Transcript Challenges for Tourism in the European Part of the

AGENDA
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Why TOURISMlink?
What is TOURISMlink?
Advantages TL
How will TL work?
Destination Rimini:
setting up the pilot
• Business model
• Fonctionalities for
destination markets
WHY TOURISMlink ?
• Commission wants to increase the use of ICTs
in tourism sector (specially SMEs)
• There is no European wide Tourism industry
online platform linking SMEs in source markets
and destinations (B2B)
Lets create that platform !
Call for tenders published in June 2011
Project presented in September &
awarded in December 2011
Università Commerciale Luigi Bocconi
Scientific support
HOTREC
EU association representing hotels, restaurants
and cafes
ECTAA
EU association of travel agents and tour
operators
Instituto Technologico Hotelero (ITH)
Builder of the platform
ZN.be Communication agency
Additional cooperation
WHAT IS TOURISMlink ?
EU funded initiative
• Create set of European
interoperability standards for
tourism enterprises
• Develop a simple , low-cost and
easy to use online platform
(TOURISMlink) for data sharing
and business transactions
between tourism enterprises
EU funded initiative
• Designed for SMEs and micro
enterprises in tourism sector
• Allow participants to offer a
wider variety of products to
clients including
complementary offer services
(restaurants, museums etc.)
EU funded initiative
• Improve connections of SME’s
to global digital value chain →
to improve their
competitiveness
• Enhance business relationships
between source markets and
destinations → to facilitate
business transactions
EU funded initiative
Linking
professional
tourism actors (B2B)
Tour operators
Accommodations
Integration of
processes
Integration of
processes
PMS, CRS and
Channel Manager
Travel agents
Complementary
offer
More profit and less costs transact in the tourism industry
Advantages of the platform?
Advantages platform
• Industry driven
• Connection to 9 source markets
in 9 ≠ countries
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Europe wide geographical scope
• Opportunity to increase
occupancy; and revenues
(make business)
Advantages platform
• Solve interoperability
problems
• Compatible existing IT
systems
• PMS, Channel Manager, BI
CRS → free until July 2014
(usual market price:
6000/18.000€/year/ hotel)
• Possibility to offer new
products (new niches
market: including variety
of complementary offer)
HOW WILL TOURISMlink WORK ?
Project phases
An almost 3-years project - 5 main phases:
• Market Analysis (completed)
• Design of a B2B Interoperability Framework/platform
for online distribution (Technology)
• Testing platform through 3 pilots - (including Rimini)
• Business model / Governance model
• Others: Final Conference & Communication Strategy
Market analysis / Conclusions:
Amongst the main barriers for tourism SMEs in
adoption of new ICTs are:
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high implementation costs (both economic &
organisational)
•
problems encountered in achieving good
interoperability of ICT systems
•
lack of agreed technical standards for data
representation and exchange
Tecnhology (Interoperability framework)
Interoperability Framework being constructed using the following
interconnecting elements:
• Central reservation system (CRS): data base containing
information on all products available on the platform
• Management system: property management systems (PMS) or
Tourismlink software (room availability; bookings etc.)
• Channel management: immediate and automatic integration and
adaptation of all data
↓
+ taking into account the comments of participating companies
3 Pilots phases - testing platform
Source
Source
Source
Destination
Source
Source
Source
Destination
Source
Source
Destination
Source
Three (3) Pilots, each
including:
•Three (3) source
markets
•One (1) Destination
Planned pilots
Retailers in Czech Republic
Supply side in Valencia
Retailers in Finland
Retailers in Croatia
Retailers in Germany
Retailers in Sweden
Supply side in Croatia
Retailers in Belgium
Retailers in Romania
Supply side in Rimini
Retailers in Portugal
Retailers in Greece
Setting up the pilots
Participating companies pre-selection
requirements
• Be a tourism business & proficient with computers;
• Be a legally registered company;
• Experience with online databases;
• Internet connection (2MBps);
• Experience in the use of extranets to load product / service /
information;
• Use of a management system (PMS) / Reservation system
with external connection – in the case of complementary
offer
Participating companies pre-selection
requirements (cont´d…)
• Systems with online availability and priced
products;
• Connection with B2B channels;
• Follow the usual industry process flows
(availability checks, bookings, confirmations,
etc…)
• Based on OTA (Open Travel Alliance) and XML …
Participating companies: training on TOURISMlink
• Focus on different functionalities/modules of
TOURISMlink
• Objective: general overview of how the platform
works and first level assistance to companies
• Content of training for destinations:
• loading the product;
• creating new products;
• using the inventory manager;
• setting rates and offers;
• different applications of the modules CSR, PMS etc;
• understanding reserves manager,
• Payment and cancellation procedures etc
Pilot implementation.. Starting the pilot..
