whether someone is actually in the room or not. Similarly, Axxess supplies a food tray alerting system called Tray Tracker that informs staff in real time when and where a used food tray is ready for pick up. No more dirty dishes cluttering up the hallways.

When it comes to innovative guest room technology solutions Axxess is increasingly seen as an established go-to supplier for the prestigious Las Vegas hotel market. The new CityCenter-based Mandarin Oriental and Aria guestrooms are serviced with Axxess doorbells and LED indicators for Privacy and Service. This is a collaborative effort between Axxess and primary technology interface partner, Control4. Secondary technology interface partner is MTech HotSOS. 'By collaborating with other technology providers (Control4 & MTech) Axxess has achieved some best-in-breed hospitality technology solutions at CityCenter'(Joerg Wagner, President, Axxess Industries Inc)

As a member of HTNG (Hospitality Technology Next Generation - the hotelier driven industry association that creates standards allowing different hotel technology vendors' systems to cooperate in the field.) Axxess is committed to the desire of hoteliers to purchase best-of-breed solutions from different vendors and yet enjoy the benefits of compatibility and interoperability. Axxess customers are assured of technological interoperability with different hospitality systems without additional charge.

Axxess products are borne out of a genuine and demonstrated passion to help hoteliers serve their guest better and more efficiently. Research and development efforts center on finding the best solutions to the most irritating problems encountered by guests and the hotelier alike. Axxess has a well earned reputation for being a leader in providing creative solutions that have a demonstrated ROI, not only in financial terms, but also in operational efficiency, time saving, stress and workload reducing terms. In addition Axxess blends functionally superior products with aesthetically pleasing designs to enhance the theme and curb-appeal of the hotel and guest-room. From this vision, Axxess has grown into a company conducting research and development of electronic guest-room management systems, manufacturing such systems, developing integrated software solutions both for PC workstations and PDAs, as well as interfaces to other hotel systems. Axxess manufactures intelligent electronic room number signs, custom designed for each brand and/or project, which incorporate many of the electronic functions and solutions.

reference

http://www.axxind.com/

66% of American users believe

66% of American users believe that
eTourism web sites provide better
services than travel agents!

These figures come from a study that surveyed 1.351 leisure and 1.200 business travelers on April 30, 2002 and that was carried out by Yesawich, Pepperdine & Brown/Yankelovich Partners.

eTourism web sites preferred to traditional travel agents.


According to the study, 39% of leisure American travelers (whether they use the Internet or not) think that the Internet is easier and faster to use for travel planning than a travel agent.

This figures proves extremely important, not only for the future of the eTourism sector but also on the behavioural point of view.

First of all, it indicates how positively eTourism web sites have been developing in the last few years, such as the improvement of their interfaces as well as their very rich content and offers which now allows more than a third of American leisure travelers to use the Internet rather than a travel agent.

This figure proves enormous as, related to the American population who uses the Internet (58,5%), it means that 66% of American Internet users think that the services provided by their travel agent are not as good as the ones provided by eTourism web sites. This would mean that only a third of Internet users nowadays prefer dealing with a travel agent than a web site: that's something to be worried about for this trade.

A third of American travelers book their travel on the Internet as well as...55% of Internet users

32% of the American leisure travelers who were polled actually made a reservation on the Internet in the last twelve months ; this figure was 33% for the business travelers who were surveyed

Please note that, when the same study was carried out a year ago, only 25% of business travelers claimed making a reservation on the Internet.

This is a huge increase as it corresponds to a 28% growth in just a year.

The percentage of leisure travelers making online reservations also proves rather impressive.

Indeed, to think that one out of three Americans now uses the Internet to make a reservation which, in comparison with the percentage of American population who has access to the Internet (58.5% according to Nielsen Netratings) means that nearly 55% of American Internet users booked their travel online at least once in 2001.

With over a third of the whole population and over half the population who has access to the Internet now using the Internet to make online reservations, the eTourism sector can no longer be overlooked and truly represents the trade's future.



The fact that it managed to go from a minor to a major actor in just a few years proves that the Internet media is truly powerful.

