How to read your score:
85 points and above:
You are ahead of the curve. Now it’s time to enhance your website and
eDistribution strategies. 60 to 84 points: You are missing on significant opportunities
to generate incremental revenues and lower costs.
You need to implement a comprehensive Website
Optimization Strategy and eDistribution Strategy to be able to stay competitive.
Below 59 points: Your future competitiveness is at stake and
you are behind your peers. You should urgently About the authors: Max
Starkov is
Chief eBusiness Strategist at Hospitality eBusiness Strategies, Inc. in New
York City. He advises companies in the Travel and Hospitality verticals on
their eBusiness and eDistribution strategies. Max has 17 years experience in
pioneering and building successful travel and hospitality businesses and
eBusiness strategies for national and multinational leisure and hospitality
companies. Max has an extensive eBusiness experience having co-founded and
served as CEO and Director of two eBusiness companies. Under his leadership
one of these companies won the prestigious 2001 Worldwide Microsoft RAD Award
for Web-based technology
applications (CRS and booking systems) for hospitality.
He also teaches graduate courses on "Hospitality/Tourism
eDistribution Systems" and "e-Travel" at New York University's
prestigious Tisch Center for Hospitality, Tourism and Travel Administration.
You can reach Max at max@hospitalityebusiness.com. Jason Price is Vice President of Business Development and Strategic Marketing at Hospitality eBusiness Strategies, Inc. in New York City. Jason advises companies in the Travel and Hospitality verticals. Jason helped build and served as the Vice President of two eBusiness companies. Jason was in the leading team that won the prestigious 2001 Microsoft RAD Award. Jason has over five years experience in pioneering and building successful travel and hospitality Internet businesses and another six years building critical business units for major Madison Ave marketing companies. You can reach Jason at jason@hospitalityebusiness.com NEW
HOTEL MANAGEMENT COMPANY FORMED TO PROMOTE SIGNATURE CARMEL VALLEY RESORTS The
new company will oversee the operation, marketing and further development
of both resorts, leveraging the strength of the two hotel brands and
increasing their marketing reach. The opportunity also exists of future
expansion by taking on similar properties. Individual
ownership of the resorts is unchanged, however, with both HSH and
Baylaurel remaining committed to their respective hotels within their
shared market niche. "The
hotels are recognized as two of the top destinations on the Monterey
peninsula," said Cecil. "The establishment of Valley Resort
Management provides fresh impetus for both resorts to capitalize on their
respective strengths and to maximize their potential." About
The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels, Limited The
principal business of The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels, Limited is the
ownership and management of prestigious hotel, commercial and residential
properties in key destinations in Asia and the USA. Within its hotel
management division, The Peninsula Group, properties in gateway cities
include: The Peninsula Hong Kong; The Peninsula Bangkok; The Peninsula
Manila; The Peninsula New York; The Peninsula Chicago; The Peninsula
Beverly Hills; The Palace Hotel Beijing; The Kowloon Hotel, Hong Kong; and
the 97-room Quail Lodge Resort and Golf Club, Carmel, California. About
Baylaurel LLC Baylaurel
LLC is the owner of Bernardus Lodge and the Bernardus Winery and Vineyard.
Bernardus Lodge features 57 luxurious suites, the award-winning Marinus
restaurant, a full-service spa, swimming pool and outdoor warming pool,
two tennis courts and a croquet lawn. Bernardus Lodge is the recipient of
Mobil's prestigious Four Star rating for both the Lodge and Marinus and is
a member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World(R). Bernardus Winery and
Vineyard features 210 acres and currently produces several award-winning
varietals, including the flagship Marinus blend, as well as Sauvignon
Blanc and Chardonnay. CLUB
MED CLOSES SIX MORE VILLAGES UNDER SHADOW OF TERRORISM In
the year to the end of October the holiday group made a net loss of 70
million euros from a profit of 59 million euros (62.3 million dollars) in
the previous year, the company said in a statement. The
loss corresponds broadly to the cost of cutbacks although the company said
that the effects of the attacks on September 11 amounted to 23 million
euros. Operating profit was halved to 50 million euros Club
Med said that in 2002 it would close six of its "2-Tridents"
range of villages which were insufficiently profitable. These closures
were in addition to 17 firm or provisional closures already announced for
the winter season. Group
president Philippe Bourguignon said: "The complexity and seriousness
of the crisis affecting the tourism and travel industry, particularly
since the attacks on September 11, have had a big effect on our results in
2001. "They
will have consequences for the winter season in 2001/2002 because
consumers are still delaying decisions." The
board said that all measures taken by the company since September 11 would
generate recurrent annual savings of 30 million to 40 million euros. The
company said that since the terrorist attacks in the United States on
Septemebr 11, consumers had changed their booking habits, reserving late.
