TRAVEL TECHNOLOGY, INDUSTRY OUTLOOK
Agilysys | September 02, 2022
The UK Business Tech Awards, which celebrate companies that demonstrate an exceptional application of technology to transform and grow businesses in the United Kingdom, has shortlisted hospitality software innovator Agilysys in three award categories for 2022. Judged by an independent panel of leading technology experts, the final winners will be announced at a gala dinner and awards ceremony in London on Thursday, October 20thThe three categories in which Agilysys is on the finalist shortlist are (1) Property Tech of the Year, (2) SaaS Company of the Year and (3) Tech Company of the Year, Medium-Sized Company. With no hospitality-specific category in the awards listing, Agilysys’ position as a finalist in each of these categories underscores the growing importance of hospitality technology within the broader UK technology sector.
“We are proud to represent the importance of hospitality technology in the UK as we share shortlist status with highly-respected technology pioneers from a spectrum of industries.”
-Agilysys Senior Sales Director Matthew Prosser
Prosser continued, Research shows people have elevated expectations as they re-engage with travel. In a study of 12,000 tourists in 12 countries, Expedia found 65 percent of respondents want their next holiday to be the ‘greatest of all trips, with more immersive and meaningful experiences. Delivering on those expectations one guest at a time requires applying technology and data in interesting ways to create guest and staff experiences that are both personal and profitable, Prosser added.
Being the only comprehensive solution provider solely focused on hospitality enables Agilysys to deliver both functional breadth and innovative advancements through the Agilysys Hospitality Cloud. This platform encompasses core property management (PMS), point-of-sale (POS) and Inventory and Procurement (I&P) solutions as well as 28 Experience Enhancer applications that work with core solutions to extend capabilities such as self-service, mobile access, analytics, payment processing, document management, digital dining and multi-amenity (such as golf, spa and other activities) scheduling and management. Core solutions and Experience Enhancers can be combined in Hospitality Solution Studios tailored for different settings. All Hospitality Cloud elements have been meticulously designed to improve guest experiences and loyalty while growing the bottom line.
The company’s recognition as a leading technology pioneer in the hospitality sector comes at a pivotal moment, with travel returning to record levels and hospitality operators in need of data-rich, full-coverage solutions that easily can be configured to deliver individualised experiences based on unique guest profiles.
Noted Prosser, The more deeply operators and management companies understand their guests and staff – both in real-time and over time – the more likely they are to delight them while also operating at healthy margins. This is the central advantage technology innovation delivers in hospitality.
About Agilysys
Agilysys is well known for its long heritage of hospitality-focused technology innovation. The Company delivers modular and integrated software solutions and expertise to businesses seeking to maximize Return on Experience (ROE) through hospitality encounters that are both personal and profitable. Over time, customers achieve High Return Hospitality by consistently delighting guests, retaining staff and growing margins. Customers around the world include: branded and independent hotels; multi-amenity resort properties; casinos; property, hotel and resort management companies; cruise lines; corporate dining providers; higher education campus dining providers; food service management companies; hospitals; lifestyle communities; senior living facilities; stadiums; and theme parks. The Agilysys Hospitality Cloud™ combines core operational systems for property management (PMS), point-of-sale (POS) and Inventory and Procurement (I&P) with Experience Enhancers™ that meaningfully improve interactions for guests and for employees across dimensions such as digital access, mobile convenience, self-service control, personal choice, payment options, service coverage and real-time insights to improve decisions. Core solutions and Experience Enhancers are selectively combined in Hospitality Solution Studios™ tailored to specific hospitality settings and business needs. www.Agilysys.com
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DESTINATION AND TOURISM,INDUSTRY OUTLOOK
Trip.com | November 14, 2022
Booking data from international one-stop travel service provider, Trip.com, shows how transatlantic travel has taken off in the last year.
In the year since the US re-opened its borders to international global travellers, Trip.com has seen a travel boom, when comparing booking stats from October 2021 to October 2022.
US hotel bookings made by British travellers have increased by 382% during the 12 months, while European hotel bookings by US travellers have increased by 111%.
Meanwhile, flight bookings from Europe to the US have increased by 67%, indicating the enduring appeal of the US, despite the pandemic, as well as revived demand for long-haul travel.