And this is only too true as we are only speaking of online reservations here.

This also means that within the population who has access to the Internet, it has become a totally normal and digested procedure for more than half of them to resort to eTourism web sites to make a reservation or to buy some other eTourism products.

In other words, any offline traveler who starts using the Internet is bound to start making online reservations sooner or later, with a 55% chance as of now.

90% of Americans who have access to the Internet search information on eTourism web sites

If we broaden the impact of the Internet on the eTourism sector to the search for information, we notice that 53% of American leisure travelers resort to the Internet to find both prices and information (when they were only 47% a year ago), which represents 90% of the American people who have access to the Internet, should we compare the results of this study to the one carried out by Nielsen Netratings.

As far as business travelers are concerned, figures are rather similar as 55% of them claim that they use the Internet to find information.

90% of American Internet users want discount prices and other special offers

What prompts American people to get information and make an online booking also proves interesting.

Indeed, 90% of business and/or leisure travelers consider that the most important function on an Internet web site is to have access to the lowest fares, flights, hotels or car rentals.

This figure proves interesting for two reasons.

It first means that, whatever the social class or the range of product, the web is now considered as a major tool to help find the lower price.

Secondly, the fact that so many travelers (90%, both business and leisure travelers) consider the ability to find the lowest fare as the most important function on an Internet web site indicates a typical general behaviour that favour discount offers on the eTourism sector.

One could have thought that bargain hunter phenomenons might mostly correspond to a specific category of customers.

But this study indicates that this is not so and that this specific type of behaviour has become the one adopted by most Internet users.

What this also indicates is that in order to keep its customers happy, an eTourism web site has no option but to provide them with this type of services.

Please note, for instance, that Travelocity.com has got a specific search engine called "Deals" that also corresponds to a main page exclusively dedicated to this type of offers.

American tourists' favourite destinations

As far as tourism is concerned, not taking into account the Internet factor, the survey also included a few indications about Americans' dream destinations.

Destinations

81% of leisure travelers want to spend their holidays in destinations they have never been to before.
67% want to go…to the beach.
51% are interested in arts/architectural and historic sites.
46% are attracted by remote and untouched destinations.
45% prefer theme parks.

International destinations favoured by American people:

71% Western Europe
25% Australia
18% Caribbean



reference

Yesawich, Pepperdine & Brown/Yankelovich Partners

A solid month of expansion for Pullman with 10 hotels signed in a month

Pullman hotels – designed for the modern business and leisure traveler, announced today the addition of 5 more hotels (in addition to the 5 announced in mid August) to its ever growing network in Asia. The 5 hotels are located in the key growth markets of India and China. These hotels take the development commitments for the Pullman brand in Asia to 22 hotels, in addition to the 12 operating Pullman hotels in the region.
Michael Issenberg – Chairman and Chief Operating Officer, Accor Asia Pacific says “The Pullman brand is experiencing a major spike in development within Asia. Whilst we expected the brand to establish a foothold in the Asian region, we did not anticipate the speed with which this would happen. The tightening of credit markets and the slowing tourism arrivals has hotel owners and developers looking for contemporary hotel brands that appeal to the modern traveler, priced and distributed efficiently and offer a high quality product without the clutter of more traditional 5 star hotel brands. The Pullman brand is fitting this demand nicely.”

