According to a study published by Tourism Intelligence International and commented on in Travel Daily Asia news, India will be one of the major new destinations for the Germans in the coming years.
The main reasons for this are listed as India’s versatility as a destination, strong promotional campaigns and great value for money.
While there has always been a fair amount of German travellers in India, the lack of infrastructure has meant that they stayed primarily within the known tourist circuits. Will this change now that things are moving on rather quickly in India? Or is it moving quickly?
Either way, hoteliers in India, start brushing up on your German…..
According to the hotel website - ”The One Hotel Angkor is just that: a ‘hotel’ offering just one suite”
Located in Siem Rieps (Cambodia) Old Market area in a lane called The Passage, the ‘hotel’ offers some unusual packages.
For example, the Angkor Memory Package 3 nights/4 days (approx 1400 USD) is your chance to star in your very own real-life movie. Be followed by a film crew that will record your visit and later provide you with an edited DVD of your visit……..
And guess what their key statement is - ”You have our undivided attention”. Guess not too surprising with no other rooms waiting to check out etc.
Check it out at http://www.theonehotelangkor.com
Back from ITB which was as hectic and exciting as ever. And of course the best work out in ages for desk bound characters like me from halls 9 to 25….the only thing which did let it down was the transport strike, but even that was addressed relatively well. The travellers who ventured into the S-bahns were rewarded. After my experience with the buses on Day 1, decided to stick to S-bahns and taxis where available. And now to finish of what I started with a a comparison of the SMD’s!
On the distribution side offerings of the SMD’s, it is clear that this where they make a very powerful impact. And for the independent hotelier, this is where one gets their money’s worth. However a careful study of the most suitable offering will make it a win-win situation.
Here is a selection of what the companies have to say about their distribution services.
UTELL
- Strategic business relationships with important online travel providers including Expedia, Opodo and Travelocity, giving access to multiple markets
- Actively promoted consumer websites
DESIGN
- Revenue & Distribution Services
- Global Distribution System
- Internet Distribution System
- Third Party Internet
- Booking EnginePlatform
SUPRANATIONAL
- GDS (Global Distribution System)
- Electronic Marketing targeting GDS (Global Distribution System)and Web Partners.
4 GDS partners: Sabre, Galileo, Worldspan and Amadeus. - Daily submission of news/promotions on all GDS ‘free’ marketing screens
- Tailor made Web Booking Engine for groups and individual hotels.
- Next Generation Seamless online availability and reservation facility to all GDS distributors - 600,000 terminals world wide.
- Next Generation Seamless connectivity to leading travel portals via ODD (Online Distribution Database) and ADS (Alternate Distribution System).
WORLD HOTELS
- Global web based CRS TRUST Voyager and Reporting tool TRUST View
- Seamless Next Generation connectivity to all major Global Distribution Systems
Master Chain Code EW – Exclusive to WORLDHOTELS - Direct connections to more than 600,000 travel agent terminals worldwide and own dedicated web portal for Travel Agents, WORLDHOTELS.beconnected
- Advanced IDS (Internet Distribution Systems) connections and web booking engine connections to internet portals and distribution partners Specialist services in E-Commerce, Technology and Online Distribution
- Worldwide toll free voice reservation service in 3 Global Communication Centres with over 40 phone numbers
- Own online Booking Engine WORLDHOTELS.booker in 10 languages
GREAT HOTELS OF THE WORLD
- Member hotels on the various GDS and internet distribution channels under own private label chain code: GW.
- Optimal seamless connectivity to the major Global Distribution Systems: Amadeus, Galileo, Sabre and Worldspan, which are used by over 600,000 travel agents globally
- Each hotel will also be displayed on leading internet sites such as Travelocity and Expedia as well as many thousands of sites offering travel and hotel booking services.
- Internet-based CRS providing hotels the ability to enter and control all information about the hotel including availability, rates and descriptions with simple web access alone.
- The Great Hotels of the World reservation system can also be used to power your hotel’s own website booking engine.
RELAIS & CHATEAUX
- Website in 4 languages, 300,000 unique visitors per month, allows online reservation of Relais & Châteaux hotels and restaurants
- Call centres and general sales agents world-wide: France, Italy, Spain, USA, Australia, Argentina/Chile, Japan, Russia.
- The main GDS: Amadeus, Sabre, Worldspan and Apollo/Galileo.
- Online reservation, on http://www.relaischateaux.com/ and on the individual website of the property.
A decision on which company to go with depends on so many factors and a clear idea of the hotels strengths and weaknesses would be the right point to start.
Starting tomorrow (well timed folks), a big part of the public transport system in Berlin will be affected by a strike.
Not really sure if it is a good thing or bad that I get there only on Thursday, but here are some things to ponder….
