Accelerator Program
Competing for the top spot
Expedia allows hotels to be featured on the first page of listings at Expedia.com if the hotel company is ranked high in three qualification categories: hotel's offer strength, compensation, and overall quality score. Hoteliers can choose to bid on an Accelerator program on Expedia's website based on their current position on the listings pages as well as the percentage increase in their commission payment. If the bid seems beneficial for the hotel property they can choose to follow through and potentially gain a better position on the website. These competitive bidding programs are becoming increasingly more popular because the competitive environment allows travel websites to increase their own profits while also create potential benefits for the companies they work with.
revenue Management tools
Expedia launched a revenue tool called Rev+, which is designed to help hotel partners gain better insight in market data. The tool is free and does not require the partners to sign up for any services. The tool includes features such as:
- Price Calendar: hotel pricing vs. the market price
- Daily Market Alerts: assessing future demand
- Competitive Price Grid: public market price changes within 24 hours
- Market Demand Score: pricing trends over the next 90 days
App for blind travelersExpedia worked with the National Federation of the Blind in order to ensure that the sites would accommodate for blind travelers online. The company is currently working on improving their text-to-speech applications (screen readers) as well as improved display technology in order to make their offerings on the website more accessible.
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Why invest in this technology?
Travelers with disabilities is a growing part of the industry with estimates that these travelers could spend up to $27 billion on travel if the industry would accommodate their needs more proactively. Websites such as Expedia are benefiting by investing new technology in order to allow blind travelers to access their website which leads to greater profits for the company, improved reputation, as well as an increased competitive advantage within the travel industry.
Personalization and Infrastructure
The future of travel technology seems to be moving in the direction of personalization and infrastructure upgrades. What this entails is customers having the ability to plan their trips through Expedia using their voice and a built in wallet. In addition, the recommendations of the site will become more accurate as the website is capable of becoming more personalized and tailored to the customers individual profile.
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"The next stage will be driven by personalization technologies and the ability for travelers to book travel components that best meet a combination of their location and preferences."
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