3 new Pullman’s for India

Pullman Gurgaon Central Park – will be a new built 284 room hotel located in Gurgaon – the corporate satellite city of New Delhi. The hotel will feature extensive food and beverage outlets including 2 specialty restaurants, bar and deli, along with 2000 square metres of event space. The hotel will offer the Pullman signature connectivity lounge combining state of the art technology and personal IT services, keeping guests connected and efficient. The hotel is scheduled to open in late 2010 and is 30 minutes from Delhi International Airport.
Pullman Lavasa will open in mid 2011, featuring 258 guest rooms and perched atop India’s first hill town. Lavasa is located 1 hour from the new Pune International Airport. The hotel will offer 2 restaurants, patisserie and a 500 square metre ballroom and an integrated meeting centre for smaller business events. The hotel will be connected to the Lavasa Lakes Convention Centre.
Pullman Delhi International Airport – located within the “Delhi Aerocity” precinct will be this 270 room hotel. The hotel’s outlets will include and all day dining restaurant along with a specialty restaurant, lounge bar and deli. Signature Pullman spaces such as ‘Connectivity Lounge’ and Chill Out space will form part of the meetings and event facilities, which includes a 1000 sqm ballroom and extensive outdoor entertainment area by the hotel’s swimming pool. The hotel is scheduled to open in 2012.
An additional 2 Pullman Hotels for China
Pullman Wuxi T-Park is scheduled to open in 2012, with 350 guest rooms including 64 executive floor rooms. Situated in the Wuxi New District in Jiangsu Province, the hotel is close to Government Hall and 15 minutes from the airport and the Shanghai – Beijing High Speed Train Station. The future metro link station is located below the hotel. Facilities will include 3 restaurants, lobby lounge, indoor swimming pool, fitness and business centre. There is also a 1,200 square metre pillar less ballroom and nine meeting rooms at the hotel.
Pullman Tianjin Kunlun is a new 300 room (including 38 apartments) hotel located in the heart of Tianjin commercial area, 30 minutes drive from the airport. The hotel will offer 3 restaurants and comprehensive business and leisure facilities and is scheduled to open in mid 2013.

Recently announced Pullman Hotels
5 Pullman hotels were announced in mid August 2009. These hotels were: Pullman Shanghai Pudong Zhangjiang and Pullman Shanghai South in China, Pullman Pattaya Aisawan and Pullman Phuket Arcadia Naithorn, both in Thailand and Pullman Hanoi Horison in Vietnam.
Pullman stands apart with signature products and services
All Pullman hotels throughout the world have signature products and services, designed for travelers to fully indulge or partake in a more self service arrangement. These include products specifically designed for today’s busy business traveler – IT Solutions Manager and Pullman Welcomers, both roles ensuring efficiency and high levels of service. Co Meetings is designed to enhance the meeting experience at Pullman hotels, and with a dedicated event manager assigned to each event, events with Pullman are care free and efficient. Other items in Pullman guest rooms provide sanctuary, connectivity and comfort.

The Pullman network today
Today there are 12 Pullman hotels and resorts throughout Asia and 39 around the globe. The brand is on track to achieve its development ambitions of 50 hotels globally by year end and 300 hotels by 2015.
Issenberg added “The prospects for the Pullman Brand remain strong throughout Asia, where we anticipate having 100 Pullman Hotels by 2015. Whilst ambitious, we are well on our way towards achieving this objective.”

***

All Pullman hotels throughout the world have signature products and services, designed for travelers to fully indulge or partake in a more self service arrangement. These include products specifically designed for current customers.The hotel has special position related ICT system. China is the first branch to has IT solution manager of Pullman hotel then expanded to India, Malasia, Thailand.They have to have expert about ICT system following hotel policy. IT Solutions manager is a manager who concerns all of IT activities in Pullman Hotel. Pullman hotel group support about high& modern service and all of technology in hotel managed ad improved by IT solutions.

*********

Reference:

http://www.thaipr.net/nc/readnews.aspx?newsid=E4AC013EDDE0456A0230E4DF7EC91AF9&query=VGhhaWxhbmQgSUNUIEV4Y2VsbGVuY2UgQXdhcmRz

Singapore, China's Committed Partner In The ICT Market

Opening Address By Mr Chan Yeng Kit, Chief Executive Officer, Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore At Chinese Media Briefing Session on 30 May 2005, Shangri-La Hotel, Pudong, Shanghai.

Distinguished members of the press,

1. First of all, I want to thank all of you for taking time to join us today and for your continued support towards IDA in the past four years.

2. China is a country that is close to my heart. From 1993 to 1995, I served as the Executive Committee Secretary of the consortium leading the development of the Singapore-Suzhou Industrial Park. I am really glad to be back here again and to have the opportunity to meet with all of you today.

