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Feb 03, 2004
A recent survey of 400 retail travel agents from North America, Europe and Asia Pacific indicates that favorable room allotments -
rather than low room rates - often determines which hotel a travel agent will recommend to a client.
According to the survey conducted by the Pelican E-distribution System:
- Agents tend to recommend hotels granting room allotments because they can confirm a client's reservation on the spot,
eliminating the possibility that the client will contact a competing agent during the waiting period.
- Competitive rates are also an important factor in today's travel industry, where room rate and other information is widely available to consumers.
Special rates allow an agent to take a reasonable commission while offering clients a discount from a hotel's published rack rate.
- Up to 70 % of business from wholesalers is generated by retail travel agents.
The survey also indicates that:
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Leisure-market packages are easier to sell if they include amenities such as airport pick-up, breakfast, spa treatments and tours.
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Booking lead times differ greatly according to market segment:
?Leisure travelers 1-12 months
?Business travelers 0-14 days
?Convention and Exhibition 3 - 60 days
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