Gastrosuisse campaigns for direct bookings
Gastrosuisse, the Swiss restaurant and hotel association, is supporting a Europe-wide campaign to promote direct bookings of hotel rooms. The «Book Direct» campaign is aimed at countering the rise of online platforms such as Booking.com and Expedia.
The European umbrella organization of hotels, restaurants and cafés in Europe (Hotrec) is launching the "Book Direct" campaign on Tuesday (today). Gastrosuisse is supporting the campaign with the aim of drawing the attention of hoteliers and their guests to the advantages of direct bookings, according to the association, which claims to represent 20,000 members, including 3,000 hotels. As early as 2013, every fifth overnight stay was booked via a platform such as Booking.com, HRS or Expedia, according to a survey conducted by the University of Applied Sciences Western Switzerland Valais on behalf of Hotrec last year. Since then, this proportion has continued to increase, as Gastrosuisse Director Remo Fehlmann told the sda news agency. Hotels pay a commission for the bookings they broker. "This has to be charged and budgeted for," explains Fehlmann. This is reflected either in a lower scope of services or higher prices for guests.
Get a room through direct booking
In contrast, direct booking leads to an increase in added value. AndFehlmann points out a number of other advantages: In direct contact with the guest, hoteliers can respond better to requests. Many hoteliers are also more accommodating, as there is more leeway than on a platform, Fehlmann explains. Loyal customers can be rewarded in this way. According to the Gastrosuisse Director, direct bookers may also be able to get hold of rooms that are no longer available on booking platforms. If the contingent for the intermediary platforms is exhausted, it is worth making a call, as hotels often keep a few rooms back. To draw guests' attention to direct bookings, Hotrec provides hoteliers with a campaign logo that can be incorporated into the website, for example. Fehlmann is counting on the hoteliers to implement this quickly. "Even if guests book via online platforms, they often check directly on the hotel's website." The icon can then achieve its effect there.
Travel agencies hardly affected
Swiss travel agencies, on the other hand, are unlikely to be affected by the campaign. In the 2013 survey, bookings of overnight stays via travel agencies and tour operators accounted for less than five percent. Domestic travel agencies also mainly arrange trips abroad. "The fact that some hotel bookings bypass travel agencies is a reality," explains Managing Director Walter Kunz on request. This is particularly the case for individual overnight stays due to their simplicity. When putting together more complex trips, on the other hand, the advice and time saved by the travel professional is worth a lot to customers. (SDA)
