Travel Technology
Article | May 5, 2023
In recent weeks, call centers have struggled to keep up with consumer complaints about a large number of delayed and canceled flights. As a result, some are turning to automation, specifically an artificial intelligence program based on advanced natural language processing (NLP). In April 2022 alone, the US Department of Transportation received 5,079 complaints about airline service, a more than 320 percent increase from the same month three years prior.
Travel Industry Chasing Task Automation and Personalized Customer Service
Customers cannot reach customer service representatives without struggling, waiting as long as eight hours because of cancelled or delayed flights. This situation makes call centers seek the help of conversational AI solutions that offer task automation and personalized customer service powered by NLP. NLP improves linguistic interpretation skills and response rate.
In contrast to a traditional interactive voice response structure, which walks callers through a series of menus, modern conversational AI solutions immediately ask callers how they can help and quickly get them the right answer.
With the help of an AI-powered solution, call center employees aren’t overwhelmed by lower-level, less complicated queries and can rely on AI to do mundane tasks that consume their time. In addition, customers can help themselves through the automation. Any complex, emotionally-driven conversations are directed to human contact centers automatically.
An Airline Uses Mosaicx to Enhance the Customer Experience
Intrado, a company that provides an artificial program called Mosaicx, helped an airline client decrease its call abandonment rates by 60%. The solution supports 20 languages, so global clients can be handled seamlessly.
AI-powered Call Centers will be Common in the Travel Industry
Businesses are swiftly adopting AI-powered conversational solutions to address the spike in flight cancellations and delays due to pilot shortage, the Great Resignation, and the permanent shift to remote working.
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Hospitality Management
Article | August 28, 2023
Embrace the power of technology and revolutionize your hospitality business! Discover the latest trends in hospitality management software for enhanced efficiency and unforgettable guest experiences.
Staying ahead of the competition requires embracing innovative technologies in the rapidly evolving hospitality industry. Hospitality management software is crucial in streamlining operations, enhancing guest experiences, and boosting efficiency. This article will explore seven trending hospitality management software solutions that are revolutionizing the industry. From property management systems to guest experience platforms, these cutting-edge tools offer a wide range of features and capabilities.
1. TravelNet Solutions
TravelNet Solutions offers exceptional hospitality property management software, Track, which is designed to streamline operations and elevate guest experiences. At the heart of Track is its flagship property management system (PMS), a robust solution that efficiently handles all the back-office requirements, including trust accounting, automation, and housekeeping. What sets Track apart is its best-in-class hospitality customer relationship management (CRM) module. Its integrated system enables guest-related activity to link seamlessly with their record, eliminating the need for module switching or legacy record-keeping methods. Everything is securely stored in the cloud which ensures smooth functionality and accessibility. Additionally, TravelNet Solutions provides Track Pulse Contact Center Software by further enhancing customer interactions.
2. AmTrav
AmTrav provides cutting-edge software for the hospitality industry by revolutionizing traditional business travel solutions. Unlike clunky and frustrating systems, AmTrav is a seamless software and service platform designed to cater to the needs of modern businesses. By focusing on solving current challenges such as meetings and group travel, it offers a comprehensive suite of features. Its connected platform ensures a unified experience through streamlining business travel management. Tailored specifically for hospitality management systems, it optimizes productivity and efficiency, making travel business a breeze. With its commitment to assisting business travelers, AmTrav goes beyond being a mere software SaaS platform.
3. Operto Guest Technologies
Operto'sadvanced travel and hospitality management software enables seamless oversight of operations by consolidating PMS, access, and guest experience solutions into a user-friendly platform. With its innovative technology, one can effortlessly automate housekeeping scheduling and task management operations. By implementing simple and complex scheduling rules, the platform eliminates guesswork and assigns tasks to appropriate personnel. Operto Connect is a comprehensive hospitality operating system that integrates property management tools into a unified platform. From importing and managing guest reservations to controlling intelligent locks, thermostats, and noise monitoring on a per-room basis, Operto streamlines operations. This hospitality management system combines IoT hardware solutions with intuitive software to enhance guest experiences and drive operational efficiencies for property owners and managers alike.
4. Spotnana
Spotnana, a hospitality software, revolutionizes travel management with its comprehensive features. The platform simplifies the complexities of travel management by highlighting global travel policies, traveler health and safety, and robust analytics. Powered by a modern infrastructure, it enables a new generation of travel experiences, providing travelers with a wide range of unbiased options through deep direct NDC integrations with major airlines worldwide. Spotnana's platform ensures unprecedented visibility and control on a global scale, empowering businesses to optimize their travel programs. With dynamic global policies and unrivaled search capabilities, Spotnana's hospitality management tools future-proof the travel program and streamline operations.
