Travel Trends

Hotels and their nickel-and-diming: “Travel industry analysts say the hotel industry has become even worse than airlines at adding on miscellaneous fees and surcharges. Industry analysts say that 2007 was the peak year for the introduction of add-on hotel fees and surcharges. And last year, U.S. hotels raked in record revenue, taking in $1.75 billion, up from $550 million in 2002, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers.

"The nickel-and-diming can be small ($5 for the hotel to accept a package for you) to rather large (mandatory valet parking for $50 a night). Other charges include resort, business center, and groundskeeping fees, charges for having a safe in your room even if you don’t use it, and charges from minibars with sensors that bill you if you just move something and then add a “restocking fee” for the hotel employee who must replace your $5 bag of M&Ms.

Four points to consider when tackling Twitter: “Twitter is essentially an instant messenger made public — the 140-character "tweets" can be seen by everyone, and the conversations are free-flowing. Consumers can use it to discuss your business, brand, or product — and they'll continue to do so, whether you participate or not.

“Don't just start firing off marketing missives to the Twitter community. If you actually want to leverage Twitter as a marketing tool, you'll need a plan, and you'll need to stick with it for the long haul. Here are brief points to keep in mind before you start to tweet. Click here to read the entire article.

“It's not a campaign: If you want to jump into any form social media, be prepared to invest a great amount of time. You'll need a plan, including figuring out what you want to accomplish, and why you are joining the conversation in the first place.

“Listen, don't push: When you focus on providing value to your followers, it's important to remember Twitter isn't a push marketing tool. Don't beat your customers over the head with offers or use Twitter merely as a promotional tool. Instead, engage in real conversations.

“It's more than customer service: Consumers are more likely to leave with a positive experience when they know they're talking to a real human being — not just a brand, but a face and a name. But customer service shouldn't be the only reason you use Twitter.

“Every tweet counts: Everything on Twitter is public, which means consumers can view your stream of messages whether or not they follow you, or even have a registered Twitter account. Therefore, every message you write counts. In that regard, you'll also want to treat every voice as an equal. Answer every message you can, whether that consumer has 5,000 followers or just five.”

How to successfully convert phone calls from online travelers into bookings: “In past down-cycles, guests increasingly turned to the Internet to find what they perceived as the absolute-best available rates. Now, guests still check the Internet first, but with all the information available, many become confused or frustrated. An increasing number of guests revert to a very old-fashioned tactic — to call the hotel directly and talk to a live person. Travel experts say this is the best way to get the lowest rate. Many guests are also discovering that this is a great way to get a feel for the level and style of service they will receive as a guest.

It is more important than ever for you to capture and convert every possible inquiry, while simultaneously increasing average rates by better-presenting higher-rated accommodations, packages and promotional offerings. Here are sales training tips:

• Learn “channel conversion” techniques. Many of today’s hotel reservations sales inquiries occur only because consumers want to double-check a best-rate. Converting these calls into bookings saves distribution costs and OTA commissions, and it ensures the caller won’t select a different hotel off a menu at an OTA website.
• Don’t give up when callers say, “Just give me the rate.” Step one is to seemingly concede: “Certainly, let me check that for you right away…” and then to ask the questions needed, such as the dates and number in the party. Step two is to ask “While I’m checking that rate for you, are there any questions I can answer for you about the hotel or area?” which will often open the door to a conversation vs. fulfilling a transaction. Step three is to quote the lowest available rates first. Then after seemingly conceding, you can immediately resume control by then asking questions such as “How does that sound?” and/or “Will that meet your needs?” and/or “Is there something special you are looking for?”
• Reference “normal” (such as “rack” or “high season”) rates to position lower rates as already being a good value. For example: “This rate normally runs X, but for the dates you are looking at we can extend you a special rate of Y.”
• If you can’t secure the reservation during the first attempt, at minimum, invite the caller to become a guest and express interest in having them call back. Offer to e-mail links to the accommodations discussed, and add a short personal note regarding their situation or story.

Online travel gains as Americans hunt for travel bargains: According to the comScore analysis, travel sites experienced seasonal gains in February sparked by spring travel planning. The Online Travel Agents category grew 1to 39.5 million visitors, led by Expedia, Inc. with nearly 23 million visitors.

Orbitz Worldwide ranked second with nearly 14 million visitors, followed by Priceline.com Inc. with 9.7 million visitors.

Want your inn to be on Expedia and its partner sites? The BedandBreakfast.com Global Partner Reservation Network puts you there.

Kayak launches new iPhone application: “iPhone users can search more than 200 travel sites for rates and availability for flights and hotels from anywhere in the world. Once the user makes a decision, Kayak.com will offer a choice of where to buy—directly from the supplier or from an online travel agency—and send the user directly to that site to make a purchase. The application, now available in the iTunes App Store, is free for all users. The Kayak.com iPhone application can also find a hotel room from the site’s extensive database of more than 200,000 accommodations. Consumers can sort results by “cheap” to search by price, “close” to find a hotel near the airport or “classy” to filter by star rating.

Innkeepers who participate in the BedandBreakfast.com Global Partner Reservation Network also appear on Kayak.com.

Online ratings and reviews influence shoppers' selections: According to a study from Bazaarvoice and richrelevance, 48% of all online shoppers plan to spend less this year, but 61% of those reluctant to make certain purchases can be positively influenced by online shopping resources. The study shows that consumers are finding significant value in online content tools that connect them to the opinions and behaviors of other shoppers. These tools are particularly relevant to shoppers who are cutting back, as those affected by economic conditions seek more validation for their purchase decisions.

Online shoppers, says the report, will be more reluctant to make purchases in the next 12 months primarily in:

• The automotive sector
• Travel
• Consumer electronics

Shoppers who research their purchases online look to content sources that help inspire, discover, and confirm their choices, including:

• User ratings and reviews
• Recommendations based on other consumers' purchasing behaviors
• Recommendations based on others' browsing behavior

Twitter's growing really fast: A small new survey from Nielsen about the five fastest growing "member community destinations" in the U.S. reveals what we all kind of knew already: Twitter is at the top. From February 2008 to February 2009, it clocked in at a whopping 1,382% growth rate.

In third place is Facebook, with 228% growth year-over-year, according to Nielsen.