International updates from the world of OTAs

with a communication dated 21 April 2015

the managers of the accommodation facilities receive the latest new commercial agreements from Booking.

The information email concerns rate parity and contractual conditions between the best known and most used online booking agency in the world and the owners of hotel facilities.

Booking currently covers more than 41% of the European market in the tourism sector, regarding hotel reservations, whose turnover is favored by the high percentage of commission recognized by the structures that join the portal.

As we well know, the "battle" between hotel owners and managers against Booking.com regarding the contractual conditions imposed by it seems to have no end... but on 21 April 2015 every Hotel, Bed and Breakfast and guest house registered on the site Booking.com has received a perhaps unexpected warning.

The latest of 2015? Booking new commercial agreements.

What is the Booking.com warning about?

Thanks to the intervention of the French, Italian and Swedish authorities committed to reducing the contractual constraints imposed by the global hotel booking giant, Booking announces new commercial agreements! With an email, it informs all members that it will update the clause regarding the Parity Rate by 1 July 2015.

By following the guidelines of online transparency, Booking.com will allow properties to offer more advantageous prices on competing OTA portals.

Therefore, you are finally free to offer different rates on the various rival portals dedicated to online bookings.

While for the hotel's personal website, the rates must be in line with the amounts published on Booking.com.

Booking new commercial agreements and what can the hotelier do?

The hotel has the opportunity to offer potential customers advantageous rates compared to those communicated on Booking through offline marketing.

Therefore we disintermediate as much as possible!

Are you wondering how? By following simple advice it is possible to increase direct sales through offline and non-offline marketing.

Booking new agreements, here are some tips to follow:

• reviews: Written testimonies are worth a lot. Ask your guests to leave a review on your personal page;
• Organize events: allow experts from various sectors to use the conference room, hall or common spaces to organize small events or meetings.
• Provide support for your local sports team:it's a great way to make yourself known within your town. In exchange for a contribution, ask for the company logo on the team t-shirts;
• Contest prize: offer an overnight stay (or a dinner or a free treatment) at your hotel as a prize for a local competition, a contest etc…etc…;
• Promotional Codes: allow discounts for specific customers (erasmus students, members of a club, participants in an event...) it is a good way to encourage groups of people with the same destination to book at your facility;
• newsletters: in compliance with current regulations and without being too invasive, emails encourage purchases and build customer loyalty;
• Advertising: imitate Booking.com! That's right, you have to do what Booking.com does with your hotel: activate Pay per click marketing campaigns, use keywords to create your marketing activities.
• CMS: Activate a booking system directly on your website.
• Social Network: capture your customers via social media, the fastest and most direct channel you have available. Inform your guests about events, festivals and demonstrations and never forget to enter your contact details;
• Use landing pages: that is, a page where the customer arrives after a specific search, which pushes him to take an action: book your facility;
• ADV: in magazines, radio, local TV channels, packaging and shoppers!

Get the customer to contact you by phone or directly and offer them the best rate,

more favorable than the one proposed on Bookimg.com!