Late booking had increased reservations at its European ski resorts by
13.1 percent. But
this meant that the company could not forecast its performance. The
figures for 2001 included an exceptional loss of 71 million euros, of
which 60 million euros was in respect of the closure of villages and
shedding of 243 jobs in response to the effects of the attacks in the
United States. But
overall sales had risen by 5.0 percent to 1.985 billion euros. However
this increase was not enough to meet increased fixed costs arising from
the creation of new holiday facilities in 2001. Operating
profit amounted to 50 million euros from 103 million euros in 2000, owing
to "the negative impact of 23 million euros from the events of
September 11". In 2001 Club Med increased its holiday capacity by 5.8 percent. and the average rate of occupancy was 72.0 percent.
Tourism
to the German capital broke all records in 2000 after reunification and
the German government's move to Berlin. But the city attracted fewer
visitors in 2001, and the local tourism industry is not expecting any vast
increases in 2002. "We
face some hard times ahead," Nerger already warned last October. The
economic slump had already dampened expectations, then came the September
11 terror attacks in the U.S. which abruptly turned the steady stream of
visitors to a trickle. Overseas visitors stayed at home, some trade fairs
scheduled to host up to 2,500 participants were cancelled. Hotels saw
business drop by a heavy 20 per cent. This
was a shock for the German capital that had enjoyed a record year of 10
million overnight stays in 2000 and was hoping for two- figure growth
rates in 2001. The
Reichstag, Brandenburg Gate, Potsdamer Platz and the Jewish Museum had
been visitor magnets. Hoteliers and investors were seeing dollars signs.
The city is building more hotels with congress facilities than anywhere
else. The largest hotel in Europe with 2,500 beds is due to be completed
in 2005. International chains such as Raffles, Marriott, Ritz-Carlton and
Radisson are all investing in new hotels in the city. Berlin
currently offers 63,000 hotel beds, 25,000 of them in high- class
categories. It has 12 five-star hotels, more than any other German city.
By the year 2004 there will be a total of 80,000 hotel beds to be filled.
Yet holiday and congress accommodation is more expensive here than many
other European hotels at an average 103 euros (95 U.S. dollars) per night.
In
spite of the slump, tourism leader Nerger denies there is a crisis. He is
optimistic that business will pick up again by the second half of 2002,
and predicts a modest single figure percent increase in visitors. Berlin
is still the top trade fair location in Germany and can still expect a
steady flow of visitors because it is the seat of government. Nerger
considers it an opportunity rather than a disadvantage for the city that
travel is becoming generally more expensive. "Good value room prices
in Berlin mean that operators will not have to pass on higher prices to
the customer," he said. This might make a visit to Berlin a bargain
compared to other European cities. But
the number of foreign guests is not likely to rise in 2002 because of the
economic situation and the after-effects of the U.S. terror attacks,
Nerger believes. He said this will make domestic tourism all the more
important to Berlin - dpa jbr mb ct
"The
country is now open to tourism for the first time in 23 years,"
Rahman told AFP in an interview. "Many people will be curious to see
it first-hand, especially since it has been on television so much
lately." He
said he expected a tourist influx from Europe, Muslim countries and the
United States "in three or four months". US
citizens, in particular, would be keen to see places like Tora Bora, where
alleged terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden was holed up in December with
his followers, he said. A
heavy bombardment by US warplanes and a ground assault by Afghan forces
eventually sent them fleeing towards year's end, apparently into
neighbouring Pakistan. Bin
Laden is wanted in the US for the September 11 terrorist attacks on New
York and Washington, which killed at least 3,300 people. The
southern city of Kandahar, where Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar --
wanted by the US for given bin Laden shelter -- had lived, will also
become a tourist stop, Rahman added. "Of
course right now I wouldn't send tourists to Kandahar or to Tora Bora but
in some months the situation will be very different." The
minister has a difficult job on his hands. Bin
Laden and Omar are still both on the run, and US warplanes are continuing
their bombing campaigns in some areas of Afghanistan as they attempt to