5. Deem, Inc.
Deem is a hospitality management system software that caters to the evolving needs of employees and companies alike. Designed to enhance productivity, problem-solving capabilities, and cost control, Deem provides travel managers with a customizable and user-friendly platform to service their travelers efficiently. With a mobile-first approach, its intuitive suite of travel booking and hospitality management tools, led by Etta, enables seamless hotel, air, and car accommodation bookings from any device. Etta's accessibility and user-friendly interface ensure effortless travel planning, updates, itinerary changes, and more, even while on the go. The hotel management software provider's corporate travel booking solution is adopted by global travel management companies and corporate customers due to its unrivaled searches, personalized support, and valuable program insights.
6. ITILITE
A fully integrated travel and expense management solution, ITILITE optimizes spending while ensuring the safety and satisfaction of employees. Founded by experienced corporate travelers who understood the challenges of balancing cost and employee experience, ITILITE identifies the inefficiencies and complexities surrounding business travel. Recognizing the disparity between personal and business travel processes, ITILITE aimed to bring technological advancements to the corporate travel landscape. With unified travel and expense features, the platform drives convenience, control, and savings, empowering organizations worldwide.
7. DIB Travel
DIB Travel simplifies booking and expense management with its travel management software. Say goodbye to endless searches and multiple open tabs. With DIB Travel, booking a hotel, flight, and additional transportation options is done in three minutes. Partnered with renowned platforms like Booking.com and Expedia, DIB Travel provides access to over 1.5 million hotels and a wide selection of flights from major and low-cost airlines. Enjoy the convenience of selecting the preferred options and securing any seat effortlessly. Streamline the payment process with DIB Travel's business travel management software, which consolidates all travel expenses into a single, concise invoice. Additionally, the software offers customizable policies, approval flows, and a personalized expense management service.
In a Nutshell
Integrating advanced hospitality management software holds immense potential to revolutionize the industry. Imagine a world where smart AI-powered systems seamlessly handle all aspects of property management, guest interactions, and operational processes. These futuristic software solutions utilize machine learning algorithms and predictive analytics to anticipate guest preferences, personalize experiences, and optimize resource allocation. Virtual and augmented reality technologies immerse guests in immersive environments, enhancing their stay and creating unforgettable memories.
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Hospitality Management
Article | July 4, 2023
Bleisure travel has taken over the travel industry. It brings together two worlds—business and leisure—to make a work trip enjoyable for employees.
The concept of bleisure is simple. While on a business trip, employees choose to stay back at their own expense to explore the city or region they are visiting, if their company agrees.
According to Stratosjets, 243 million business trips (60%) of 405 million long-distance business trips in the United States are converted into leisure trips every year.
“As businesses are becoming increasingly global, the necessity to travel for business is on the rise. It is estimated that by 2022, companies will be spending a total of $1.7 trillion to send their employees travelling around the world. As business travel grows, so does the ‘bleisure’ trend with more employees taking advantage of business travel and improved travel policies.”
-Spokesman for Amadeus, the travel technology company.
Businesses that support this type of travel are seeing a steady increase in employee satisfaction, and increased productivity in professionals. Bleisure also brings higher revenue for bleisure-ready hoteliers.
How Does Bleisure Benefit Travel Businesses and Employers?
Driving Brand Loyalty
Travel companies and accommodation services can gain the attention of the next generation of travelers who indulge in bleisure. They can employ modern travel technologies to attract millenials and youngsters. Sharing economy services like Airbnb are shaking up the traditional hotel model. Adopting bleisure can make hospitality brands relatable, drive brand loyalty and higher revenue through the high acquisition costs of corporate travelers.
Boosting Employee Productivity
Employees worldwide want to achieve a better work-life balance. 78% of travelers said bleisure travel increased their well-being when they returned to work. (Source: TalentIntelligence). Happy employees translate to a lower attrition rate, fewer medical claims, higher productivity, and less absenteeism, making it a win-win situation for employers.
Combating Talent Shortages
Companies that address the needs of their staff through a flexible bleisure policy are more likely to attract the best and the most talented people. It could be the only offering that could make an employee choose a company over its competitors.
Preparing for Bleisure
To capitalize on the demand for bleisure travel, hoteliers should offer amenities and services such as:
A suitable workplace where business travelers can fulfill their work commitments
Child-care and kid-friendly amenities for travelers who bring their families along
A dedicated concierge service and ready local sightseeing recommendations
Employers offering bleisure to their employees need to do their due diligence. They must offer a comprehensive policy that ensures employee travel safety and is compliant with duty of care legal requirements.