"The US has bounced back to resume its place as one of the most popular destinations for UK travellers according to analysis of Trip.com data"
-Andy Washington, Trip.com Group EMEA General Manager
Despite the drop in the value of the pound compared to the US dollar, America continues to attract Brits in large numbers eager to explore North America and reunite with friends and families.
Rich Sun, Trip.com Group General Manager for the Americas, said: "Americans have once again returned to Europe, as evidenced by Trip.com data which shows a 111% surge in European hotel bookings from the US.
European destinations have become attractive for US holidaymakers and business travellers looking to cash-in on favourable exchange rates.
In addition to the jump in flight bookings, the average booking value of flights from Europe to the US has increased by 20% since October 2021.
Regarding routes from Europe to the US, New York was a top-performing destination, with flights from London, Paris, Milan, Madrid, and Barcelona ranked as the top five, and Manchester-New York as the sixth most popular booked flight route between Europe and the US.
Over a third of travellers booking flights from Europe to the US came from the UK (39%), followed by Spain in second place (17%), Italy in third place (14%), followed in fourth place by France (12%) and Germany in fifth (11%).
The most popular US cities for European flyers were New York, followed by Miami, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Orlando.
On average, each month in the last year has seen an 18% rise in Brits booking US hotels.
New York was the most popular city for booking British travellers, followed by Las Vegas in second place, Los Angeles in third, Orlando in fourth and Miami in fifth position.
The average booking value of Americans on European hotels has increased by nearly a quarter (23%) in the last year.
The UK was the most popular European country for hotel and flight bookings by US travellers.
Paris was the most popular European destination for hotel bookings by US travellers, followed by London and Rome.
About Trip.com
Trip.com is an international one-stop travel service provider, available in 20 languages across 27 countries and regions in 31 local currencies and sites. Trip.com has an extensive hotel and flight network consisting of more than 1.2 million hotels and flights from over 480 airlines covering 2,600 airports in 200 countries and regions around the globe. Trip.com's world-class 24/7 multilingual customer service as well as additional centres in Edinburgh, Tokyo and Seoul, help to 'create the best travel experience' for its millions of customers worldwide. To book your next trip, visit trip.com
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TRAVEL TECHNOLOGY
HotelPlanner | November 23, 2022
HotelPlanner, a global travel technology platform and hotel booking engine, announced a new service agreement with Roibos, one of the fastest-growing B2B hotel inventory marketplaces globally. HotelPlanner will deploy Roibos distribution channels to expand its hotel room offerings globally while improving real-time inventory efficiency.
“In today’s complex and fragmented hospitality market, we are always looking to improve efficiency and connectivity in the global marketplace of selling hotel room nights, Parnering with Roibos will help us to offer the best inventory at the best rates – at the speed of now. We look forward to expanding this partnership in the coming years.”
-Bas Lemmens, EMEA President, HotelPlanner.
The direct connection between HotelPlanner and Roibos will help Hotelplanner accelerate the go-to-market on direct contracting, as Roibos is the most cost-efficient way to grow direct hotel contracts. says Anna Igual, Chief Distribution Officer, Roibos. “Accompanying HotelPlanner on its worldwide expansion is the perfect way to expand our reach. It’s a win-win! We look forward to being an integral part of their growth strategy moving forward.
About Roibos
Roibos is a B2B hotel distribution marketplace where hoteliers and travel operators can connect directly, without intermediaries. This new generation platform helps to improve sales, margins, and distribution, while removing inefficient contracting and complex integrations that reduce profit margins on both ends. Roibos has developed an exclusive Technology Platform (100% in house development), eliminating many traditional inefficiencies, and focusing on what is important to our clients.
Roibos vision is to become the most relevant global marketplace for hoteliers and travel operators through reinforcing these three pillars: Innovation, Control and Profitability.
About HotelPlanner
HotelPlanner is a leading travel technology company that combines proprietary artificial intelligence and a 24/7 gig economy-based reservations and customer service network, to quickly and seamlessly serve all traveller hotel & accommodation needs from a single platform.
HotelPlanner is one of the world’s top providers of individual, group and corporate travel bookings, specializing in unique “Closed User Group” discount rates. Founded in 2003, HotelPlanner has enduring partnerships with the world’s largest Online Travel Agencies, well-known hotel chains, individual hotels, online wedding providers, ancillary lodging providers, corporations, sports franchises, universities and government agencies.
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