Hospitality industry marketing

The U.S. hotel industry, already suffering through a dismal U.S. economy, an airline crisis and record fuel prices, now faces tough negotiations over a major source of its income -- corporate room rates.

Internet service is getting cheaper, not more expensive, and hotels already are shelling out for multiple T1 lines for their own internal use. The cost of providing the service to guests is marginal, and hotels are pocketing the sizable difference between that and what they charge per night for the privilege of a high-speed connection. Travel writer Joe Brancatelli, in his Seat 2B column on Portfolio.com, points out that a decade ago luxury hotels charged a dollar or so for every phone call fr

The U.S. hotel industry, already suffering through a dismal U.S. economy, an airline crisis and record fuel prices, now faces tough negotiations over a major source of its income - corporate room rates. Corporate contracts account for almost 35 percent of the U.S. hotel sector’s revenue, according to lodging industry veteran Bjorn Hanson of New York University. And when annual negotiations over 2009 rates start in September, corporate customers will likely hold a stronger bargaining position

In Travelocity’s annual Forecast Poll (Jan ‘08) travelers responded to questions about how higher costs would impact their vacation plans for the coming year. But, with record-high gas prices, higher airfare, and a slew of unexpected airline fees, Travelocity took a second look. By comparing current travel data to the forecast poll they can show where travelers are sticking to their strategies and where they’ve abandoned them. Forecast Data: Almost half of all respondents indicated recent trav Shared & Reseller Webhosting

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Floor space at the inaugural ITB Asia, 22-24 October in Singapore, has been sold out three months ahead the show. Organizer, Messe Berlin, says that any new exhibitor applications will have to join a waiting list and cannot be guaranteed floor space.

Times change but the need for good ideas does not; technology and social mores merely influence how they look, while innovation remains the immutable constant. Brandweek went out hunting and offers its list of 10 innovative marketing ideas for 2008, along with a list of suggestions from readers.

It may seem counterintuitive with all the news about slumping economies, but business travelers didn’t find many hotel bargains in first six months of 2008, according to a survey by travel management company Hogg Robinson Group. Affiliate Marketing Tools

From food to music to sporting events, 87% of respondents of a recent American Express study indicate that travel involving personal interests will remain the same or increase over the next two years.

With industry data showing continued increases for both average domestic airfare and the average daily rate for hotels, Orbitz for Business unveiled a ranking of the top business travel markets in which these costs have demonstrated price fluctuations. Shared & Reseller Webhosting