What may not work? - The U-Bahn (Underground), buses and trams, and possibly German airports too. ITB Berlin advises passengers arriving on domestic and foreign flights to use other forms of transport such as the railways or car rental services. Hmmm…..
What works? - The S-Bahn, which will run without any restrictions!
Why? - the employees of the German capital’s subway, bus and tram network are pushing for pay increases
Good to know! (or then maybe not) - The last time was a 39-hour strike in January which brought Berlin’s subway, bus and tram network to a standstill.
How long? - 10 days, that’s all….strike will end 14th of March.
Follow the latest recommendations on the ITB website tracker
Having heard so much about this first big underwater hotel, thought I would check up on how far things are up and running.
- the site http://www.crescent-hydropolis.com/ is certainly up and running and in parts quite good. The excessive use of flash makes it a little bit less fun than it could have been
- While the Dubai Hydropolis seems to be still under construction (was scheduled to open in December 2007), the next one to be ready will be in the Yellow Sea off the coast of Qingdao, China - possibly in time for the Olympics
- And there are a few others too - Isle of Man, Monaco, New York.
- Some of the other planned ones had me slightly puzzled. London and Munich - Hydropolis on Thames? Or maybe they do intend to move it to the coast…
More details on the design build network site
Taking another break from the SMD’s, I decided to take a look at some great sites for industry statistics and research.
Finding the right information at the right time - ie when you need it, is always a challenge. Here are some websites/companies which provide a rich source of authentic information - both statistics and research..
- The Hotel & Travel Index - an extensive compilation of hotels and travel organisations around the world
- The Bench - Benchmarks average rates, occupancies and more across various cities around the world. The Bench is a web-based management tool providing online daily benchmarking data for the hotel industry.
- HVS - Hospitality industry news, reports and analysis from leading Hospitality Advisory company
- TRI Hospitality Consulting - Hotel industry surveys and hotel statistics for a leading hotel consultancy
- Deloitte & Smith Travel research - A leading global management consultancy with a specialised interest in Hospitality. One of their latest reports is Hospitality 2010: An in-depth report into driving shareholder value in the hospitality sector
- Hotel Benchmark - from Deloitte
- STAR - detailed statistics on UK tourism and hotels. The group is made up of representatives of the national tourist boards for England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales, Britain
- Visit London - extremely detailed statistics on the capital city
- Tourism Futures International - Asia Pacific statistics
- Centre for Hospitality Research - quality research on and for the hospitality industry from Cornell
Many will also find the hospitality section of the Intute website an excellent source of hospitality industry resources in general.
If you know more unique and exceptional resources for statistics and research on the industry, please post it.
Very few obvious differences on the Marketing services of the SMD’s
Utell seems to have a higher distribution focus with their various rate programmes. Leading hotels leverages its brand name/image through partnership marketing with top luxury brands.
UTELL HOTELS AND RESORTS
Rate programmes such as GREATRATE that deliver a large percent of the revenues.
Another programme called LATEGETAWAYS provide a route for hotels to distribute their inventory at the last minute.
Preferred partner marketing activities with leading travel management companies like Amex and CWT
Electronic marketing to the travel trade
Media and PR
DESIGN HOTELS
E-Marketing programmes
Partnership marketing
Marketing Products
Global PR
SUPRANATIONAL
Monthly newsletter to Consortia and Corporate Agencies introducing new hotel properties, promotional rates and campaigns etc
Dedicated PR agency focused on increasing brand profile and hotel profile with the international travel trade.
Free PR service for members
Input on content of marketing messages/newsletters.
WORLD HOTELS
Marketing Partnerships
Print and online Newsletters to various target groups
Public Relations and Advertorials
Online Image Platform called Mediaserve
GREAT HOTELS OF THE WORLD
Extensive brand marketing campaign to create awareness of Great Hotels of the World within Travel trade, Meeting Planners & Leisure travel agents, Business travel agents, High-value corporate accounts, Consumers
Customised PR planning for member property to generate press coverage in the most appropriate media in Europe.
Press visits and press lobbying
RELAIS AND CHATEAUX
An international guide published in 4 languages, which is also downloadable from the Internet
The promotion of the properties and the brand through trade fairs and exhibitions and other events
E-marketing activities through e-newsletter
Partnerships marketing associating Relais & Châteaux with top brands
The promotion of the themes Golf and Spa
LEADING HOTELS
Partnership Marketing
EMEA Newsletter
Airline Marketing
Consumer lifestyle events
NOTE: Information and comments provided here are to provide an overview. It is not meant to indicate the full service offering of these companies in any way. Primary information source – respective company websites.
While I am putting together some more facts on the SMD’s, here is a funny but insightful video on the do’s and dont’s as a foreigner in Germany - Viel Spass….
