A Secret to an Effective Distribution Strategy for Hotels

by Erric Ravi CEO at Storify News

Over some years, the hotel industry has experienced significant changes, especially in the area of hotel channel distribution. Big brands, global distribution systems (GDS's), online travel agencies (OTAs), and metasearch websites are all competing for customer attention which is affecting hotel margins significantly.

 

Some of the distribution channels hoteliers use nowadays:

 

●     Online travel agent (OTA)

●     Metasearch engine

●     Hotel's website

●     Social media page

●     A phone or email reservation

●     Global distribution system

 

Building an effective distribution strategy means finding the right balance between all the channels one uses. It's no secret that, for today's traveler, searching and booking online is the desired way to organize their travel, so offline methods such as telephone, email, probably doesn't require as much attention as they used to.

 

It’s not just about how one manages these considerations, but also how one develops a sustainable way of recording, tracking, managing, updating, and sharing data. One of the first distribution lessons is that the strategy needs to take into account travelers from all areas of the globe.

 

When one attempts to appeal to a diverse range of travelers, hoteliers will find that their bookings increase, and they are able to maximize their profits per guest. Following are some tips that hoteliers can follow to increase their profits:

 

Organize events as a source of attraction

 

Whether one is operating a large chain of the hotel or even a boutique hotel, they can attract residents by hosting several events at their hotel. When one schedules events at their hotel, they generate a zizz about their hotel brand within the neighborhood and eventually get an opportunity to earn more revenue. Hoteliers can work with local publications in order to promote their events and send reminders on social media about anything that is coming up at their hotel.

 

Encourage domestic travel

 

Travelers nowadays prefer to visit a variety of destinations across the globe, but they also aren't opposed to exploring seemingly undiscovered destinations in their own region. In order to encourage domestic travelers to stay at the property and enjoy a staycation for their next holiday or weekend getaway, it is better to leverage a channel manager in order to connect with different OTAs, which will promote the hotel's property to the target customers and discover new demand.

 

Use the top booking sites

 

Marketing the hotel to a global audience may seem overwhelming, but the process can be easy when one uses the top booking sites in the industry. Once hoteliers are able to reach international travelers through the top booking sites, the next step is to make the process of booking and payment super easy.

 

It is always important to implement proper tracking and measurement strategies. Moreover, it is beneficial for hoteliers if they will play by their strengths and act from a guest’s perspective. The distribution strategy, in many respects, is the key to the reservation success at one's hotel. 

Today, the more one distributes the rooms and services that they offer through appropriate channels, the more guests they will attract, and the more their hotel will grow. Developing an effective distribution strategy is critical, and implementing it carefully is an even more crucial step.

 

Partnering with a travel technology company such as RateGain for a distribution channel manager enable hoteliers to leverage their 30-years of experience in identifying and connecting hotels with the right demand. Their distribution channel manager software helps to manage hotel online distribution in one place. With over 1500+ channels, they connect hoteliers with travelers all across the world. Moreover, the channel manager helps to maximize visibility on global and local OTAs to ensure hoteliers attract travelers no matter where the travelers are shopping.

 

There are countless real-life examples of leading hotels using channel manager to increase their bookings, revenue, and take more time to pay attention to the needs of guests. It is time for every hotelier to use one and stay ahead of their competition!

 

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Created on Mar 19th 2020 04:05. Viewed 319 times.

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