All aboard, South African hoteliers! The Web has left without you – Expedia
19. Nov, 2009
1 Comment
Ross Kata, market manager for Africa at online travel leader Expedia, explores how the travel industry has changed as a result of technology.
If there were to be a poll conducted on which industries have made the best use of the Web and e-commerce as effective sales and promotional tools, then the travel industry would definitely be in the top ten.
Travel has travelled online
With the growth of the Internet in Africa as an important tool in many people’s lives, the internet is taking on an increasingly significant role in facilitating travel worldwide. Developments in search engine technology and the ability to complete secure transactions online are two of the most significant contributors to growth in online travel bookings, and now more and more travellers are turning to the Web to research and book travel.
Many travel companies, including hoteliers were quick to embrace the online channel to showcase their products on the Web. The channel has given hotels the ability to reach consumers in geographies outside of their own geographic borders.
At the same time, the internet has enhanced consumers’ ability to learn about travel destinations and travel options. Travellers used to have to head down to the local travel agency and spend hours with a travel agent or reviewing a satchel of brochures. Now, they can learn about destinations and select a hotel from the comfort of their armchair.
According to a report on travel patterns released by ITB in March 2009:
- 15% of travellers use the internet as an information source.
- 56% of all travel bookings are made online.
The world at travellers’ fingertips
Because consumers now have the ability to view all their options in one place, they are more empowered in their travel purchase decisions and can more easily compare between destinations and properties. Today, travellers can practically experience a destination before they even leave their home with all the information on hand from language, currency, native foods, and special medical requirements, to top landmarks to visit and historical information. Their travel journey starts when they begin forming a relationship with the information they discover on the Web.
This makes it important for hotels to implement an online distribution and marketing strategy that ensures their property is accessible to the millions of people searching online for travel. In addition, it’s important for hotels to make sure they are not only accessible, but that the property is displayed with images and information that make it easy for potential guests to identify the property as the right one for them to book.
The great thing about the Internet as a distribution channel for hotels is that it levels the playing field for properties of all sizes, and boutique and independents. Today, even smaller properties can showcase their offerings online to a global audience. At a low cost, independent hotels can promote their products on even ground and in the same marketplaces as the big international brands. They can even participate in online promotional activities, with online travel agencies, that cost far less than traditional advertising mechanisms.
While going online can seem daunting to hotels that haven’t done so before, it’s easier than it seems. For example, Expedia, the world’s leading online travel company, offers a simple sign up process at http://joinexpedia.com.
Looking to the future
As consumer adoption of online travel booking evolves, new technologies and tools are changing the way hotel booking decisions are made. The reviews and opinions of other travellers in the form of user-generated content showcasing first hand experiences, will play an increasingly important role in consumer travel purchase decisions. Social networking tools, blogs, video on the Web, and mobile Internet are just some of the technologies shaping the way people select their travel destinations and hotels. Hotels that are thinking about how to incorporate these channels into their online marketing strategy are currently the best positioned to stay ahead of the online travel curve.
My name is Muzi Mohale a full-time travel blogger, your host at Travelwires.com responsible for all editorial on this blog. I blog about the travel and tourism industry in Africa. Apart from blogging about tourism, I also run 
We are a small guesthouse and signed up with Expedia but found their online booking system to be problematic. Bookings are taken and confirmed without any input from you. There is no control over who the person is or any dialogue to establish what their requirements/expectations are.Then you are sent credit card details which display for only 72 hours. You are not expected to take payment but just verify the card. Not much security!
We had a few strange bookings before taking ourselves off the system. Nice idea … but no thank you! Give me our homegrown Safarinow any day – their site works like a dream and could teach Expedia a lot!!!