3. Over the past 25 years, the transformation and rapid growth of the Chinese economy and the development of its information, communications and technology (ICT) sector has been one of the brightest spots in the global market and global economy. China as a whole has been putting in a lot of emphasis on the use of ICT as an enabler for government as well as for businesses. Shanghai is also a contributor and one of the brightest stars in China's software industry. This contributes about 47.7% to the industry's national revenue with Shanghai's overall Information Industry registering RMB438B. Shanghai is also very active in driving some of their e-Government efforts and I am honored to be able to contribute to that effort by sharing some experiences of our e-Government Journey during CIAPR earlier this afternoon.

Singapore is China's Committed Partner in the ICT Market

4. Singapore and China share many similarities in our goals and plans to improve access to ICT, bridging the digital divide and empowering our local communities and businesses to use ICT for their own development. At the same time, we are committed to incorporate ICT into the government and society because we believe that this will help to spur socio-economic developments as well as build greater competitive advantages for our countries.

5. Today, Singapore is well known for its established status as one of the leading trading and commercial centres in Asia Pacific and in the world. We are also indeed fortunate to have achieved some success in developing a networked society. The World Economic Forum recently ranked Singapore first in its Global IT Report for our innovative use of IT. Accenture ranked Singapore's e-Government as one of the top 3 in the world for 5 consecutive years.

6. There are obvious synergies between China and Singapore, as our collaboration extends beyond just knowledge exchange and transfer. We believe there is considerable potential to maximize complementary strengths and reinforce a strong and enduring partnership between the two countries.

7. Since IDA started our presence in China in 2001, I am pleased and excited about the successes we have achieved. Through the years, we have established a very strong relationship with the Shanghai Informatization Commission, the Shanghai Communications Administration and various government departments in Shanghai, Beijing,Guangzhou, Nanjing and Hangzhou. Through these strong relations, we have built up the confidence and reputation of the "Singapore ICT" brand.

8. Many Singapore companies are today working closely with Chinese companies to spearhead technological projects in various industries from healthcare and logistics to banking and e-government. These projects are just some of examples of how Sino-Singapore collaboration has generated greater socio-economic benefits: - The Hospital Information System (HIS) project for Tongren Hospital in Beijing and Songjiang District Central Hospital in Shanghai (2004)
- E-Payment system for Xiamen City (2004)
- E-Logistics consultancy project for Guangzhou City (2003)
- E-Payment kiosks for Beijing City (2003)

9. The Singapore Solutions Centre (SSC), set up in May 2004, celebrated its first year anniversary recently. The RMB15 million SSC,which showcases our ICT development and regional hub status in the Transport, Logistics, Healthcare and Financial Services sector, is a further endorsement of our strong commitment to work with China as a long-term ICT partner.

10. Singapore is a living lab and business accelerator for ICT development, where e-Government solutions have been thoroughly tested and can be easily introduced and implemented in China to meet the needs of the Chinese government and companies. I am confident that all the companies within the SSC will continue to offer Chinese companies easy access to a complementary suite of integrated solutions that have been tried, tested and in some cases, won awards in Singapore and overseas.

11. At the same time, IDA will continue lend its resources to facilitate networking of Chinese and Singaporean infocomm companies beyond China and Singapore. In the past few years,IDA has organized several mission trips to various Chinese cities so as to encourage greater exchange and collaboration between Singapore ICT companies and their counterparts in China. Two more such mission trips have been planned in the next few months - one to the southern cities in China and another to the Zhejiang province.

The Singapore e-Government Journey

12. As I have mentioned at the CIAPR conference, our foray into eGovernment is not by choice. Singapore is a very small country with no natural resources. Our key assets are our people. In order for us to operate more efficiently and to overcome our lack of size and numbers, we have to use information and communications technology (ICT) as a force multiplier and help us to be more efficient and productive. We see ICT as a strategic tool to help us achieve greater competitiveness.

13. Singapore is serious about fulfilling its vision of a dynamic and vibrant global infocomm capital with a networked government that delivers accessible, integrated, value-added services to the citizens. Today, we have over 1,600 government services available online. In 2003, we continued our e-Govermment journey and launched the e-Government Action Plan II which essentially delivers more one-stop, integrated services to meet the needs of our public and businesses. My colleague, Yuk Wah, will later share with you more about the Singapore e-government journey.

