Actualités

Eurhotec 2001
_____________

The e-commerce revolution: the customer is king!

Arthur Esch, futurologist

To understand how the online buyer fits into the hospitality industry, you need to understand the following elements: connectivity, e-marketing, building lifetime clients and how we use e-commerce.

Technology Projections
w In a couple of years, guests will have moved to cell and wireless phones. Costs are falling rapidly of voice and data transmissions. This will propel even greater Internet growth.
w A million new websites have been created since December 1999. Today, a total of 7 million sites exist.
w In 1999, there were 200 million users globally and there will be 500 million in 2002, representing $3,000 billion in e-commerce in 2002.
w 70% of e-commerce is B2B and 30% is business to consumer. The internet is in its infancy, it will be totally different in 2 years because of changes in speed, much more like TV.
w Today 99% of all connections to the Internet are though PCs. In 5 years they will account for only 50% while the other 50% will be via appliances such as cell phones, telephone consoles, pocket mail systems.
w There will be new form of display screen (for TV and internet) ­ digital displays, split and multi-purpose screens.
w The year 2001 will be heralded as the Digital TV era, when internet will have been fully integrated.
w By 2002 hotels will move to interactive TV as a source of all types of information.
w From 2003 wireless high speed functionality in meeting spaces will be the norm.
w In 2004, high definition displays, in-house networks and wireless phones will be everywhere

Impact on E marketing
While today's websites are still hard do find and navigate, in the future we won't get the customer to come to us, we will reach out to them. The idea of 'audience management' systems will be key to this form of online communication. It starts with data mining, to discover what audience needs are, so we can use it to send a personal message (either text, audio or e-mail dialogue function) that the individual is interested in, and in an entertaining and engaging way. It will be in summarised form and the reader will be able to access multiple levels of detail as required. Then we use feedback to get more targeted. But beware, privacy will be the hottest issue of 2001 (do not 'spam' people with your hotel newspapers.)

The lifetime client relationship
This process is expensive and difficult, but we can use the audience management system concept to get customers to give their preferences. Then we match the profile to the category of user. Our newspaper transaction sidebar will allow them to make reservations so they feel like 'members' of the hotel to whom we provide personalised services. The next step will be going beyond cell phone reservation capacity, to the stage where the system is able to intuitively book the traveller on the next flight ­ when a connecting plane is going to be late. This will elevate the level of service. Disney has made a science of the premise of lifetime relationships. What's important is to be in the game, not sitting on the sidelines.

E-Commerce
There has been a 65% increase in e-commerce from 3 years ago. It has happened because we have empowered the buyer. Although this is happening in the automobile industry, it has not yet started in the hospitality industry. It will happen soon and you need to be ready. It requires understanding how to build community, then the ability to deliver a value product, give customers knowledge that they don't get elsewhere so that they will trust you to match their needs.
In the e-commerce world, hotels will have 'stores', where they market their own products, as well as their travel partners' (airlines, wholesalers, affinity groups). They will use auction models more. Meeting planners will seek tenders (see pcma.org) and fulfil a brokerage role (see officialtravelinfo.com) for meeting planner initiatives.

How to get there
If you want to keep up with the pace of change, you need to attend Eurhotec ­ but also send your managers to 'executive boot camps'. Give them the opportunity to learn about this technology, because it's the fastest, most powerful and least expensive way to do business. As yet, your companies are not structured for e-commerce ­ you need chief knowledge officers, people who can manage content/relationships & alliance opportunities. If you embrace these systems you will see significant productivity gains.


Vos commentaires : cliquez sur le Forum des Blogs des Experts

L'HÔTELLERIE Eurhotec Special Issue 8 February 2001


zzz38
L'Application du journal L'Hôtellerie Restauration
Articles les plus lus...
 1.
 2.
 3.
 4.
 5.
Le journal L'Hôtellerie Restauration

Le magazine L'Hôtellerie Restauration