Cutting to the Chase
The bleisure tourism market is estimated to reach a valuation of $497.5 billion in 2022 with sales skyrocketing at an impressive 19.5% CAGR over the assessment period (Source: Future Market Insights). The tourism market is looking at bleisure as an opportunity for growth while recovering from the pandemic. They are investing in direct marketing, sales, discounts, giveaways, events, and other promotional activities to attract bleisure travelers and endorsing bleisure as a way to attain their revenue targets.
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Business Travel
Article | August 10, 2021
It would be an understatement to say that the recent pandemic is ushering in a seismic shift for the travel trade, which suffered a collective gut punch as COVID-19 unrelentingly raged across the globe. New health and safety protocols, crisis management plans and other operational touchpoints are being overhauled to help those in—and dependent upon—the travel industry better pivot and adapt to the unforeseen. For travelers, priorities and sensibilities have also evolved on multiple fronts. For one, various reports extrapolate how privacy has become the new luxury.
In fact, a “Covid Travel Outlook 2021” travel sentiment survey by Indagare found that travelers “feel more comfortable renting a home or private villa for added privacy” and that “more than half of those surveyed said that they are 54 percent more likely to rent a home than they were prior to coronavirus, preferring to ‘Stay at homes not hotels,’ for added security and peace of mind.” Other reports tout the key advantages of private luxury villa accommodations, with privacy and exclusive use entrenched among them.
Amid the surge in category popularity, travelers must also consider ways to aptly vet luxe private villa options amid a burgeoning field. According to an Indagare.com story outlining the benefits of “going private,” proximity is one overarching booking factor noting that “for some travelers, a house close to town or affiliated with a nearby resort or hotel provides the perfect combination of exclusivity and access (to restaurants, coffee shops, fitness classes, etc.). Others prefer staying someplace further removed, opting for a home with fewer amenities or a lavish villa with every convenience under the sun.”
The article also points out another critical aspect that, all too often, is taken for granted: availability. The story cites the reality that “accommodations can fill up months or even a year in advance,” which some more spontaneous wanderers might not expect. Relative to post-pandemic issues, the story further cautions that “this year, with exclusivity at an unprecedented premium and fewer destinations open to international arrivals, early planning is crucial. One reason: Many travelers are opting for longer stays, now that remote work and Zoom classes are ubiquitous, meaning there’s less turnover. For these extended trips—workcations or staycations—having strong WiFi, reliable phone service and separate areas for being productive are key factors when choosing the right rental.”
With this and other public discourse helping spur private villa reservations, I sought to connect with one purveyor in the space that is making due strides: Destinations in Paradise. This boutique agency offers a suite of architectural five-star private villas in four locales: The Big Island and Kauai, Hawaii as well as Los Cabos, Mexico and Mendocino, California. Having personally experienced this company’s brand of haute hospitality on the Big Island, I sought to connect with the founders—David Cohen and Howard Appel—for some clarity on how they’ve apparently adapted so well in the post-pandemic era. Here’s what they had to say.
MK: So, first, let’s talk about the properties, themselves, and also your company at large. What sets Destinations in Paradise apart from other luxury home and private villa purveyors in the various regions where you operate?
Cohen: It's essentially our caliber of white glove service, which is highly personalized and with the very best amenities that can be provided. The company was started because we wanted to have some fun, as Howard and I had been retired a while. We wanted to give people, especially those desiring privacy and security, the kind of high-caliber experience that we would expect. When someone arrives at one of our homes, they're greeted and welcomed with enthusiasm and everything to elevate the experience is there. This includes the best linens, a house full of flowers and arrival gifts. In Mendocino, we leave fresh-baked goods and wine. In Mexico, our guests are greeted with cold towels and margaritas. Plus, any special requests are accommodated. Even when guests depart, we give them a thank you gift for having booked a stay with us. Overall, it’s a very personalized experience. It’s akin to having a member of the family come and stay. You get up early in the morning, make them breakfast and generally make them feel at home … that this is their home for the duration of the visit. The difference is that it's a five-star experience at every touch point.
Appel: We, ourselves, like to travel in luxury and, as we started acquiring the properties, we realized that this is a great opportunity to offer to other people the same kind of treatment we enjoy. It's the way we all would love to be treated. And we think we offer it differently and more special than others. The business sort of just fell into place as bookings escalated and we started to acquire additional properties.