•
Once the implementation of connectors and interfaces to
allow companies exchange information and carry out
transactions (connect supply and demand) has been done
and
• Online training for participating companies delivered..
Pilot set-up
(Once the
completed)
training
and
technological
adaptations
are
The platform for marketing & tourism
product distribution between companies in
destination and source markets, will be
tested in real time as new products are
created and reservations made, etc.
Accommodation state of play
List of sale channels already available:
Booking
Amadeus
Opentours
Travelmar
Ideal Tours
Dias Libres
Universal places
Logitravel.com
Mucho viaje
Europlayas.es
Eroski Viajes
Sun hotels
Viajes Olympia
Destinia.com
Alturabeds
NT incoming
Quehoteles.com
Iristour Vacances
Viamar Online
On holiday Group
Jolidey
OciHotel
Euroblanca
Ociobooking
Tour 10 Canarias
Skiart
Expedia
Others: Venere…
More in the pipeline!
Functionalities
for
Destination markets
TOURISMLink Architecture
Accommodations
Complementary Offer
Tourismlink
Backoffice
PMS
Technical
integration
Tourismlink
C.Offer
Backoffice
Product Database
B2B
Channels
Connected
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Source
Market agencies
Accommodation back office functionalities
Business intelligence (BI)
•Report system, willanalyze and report data from
sales.
•Pre-defined reports
• Available in the coming months!
property management systems (PMS)
• Property Management
• Tourismlink software
Central Reservation System (CRS)
• Hotel reservation system
• Booking Engine
Channel Manager
• Distribution channel manager
• immediate and automatic integration and adaptation of all
data
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TOURISMlink
back
office
features
includes
a
comprehensive
and
flexible
web-based
Property Management
System that helps to
manage
hotel
operations seamlessly
through its Frontdesk,
Booking
Engine,
Distribution
channel
manager and Data
mining.
Accommodation main Functionality
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• Property Pre-configurator. Management
of various types definition: Room types,
occupancy, Board type and offer types to
commercialize.
• Multi-rate management. Management of
price and sale conditions depending on
customer.
• Availability alarms. Booking notifications in
real time. Avoid fax or e-mail. Immediate
update for inventory, rate offers and
supplements.
• Availability management and minimum
stay. Flexible, intuitive and fast availability
management.
• Coverage of most frequent supplement
and discounts.
• Quick release system and / or change
the inventory system.
• Load multimedia. photos, directions, areas,
GPS location ...
4 Steps to put your hotel on platform/market
Access to
the
platform
• Request to join
TOURISMlink.
• Once credentials have
been provided, you can
access to the platform:
http://hotel.tourismlink.eu
Configurat
ion
Rates
Operative
Set parameters to
configure template from
which will be established
prices and inventory
1. Set Room types
2. Configure
Price/taxes
3. Set Board Types
4. Set Passenger type
5. Set Days of entry
6. Set Inventory
7. Set supplements
and discounts types
8. Set Clients
• Unlimited number of
rate plans
• Rate management
depending on customer.
• Set supplements and
discounts amounts.
• Multi-level inventory
control by room class
and room type
• Rate tester. Availability
request form, showing
the prices that will be
displayed to the end
user.
• Booking notification in
real time.
•Reservations appear on
Booking module screen
as soon as they are
made and the rates and
availability are constantly
synchronized to prevent
double bookings.
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Access to the platform
Booking management. Available
Operations:
• Search bookings
•Cancellations
•Confirmations for on-request
bookings
•See booking detail
Rates, prices
and inventory
management
Posibility to add
new bookings for
clients as it was a
Call center
Add
accomodation
multilanguage
descriptions
Accomodation
configuration: Available
Room type, board types,
etc.
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User
management
1. Request for
participation
with
TOURISMlink.
2. Once
credentials
have been
provided, you
can access to
the platform:
http://hotel.touri
smlink.eu
3. After entering
the
credentials
you can
access to the
home (with
the main
menu)
Hotel configuration
1.
2.
Set Room types available
Add Characteristic to the room
type if needed
These Room types are used to create
Rate/prices at Rate management
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
11.
Configure Price /Taxes
Set Board types available
Passenger types
Displayed sections at rate
management
Stay and check-in dates
restrictions (minimum stay,
maximum stay, exact days)
Inventory
Languages
Supplement configuration. Selection
and configuration of the
supplements that desire to use at
rate management module
12. Clients configuration. Selection of the
clients that would have access to the
product
13. Configure Bookings e-mail
notifications for each accommodation
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Quick
and
easy
configuration of all
room types, board
types,
room
characteristics, hotel
data, and others.
A flexible way to
configure your rates
and
inventory
(values
and
diversities)
according perfectly
to your needs.
Rate configuration detail
Rate
plans
architecture:
Unlimited
number of rate
plans
management
•Price configuration
for the dates applied
to the rate
•Rate tester.
