As technology advances and the world of social media expands, more and more travelers are turning towards smart phones and tablets to book hotel rooms.
Travelers who book hotel rooms online are increasingly equipped with smart phones and tablets. According to a recent study by eRevMax, seven percent of all bookings were generated from mobile and tablet devices in 2013 and this trend will grow by another 20 percent this year. In 2014, hotel bookings through mobile will contribute over $26 billion.
The study sheds light on how metasearch sites realized a 13 percent increase in 2013. Google Hotel Finder, TripConnect and Trivago are becoming a driving force in hotel online distribution as 60 percent of travellers shop by comparing rates on these sites. To shift market share from the OTAs to direct bookings, hoteliers should utilize metasearch sites as a part of their overall distrbution strategy as it offers better search experience and allows the traveller to find the lowest prices available online.
Bookings from OTAs surged ahead with a 12 percent rise in Q3 2013 and now stands at 13 percent of overall bookings in North America. The study also shows that 33 percent of all bookings take place at the brand's website, an increase of 5 percent in Q3 2013. eRevMax suggests hoteliers work with OTAs to increase revenues and implement reputation management solutions for quick responses to their guests.
In this world of social media, SEO and analytics, failure to adopt digital platforms in their marketing strategy is suicidal for hotels. The data shows that 81percent of tech-savvy travellers find user reviews important, while 49 percent of travellers book hotel only after reading reviews. Nearly 21 percent used Facebook to search for hotel information at least once while 14 percent of travellers use the Facebook platform to book a hotel room. Hence, it is imperative that hotels take social-commerce seriously.
Source:eRevMax
eRevMaxis a provider of online distribution, channel connectivity, market intelligence and revenue management solutions to the hospitality industry. The company delivers its premium hotel channel management product RateTiger, web-based solution SimpleDistribution and its real-time enterprise connectivity gateway – Connect, to the hospitality and travel industry. Incorporated in 2001, eRevMax serves over 7000 customers worldwide with offices and R&D centers across three continents. For more details, please visit http://www.erevmax.com/or contact us on marketing@erevmax.com