MK: In the luxury travel space, much is said about the importance of personal touches to elevate the experience. So, can you provide an example of things you all do in this regard to go over-and-above for high-end luxury travelers?
Cohen: Here's one interesting example about the Mexican property, for example: It's two acres of the most gorgeous landscaping that you've ever seen. Even though it's in the middle of a desert, we are desalinating seawater using solar power, so the yards and the landscaping and the flowers are all very lush, but still desert-type plants. The interesting thing is that Howard and I have worked together for close to 40 years and, until we actually got into this business, I had no idea that he had this artistic flair. The landscaping at all of the houses is beyond spectacular. My own personal favorite is the Mendocino home, which has the equivalent of an English country garden. You can just go and sit in there and read a book, sitting in the fresh air with beautiful butterflies and bees buzzing around. The Hawaiian property is the same; it’s just gorgeous, perfect Hawaii.
Appel: It's important to note that these homes are indoor-outdoor homes. We want to make sure we carry the luxury on both sides. If you actually do a search of our home in Cabo on Google Earth, you can easily spot it because it's the only significant patch of green anywhere along the east scape. This kind of lush, natural beauty is just one of the many ways that we cater to our guests relative to the luxurious aspects both inside and outside of the homes.
MK: You touched on some of it already, but what are some other special amenities and activities that you offer in, and around, the homes that are available to guests?
Appel: One key aspect is that each home comes with a concierge service. Our guests can partake in any activity in the local surroundings. We try to offer the opportunities within the local community and try to personalize that. In Mexico, it might be premiere deep-sea fishing, surfing and paddle boarding. In Mendocino, we're about 30-minutes from Anderson Valley, so we can arrange for private wine tours. Especially during the recent pandemic, to help our guests have fun but also avoid big crowds was important to us. Of course, the homes in Hawaii and Mexico have beautiful pools, swim-up bars and each property has its own set of unique amenities on-site a like solar-lighted tennis court. In fact, when we travel to Mexico—in the seven or eight times we've been there—I think we've left the property twice. There's no reason to go elsewhere because everything is there with you. Whatever you want to do, whatever the guests would like, we can make it happen.
MK: Speaking of the pandemic, obviously the past year and a half has been tough for the travel industry, so how have the recent health concerns impacted your business with respect to private villa versus hotel, resort or other kinds of accommodations? And, also, the guest experience while actually visiting a property?
Appel: We took COVID very seriously from the beginning and, yes, 2020 was a hard year for us. We lost almost all of our business, but we used that down time as an opportunity to continue to enhance the homes. Even now, when guests come to one of our properties, they're greeted in a manner that best assures their health and safety. We have our house managers maintain their distance and use masks, of course. But, during the guests’ stay, we also make sure we work around their calendars to not intrude on their stay there. We take it very seriously. And, in fact, when a guest leaves, we have a minimum 48 hours between guests so we can properly clean and sanitize the home for the next guest.
MK: Many people often associate private villa experiences more with leisure travel versus business. But I know Destinations in Paradise properties are also utilized in business—especially when there are privacy, exclusivity and health-related preferences. Plus, of course, the properties are also perfectly suited for corporate events, retreats and even utilized as incentives and rewards for employees and business partners. So, tell us about these kinds of corporate benefits.
Cohen: Even though the houses are focused on providing a safe, comfortable environment for families and extended small events, we do also host small, medium and large-scale corporate events at the houses. Whether it's a two-person law firm figuring out how they're going to run their businesses remotely, to a large distillery that wants to try and get their name out for a new product for, say, tequila in Mexico, our homes are an apt venue. Of course, we host weddings and social media is prompting bookings from people like rappers who want a place to chill out and rethink what their next shows or postings are going to be. And we've hosted philanthropic events like releasing baby turtles in the beaches of Mexico to address species endangerment. For that, a university in Mexico held a business meeting at our property, and as a gift we paid and supported their release of 600 hatchlings. Howard has also had some dealings with movie studios that are interested in hosting either corporate get togethers and business strategy meetings. And, in at least two instances that I can recall, they’ve considered using the homes as part of a movie production. I should also mention that each of the homes have the ability to cater for large and small groups. If we bring chefs in, that event never ever needs to leave the property. The house in Mexico, for instance, has two kitchens that are fully capable of catering to as many people as the property can accommodate, which is substantial, but each of the homes have the ability to cater internally and not rely on outside services.
Appel: All the homes offer businesses a unique opportunity to host meetings and events, from the very large as in Mexico, to even Mendocino for smaller gatherings. They’re all unique and offer the privacy, security and comfort that private villa venues offer—all, of course, with our discerning five-star touch.
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