It was a bargain deal. An enthusiastic traveler booked an online hotel reservation for an off season accommodation at a good hotel – all with a good deal of faith and expectation.
He checked into the hotel only to find the place does not have internet connectivity.
“I will fix this issue soon, sir”, the receptionist was adamant.
But sadly, everything else in the hotel was satisfactory, except the hotel’s internet system, which didn’t cooperate with the customer.
This is one of the several glitches travelers can face when enjoying an India vacation package.
That said online hotel reservation system has far more advantages than cons. Hotel booking engines are now the workhorses for the travel industry. With online hotel bookings in India increasing by the day, very soon nearly three-fourths of the bookings at all reputable hotels are expected to be done over the internet.
Why this preference by the travel industry to internet-based reservation system?It is a 24 x 7 service. You do away with staff, office space, telephone lines, and other overheads. The facility allows even 20 – 30 guests to check online reservations at any moment of time.All reservations are instantly recorded and placed in the data base. No manual input is needed.Very cost effective compared to manual operator system.Safeguards brand value.Has worldwide coverage. A website plugged with online hotel booking engine is an advanced marketing tool. The client has global reach in just a couple of clicks.The client can have a plethora of unlimited travel packages at no extra cost.E-commerce businesses are all set to replace traditional dealings. In such a scenario the travel industry will have no other option but to develop websites with the perspective of marketing. Today a website is not just about sharing information – it is a step ahead to add to the company’s bottom line.
As one hotel owner puts it, “The online hotel reservation system has allowed me to do quick monitoring of all booking information on my website. I can find the details of currents sales and collections. I even ask my managers to follow-up with the profiles of frequent travelers”.
With India being wooed as a great tourist destination, foreign visitors to this country are on the lookout for attractive India vacation packages. In such a scenario Indian travel industry cannot afford to lag behind in offering an efficient real-time hotel booking facility.
Booking apart, online reservation system has another significant benefit. The services can market client’s hotel rooms and other accommodation and sell them directly to customers through a growing collection of other reliable websites.
Many online travel providers offer very competitive or zero set up fees for easy plug-in. Booking security is no cause of worry. With internationally accepted SSL technology in place, guests’ personal and payment details are completely secure.
The online hotel reservation system comes with Business to Customers (B2C) and Business to Business (B2B) modules – truly handy for a quick return on investment.