SOUTHLAKE, Texas, March 14, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Sabre Hospitality
Solutions has collaborated with Phocuswright on a new research
report that evaluates channel optimization in the hospitality
industry, identifying the critical elements of an effective,
future-ready channel strategy that will maximize the ROI of both
direct and indirect channels.
This new report, "Channel Optimization in Hospitality: Secrets
of Data-Driven Hoteliers," will help hoteliers make well-informed,
data-driven decisions about their channel strategies and offers
insights on consumer trends, along with data analysis, infographics
and clear recommendations that hoteliers can put into action right
now.
Challenges in Today's Distribution Landscape
The fragmented nature of today's hospitality industry creates a
complex distribution landscape and unique challenges that hoteliers
must overcome in order to maximize revenue:
- Traditional segmentation isn't enough. Hoteliers need to
identify the unique behaviors of shoppers and group those common
behaviors together with a targeted approach. Regional variations in
consumer behaviors as well as widespread adoption of consumer
technologies and services drive additional complexity and must be
addressed.
- OTAs and metasearch engines are investing heavily in
advertising and sophisticated technology platforms to capture more
traffic and hotel bookings.
- Many hotels continue to rely on legacy technology systems that
are not equipped to handle today's diverse distribution strategies,
which call for pricing and product strategies that can change
rapidly and easily.
Consumers & Technology Increase Complexity in Channel
Strategy
Advances in technology have dramatically changed how consumers
shop, which in turn affects how hoteliers must market to them.
Today's hotel guests command greater control over their personal
travel decisions, thanks to the number of shopping and booking
channels and the fact that travelers now use an array of devices to
research, shop and book any given trip.
What's more, research shows that there are wide variations in
shopping and booking channel preferences based on geography. The
report analyzes shopping and booking trends by channel in the US,
the UK, China, Brazil, France and other countries, and finds that a
customer's purchase channel does not always correlate with shopping
channel preferences.
"Mastering distribution is a bridge to transforming the guest
experience and an opportunity to build familiarity and loyalty with
the guest before they ever walk onto the property," said
Alex Alt, president of Sabre
Hospitality Solutions. "Today's distribution landscape is highly
complex and that will only increase in the future. No matter the
size or location of the property or chain, every hotel needs to
have a well-defined distribution strategy - informed by data and
analytics – for how they can successfully attract guests across all
channels."
Three Key Steps to Developing the Right Channel Mix
The report discusses three critical takeaways for hoteliers who
want to master distribution and overcome market complexities:
- Get Your Data House in Order – With the right analytics,
hoteliers can better engage with guests as individuals based on
explicit and implicit signals shoppers give during the shopping
experience.
- Leverage Persona-Based Motivation to Understand Behavior
– By combining traffic and conversion statistics with consumer
trends and regional differences, hoteliers can take a strategic
look at their target customers and develop a channel mix that fits
their brand.
- Assess Channel Risk and Return - Channel optimization is
not a "set it and forget it" proposition. Hoteliers must
consistently monitor and evaluate their channel strategy to more
efficiently acquire traffic, then convert that traffic into
profitable transactions.
"The investments that hotels make in their channel optimization
and distribution strategies will define the next generation of
winners in hospitality," Alt said. "With this report, we share
insights and takeaways that will help hotels maximize revenue
through distribution."
About Sabre Corporation
Sabre
Corporation (NASDAQ: SABR) is the leading technology provider
to the global travel industry. Sabre's software, data, mobile and
distribution solutions are used by hundreds of airlines and
thousands of hotel properties to manage critical operations,
including passenger and guest reservations, revenue management,
flight, network and crew management. Sabre also operates a leading
global travel marketplace, which processes more than US$120 billion of global travel spend annually by
connecting travel buyers and suppliers. Headquartered in
Southlake, Texas, USA, Sabre
serves customers in more than 160 countries around the world.
About Phocuswright
Phocuswright is the travel
industry research authority on how travelers, suppliers and
intermediaries connect. Independent, rigorous and unbiased,
Phocuswright fosters smart strategic planning, tactical
decision-making and organization effectiveness. The company is
headquartered in the United States
with Asia Pacific operations based
in India and local analysts on
five continents. Phocuswright is a wholly owned subsidiary of
Northstar Travel Media, LLC.
Media Contact:
Heidi Castle
Sabre
214-681-8169
Heidi.castle@sabre.com
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SOURCE Sabre Corporation