Recent Articles by HeBS Consultants
2001
The Best Survival Strategy is the Proactive Strategy
What can hoteliers do in the wake of the terrorist attacks to combat the downturn in the economy and falling consumer confidence in the travel experience? Smith Travel Research forecasts full-year 2001 U.S. hotel occupancy at 60.7%, down 4.7 percent from last year. RevPAR for the year is expected to be down 4.3 percent and ADR to be at 2000 level or lower. PricewaterhouseCoopers categorizes this as " the worst performance in 33 years".
If I were Henry Silverman: a Commentary on the Pending Cendant-Galileo Deal
Recently Cendant announced that it would pay $2.9 billion in cash and stock for travel reservation company Galileo International Inc. Some industry experts say that Cendant's potential acquisition would bolster its lodging and car rental operations and increase competition for Sabre, the No.1 global distribution system (GDS).
If I were Paul Blackney: a commentary on the consolidation in the online corporate managed travel space
On July 30th Amadeus announced the acquisition of e-Travel, Inc., a leading supplier of corporate travel technology solutions, from Oracle Corporation. The same day Galileo International, Inc. (NYSE: GLC) announced it had agreed to acquire Highwire, Inc., a start-up developer of corporate Internet travel tools and technology. Worldspan now remains the only Global Distribution System (GDS) that hasn't acquired a major technology player in this space.
If I were Barry Diller: a commentary on the USA Network's Acquisition of Expedia.com
On July 16th USA Networks (NASDAQ: USAI) announced that it had agreed to acquire a controlling interest in Expedia, Inc. (NASDAQ: EXPE) through the purchase of up to 37.5 million shares or approximately 75% of the currently outstanding shares. If I were Barry Diller, I would have acquired Expedia. No doubt about that. But I would have considered...
Independent Hoteliers: Twelve Inexpensive Ways to Promote Your Website
According to Forrester Research, online hotel sales are expected to grow to $5.7 billion in 2004. Jupiter Communications forecasts that online travel bookings will top $20 billion in 2001 and are expected to grow ten-fold over the next five years. Nowadays most independent hotels already have websites. And yet, less than 50% of hotels offer online reservations on their websites.
Independent Hoteliers: eBusiness Levels the Playing Field
Hoteliers experienced phenomenal growth with hotel occupancy rates over the past several years, but this is may be history. According to Smith Travel Research, U.S. hotel occupancy was 59.9% year to date through April, a significant drop from the average occupancy rate of 63.7% reached in 2000 (PricewaterhouseCoopers). The softened economy is forcing Hoteliers to think about ways to deal with lower occupancy rates and shrinking RevPARs in the upcoming years. hotels offer online reservations on their websites.
Wireless in Travel and Hospitality: Hype or Necessity?
The media hype surrounding the mobile Internet is astounding. Articles, commentaries and reports on wireless applications, WAP, 2.5G, 3G, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi are all over the print and online media. Getting confused? What are the implications of the mobile Internet, next generation wireless technologies and m-Commerce in the travel and hospitality space? What is the true meaning of these emerging technologies for the travel suppliers and buyers?
If I Were a Partner at Crosspoint Venture Partners…
Earlier this year Crosspoint Venture Partners, a top-tier early-stage VC firm, shocked the VC world, institutional investors and entrepreneurs alike with its decision to cancel a $1 billion dollar fund. One of the reasons was that the firm did not feel it could achieve sufficient returns for its blue-chip institutional investors in the current economic environment.
How to Turn Lookers into Bookers
Recommendation engines are eCRM decision-support applications that offer new level of personalization and customized travel recommendations. They are quickly gaining popularity in the travel vertical and becoming essential tools for enhancing conversion rates, increasing revenues and outperforming the competition.
Survival Strategies in the Wake of the Terrorist Attacks
Though it is too early to assess the extent of the impact of the terrorist attacks on the travel industry and to foresee the ripple effects across various travel markets, there are some indications of what lies ahead. It is impossible to predict what will be the long-term implications, but one thing is for sure: during such trying times the travel industry is especially vulnerable.
Convention and Visitors Bureaus: Ten Action Steps to Soften the Impact
All travel suppliers, providers and intermediaries from your destination, city, state, region and area are seriously affected by the current situation. Therefore developing joint marketing initiatives that offer shared costs and shared benefits among the participants makes excellent sense, especially now.
America Loves NY Campaign Launch
Recognizing that the combination of an economic downturn and the terrorist attack has created problems for everyone in the New York hospitality industry, the America Loves NY joint marketing campaign was launched recently during a HSMAI Big Apple Chapter event on November 1, 2001. This joint marketing campaign is specifically designed to help NY hoteliers promote their best promotions, discounts and deals and in the same time keep the U.S. travel agency community informed of the latest New York City travel promotions and offerings.
|
