Real-time information and persistent pursuit of product perfection drive impressive year-on-year hotel bookings growth Madrid, 24 November, 2004…
Real-time information and persistent pursuit of product perfection drive impressive year-on-year hotel bookings growth Madrid, 24 November, 2004: Amadeus, the world`s leading global distribution system and technology provider to the travel industry, today announced its hotel bookings for the year to September 2004 grew 13% compared with the same period last year. The company attributes this to the impressive adoption of its Dynamic Access level of connection which gives travel agencies real-time availability and prices at every stage in the booking process. Currently, 82 hotel companies have signed up to Dynamic Access, representing in excess of 100 hotel brands and nearly 23,000 properties. These properties represent 70% of Amadeus` total hotel bookings.
According to Wibke Haensch, Hotel Operations Manager, EMEA, TQ3 Travel Solutions, Dynamic Access offers seamless data right from the beginning. Dynamic Access data is 100% reliable and that, of course, facilitates and improves the consulting process enormously. The travel consultants tend to shift business to those suppliers who are credible because they ensure up to the moment accuracy of their information.
But this isn`t the only thing Amadeus has been working on. Amadeus recently announced an upgraded Hotels Pricing Display which leads the industry in providing simple, accurate pricing information to busy travel agents. The display, developed in partnership with leading travel agencies, including TQ3 and Carlson Wagonlit, provides a Total Estimated Price which adds all taxes and surcharges to the basic price. Thus travel agents can be confident that their customers will receive no nasty surprises at check-out time; clearly this is key to customer loyalty.
A year ago, almost to the day, Amadeus also announced its Hotels Multimedia initiative, to allow travel agents to see pictures, maps and other visual information concerning the hotels they offer to their clients. This kind of rich content gives travel agents and their clients extra confidence that the hotel they are booking will meet, or exceed, their requirements. Nearly 40,000 properties now have this kind of content available on Amadeus. But for travel agents, bookings are nothing without commissions. In addition, earlier this year, Amadeus announced the world`s first automated hotel commission clearance service which is integrated with GDS and acts on behalf of the travel agent. This ensures that agents get commissions for all those extra hotel bookings they make thanks to multimedia. From the front office, to the back office, Amadeus is improving the travel agent`s booking process.
And it doesn`t stop there. On 21 and 22 September, Amadeus invited 65 of the world`s leading hotel providers to its Executive Briefing Centre in Nice for an open session on product development – expect more great things from Amadeus Hotels.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