Availability request
form, showing the
prices that will be
displayed to the end
user.
Multi-level inventory
control by room class
and room type
Set supplements
and discounts
amounts
•Definition
of
amounts ( net price
or Retail Price)
•Definition of client
commission
•Definition
of
Payment price
•Definition
of
minimum
stay
restriction
•Cancellation
penalties
Administrative tools
Enables
the
hoteliers to easily
keep
track
of
bookings made at
their hotel/s:
•Booking notification
in real time.
•Reservations appear
on Booking module
screen as soon as
they are made and
the
rates
and
availability
are
constantly
synchronized
to
prevent
double
bookings.
Complementary offer back office functionalities
Business intelligence (BI)
•System report , will analyze and report data from
sales.
•Pre-defined reports
• Available in the coming months!
Complementary management system
Tourismlink software
Central Reservation System (CRS)
• Reservation system
• Booking Engine
Channel Manager
• Distribution channel manager
• immediate and automatic integration and adaptation of all
data
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TOURISMlink
back
office features includes
a comprehensive and
flexible
web-based
complementary
management System
that helps to manage
product
operations
seamlessly through its
Frontdesk,
Booking
Engine,
Distribution
channel manager and
Data mining.
Complementary offer main functionalities
• Multi-rate management. Management
of price and sale conditions depending on
customer.
• Availability alarms. Booking
notifications in real time. Avoid fax or email. Immediate update for inventory,
rate offers and supplements.
• Flexible inventory. Set inventory based
on timetable or free sales.
• Channel manager. Direct channels &
graphic booking engine to allow direct
connectivity.
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4 Steps to put your product on platform/ market
Access to
the
platform
• Request to join
TOURISMlink.
• Once credentials have
been provided, you can
access to the platform:
http://oc.tourismlink.eu
Product is preconfigured by tecnical
team !
No need to modify
Enclosure
/ Tickets
• Set enclosure
description (Optional):
Set localization and type
passengers permitted.
•Set Tickets :
1. Time table
Definition. Days of
the week hours and
duration.
2. Price range
definition.
3. Inventory model
definition
4. Add multi-language
descriptions
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Rates
Operative
• Unlimited number of
rate plans
• Rate management
depending on customer.
• Multi-level inventory
control by timetable
• Rate tester. Availability
request form, showing
the prices that will be
displayed to the end
user.
• Booking notification in
real time.
•Reservations appear on
Booking module screen
as soon as they are
made and the rates and
availability are constantly
synchronized to prevent
double bookings.
Access to the platform
Ticket management.
Available operations:
•Time table Definition.
Days of the week hours
and duration.
•Price range definition.
•Inventory model
definition
•Definition of modalities
Add description
of enclosure
(Optional):
Localization,
clients allowed
Rates, prices
and inventory
management
Product primary
configurations:
•Inventory
configuration,
•Timetable
configuration, etc.
Booking management. Available
Operations:
• Search bookings
•Cancellations
•Confirmations for on-request
bookings
•See booking detail
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1. Request for
participation
with
TOURISMlink.
2. Once
credentials
have been
provided, you
can access to
the platform:
http://oc.tourisml
ink.eu
3. After entering
the
credentials
you can
access to the
home (with
the main
menu)
Ticket configuration
Quick
and
easy
configuration of the
service.
Definition of the
ticket:
localization and
type of
passengers
Definition of the
Modality:
Selection of
passenger types
from the ticket
Multi-media
descriptions of the
ticket
•Timetable
definition
•Price ranges
•Inventory
model
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A flexible way to
configure
your
product: (tiemtable,
inventory
model,
etc.).
Rate configuration detail
Rate
plans
architecture:
Unlimited
number of rate
plans
management
•Price configuration
for the dates applied
to the rate
•Rate tester.
Availability request
form, showing the
prices that will be
displayed to the end
user.
Multi-level inventory
control by room class
and room type
•Definition of rate
modalities
•Definition of client
commission
•Definition
of
timetable
dates
(defined
at
the
ticket)
•Definition
of
cancellation policies
•Duration restrictions
Administrative tools
Enables to easily
keep
track
of
bookings made of
your product/s:
•Booking notification
in real time.
•Reservations appear
on Booking module
screen as soon as
they are made and
the
rates
and
availability
are
constantly
synchronized
to
prevent
double
bookings.
BUSINESS MODEL?
TOURISMlink from 2014
onwards…
Business model
• Free for 50 companies in destinations
• As from end of the project (July 2014), maintenance
fee to be paid
(probably amount between 500/1000€ per year
depending on the dimensions of accommodation)

Hoteliers to inform about values achieved along year →
help partners define right costs after July 2014
• Every hotel will keep its freedom to negotiate
individually its contractual terms with TAs & TOs
Your contribution counts!
Get in contact
Your contribution counts!
Get in contact
THANK YOU!