14. However, today, I am extremely delighted to receive the United Nations Public Service award for one of our e-Government Services initiatives - the Online Application System For Integrated Services or OASIS - on behalf of the Singapore government. On example of an integrated service is the Online Business Licence Service or OBLS. The OBLS is spearheaded by Singapore's Ministry of Trade & Industry, project managed by IDA and developed by Ecquaria Technologies and National Computer Systems. Both of them are leading Singapore software solutions companies who are very active in the Chinese market.

15. This is a significant win for Singapore and it will spur us on to create more innovative avenues that will provide greater convenience for businesses and individuals to interact with the government. Our vision is to be a networked government that delivers accessible, integrated, value-added services to the citizens.

16. The OBLS is a pioneering one-stop eService, integrating 69 licences from 19 government agencies, for new company/business registrations and licence applications. Previously, businesses need to go to each agency individually to apply for different licences. Today, 80% of start-ups in Singapore can go to www.business.gov.sg to apply and pay for their business licences online.

Is Online Hotel's Booking Being the Best Choice for your happy holidays??

Nowadays online booking hotel room become the most popular way that you be able to identify a range of hotels such as location, price and specific facilities. But the first problem of using the internet is the fact that you do not have access to one single individual who could perhaps provide with you with a better idea of what you will be able to get for your money. Whilst the photographs on the web page might look smart and sophisticated, speaking to somebody on the phone gives you a good idea of the kind of service you might expect. For example, how long does it take them to answer? What is their manner like? How well do they listen? Are they prepared to go an extra mile in order to make you a happy customer?

Another problem when using online booking is that you have no opportunity for negotiation on price. It is still remarkable how many people assume that the price printed is the price everyone pays, or that you certainly will have to pay. This is most definitely not the case, and most hotels have between a 30% and 40% negotiation border. The fact that most people don't bother to use it is clearly the hotel's gain. Booking online gives the hotel the opportunity to charge everyone the maximum price they can. Whereas, either in person or over the phone, you have the chance to barter on that price, and more often than not, achieve a far lower rate.

These are some problems from customer's complains:

"Usually the hotel doesn't answer when you send a query for a booking that you made through an online company."

"I tried to book tickets for reservation from the hotel website on Jan 5th but tickets were not booked and the amount go deducted from credit card."

"This hotel's online booking took money out of my account i want to cancel what ever it is and don't know how. they can put the money back on my account cause i will never use it."

"I need ask more hotel's package rate, then i try to post on their webboard. But no answer receive back from them. Call contact is also silent and busy all times."

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References:

“The Problems of using the internet to book a hotel.”. [Online]. Available: http://www.streetdirectory.com/travel_guide/216576/hotels_and_hostels/the_problems_of_using_the_internet_to_book_a_hotel.html

"Online booking complain.". [Online]. Available:
http://www.complaintsboard.com/complaints/ksrtc-online-booking-c77969.html

eZee Front Desk Hotel Software

eZee Technologies, eZee Front Desk Hotel Software’s builder, has been operational since 1998, started by a small local software development company in Surat city, India. The company designed this software to accommodate the needs of various types of properties with the hotels, motels, resorts, clubs, B&B’s, small hotel franchisees, clubs, condo’s and apartments. eZee Front Desk is installed in more than 46 countries round the global with a support centre in 10 countries, available in English, Spanish, Arabic, Thai, French and German.

eZee Front Desk software is the modern solution which has whole range of integrated modules to cover every aspect of property management. The generalized version of eZee Front Desk Hotel reservation software is wide accepted worldwide with due to its state-of-art technology and extremely easy to use in nature.

The major modules of the latest eZee Front Desk constitutes of easy check-in/check-out, to click guest reservation, group management, house keeping, night audit, travel agent, guest history and lot other.

Thus eZee today becomes a one stop I.T solution provider for hospitality industry.

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Reference:

“eZee Front Desk Hotel Software.”. [Online]. Available: http://www.ezeefrontdesk.com/