wipe out fanatical supporters of the two Islamic hardliners. Kandahar
is reported by aid agencies to be extremely unstable, while roads linking
main centres are populated by ruthless bandits. Apart
from the lack of security, most cities have been badly damaged by more
than two decades of fighting linked to the 1979-1989 Soviet invasion of
the country, the subsequent civil war and, since 1996, warfare between
opposition forces and Omar's now-ousted Taliban regime. Infrastructure
barely exists, all centers suffer frequent power outages and the Afghan
version of "luxury hotel" falls far short of international
standards. And
then there's the question of landmines -- all 10 million of them scattered
across the country. Rahman,
of course, is aware of all these problems but believes nevertheless the
authorities can secure some key tourist destinations, such as the capital,
Kabul, the breathtaking Panjshir valley just to the north, the ancient
western city of Herat, and large tracts of the north. He's
also taking steps to find an international partner to help upgrade Kabul's
main hotel, the Intercontinental. "We
will also improve restaurants and the transport system for tourists,"
he said. A
school to train tourist guides is currently being set up and in a few
weeks the first students will start their classes. Even
though many previous tourist sites have been destroyed -- such as the
giant Buddha statues in Bamiyan province which were blown up by the
hardline Taliban -- they remain a curiosity, he said. "Bamiyan
is beautiful with or without the Buddhas," he said. "Afghanistan
offers nature parks, historical sites and wonderful landscapes. "Of
course there are problems, but if peace continues to exist, we will be
able to create a very safe environment for tourists." Travel
agents from Egypt, Spain and Greece had already made inquiries about
marketing the country, he added. Once
commercial flights resume into and out of the country in a few weeks,
foreigners -- led by traders -- would start arriving in droves, he
predicted. "After
that word of mouth will ensure that Afghanistan becomes the new place in
the world to visit." The
current saturation television coverage of the US bombing campaign and the
hunt for Bin Laden and Mullah Omar might not be a deterrent, he said. "It
may be negative publicity right now, but at least it is publicity. For
more than 20 years we were totally ignored by the world." HSMAI
TRAVEL INDUSTRY AWARDS WILL INCLUDE HOTEL PROPERTY SELECTED AS E-MARKETER
OF THE YEAR CHICAGO
(January 2, 2002) - TravelCLICK has developed a new award category and
debuts the E-Marketer of the Year Award in conjunction with the Hotel
Sales & Marketing Association International's (HSMAI) Annual
Travel Industry Awards program. The premiere award will be presented
at the HSMAI Gala Awards Dinner on January 29, 2002. The
winning hotel property will be selected on the basis of their e-marketing
effectiveness as judged by analysis of TravelCLICK's exclusive
Hotelligence database, the industry's information source on the $15
billion electronic marketplace of hotel bookings made via the GDS and the
Internet. In addition, booking performance from the individual
property's Web sites will be analyzed to select a winner. The nominees for
the award include hotels from around the globe. "The
winning hotel will be recognized as a leading-edge adopter of e-marketing
practices," said Bruce W. Mainzer, senior vice president of marketing
for TravelCLICK in announcing this new award. "Thousands of hotels
are proactively using electronic marketing to increase revenues and
profitability, so it is only natural that this award category has been
established." The
E-Marketer of the Year will be announced at the January 29th Annual HSMAI
Travel Industry Awards Night Dinner at the New York Marriott Marquis
honoring the winners of HSMAI's 45th Adrian Advertising awards, 15th
Golden Bell Public Relations awards, and 2nd Golden Click Web
International Awards. HSMAI will also present the 2001 Albert E. Koehl
Award, established in 1975 to recognize individuals who have made
significant contributions to advertising and marketing in the hospitality
industry, and the 2001 Winthrop W. Grice Award, established in 1989 to
recognize individuals who have made significant contributions to public
relations in the hospitality industry. This year's HSMAI Travel Industry Awards contest attracted
more than 1,500 entries from 46 countries and destinations around the
world, with entries judged by teams of experts from all sectors of the
industry. Those attending the awards dinner are a virtual "who's
who" of the hospitality, travel and tourism industry.
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