NATIONAL REPORT—Technology continues to impact the hospitality industry more every day. Recently, OAG surveyed more than 2,000 travelers in the United States about booking habits; Broadvine partnered with Hotel Effectiveness; and World Cinema partnered with Showtime.
Major Tech Players Loom Large Over the Future of Travel Booking
With the online travel market expected to drive upwards of $693 billion this year, according to Statista, new entrants and competitive disruptions are a formality. But who will emerge as the next key player—and how will they connect with consumers? To find out, OAG surveyed 2,164 U.S. travelers to explore the future of travel booking, technology and payments.
OAG’s survey asked travelers which specific social and consumer platforms they would consider booking with, if given the option. Amazon was the big winner—with 44% of travelers saying they would consider booking travel with the e-commerce giant, if possible. The consideration given to Amazon by travelers is markedly higher when compared to other platforms; the next most viable alternative, based on the travelers surveyed, was Facebook, where just 14% of the population said they would be willing to book—30% less than Amazon.
Payment methods are another variable influencing the future of travel booking. OAG asked travelers which modern payment options they would be willing to use to book and pay for travel and related services: 49% mentioned PayPal as a top contender, followed by Apple Pay (42%) and Google Wallet (22%). Millennials were more than twice as likely to use bitcoin (14% vs. 6% of the general population), and substantially more inclined to use Apple Pay (56% of millennials) and Google Wallet (29% of millennials) to pay for travel purchases.
Broadvine, Hotel Effectiveness Partner to Integrate Labor Management Data
Broadvine has completed a two-way integration with Hotel Effectiveness. This partnership is designed to allow customers to manage and predict labor costs more accurately. Through this integration, hotel management companies using both applications will have detailed visibility into labor costs compared to budget and forecasts.
World Cinema Reveals New Sales Partnership
World Cinema has partnered with Showtime for distribution sales of the Showtime Hotel App, included with the WorldVue Platform. Through the app, hotels are now able to provide free access to the Showtime service—which includes an extensive library of award-winning original series, movies, comedy programming, documentaries and more—on the in-room televisions.