The European e-lodging industry is witnessing the birth of a new breed of websites that market hotels, hostels and vacation rentals on the Net. These e-lodging agencies serve selected niche markets and are operated by specialist hospitality professionals who offer an extensive selection of room inventory, rates and support services to online shoppers.
Europe presently distributes less than 3% of its lodging inventory online. When booking a hotel room via the Internet, consumers have either to visit a string of individual hotel websites or a large online discounter. The former does not enable a visitor to comparison-shop and the latter offers only a limited number of lodgings per destination. Niche e-lodging agencies that focus on offering a good selection of accommodation in a given destination are best able to match consumer needs with room supply.
For many European Hospitality professionals, operating a niche e-lodging agency has proved to be a lucrative business opportunity. Hospitality industry executives, who have strong ties with hotels and resorts in a specific area, are able to obtain a good selection of room inventory from local lodging suppliers. They in turn, offer the room allotments through their websites along with other support features such as maps, local info and travel tips. The lodging agency operators earn a profit mark-up or commission on every room night sold online.
E-lodging agencies that focus on a destination or a consumer segment (apartments in London, youth hostels in Amsterdam, beach rentals in Naples etc.) are extremely popular with Net consumers. By concentrating on specific markets, hospitality executives are better able to manage their inventory and rates. It is also more cost-effective for niche agencies to focus their online marketing strategies than large online travel sites that cover many destinations.
With today's user-friendly browser based software, setting up an e-lodging agency is a breeze. The technological support required to operate an e-lodging agency can be obtained from companies who specialize in developing turnkey solutions for the online lodging industry. These solutions are offered in the form of a service with zero set-up cost. Hence, all that is needed is a PC with an Internet connection to get an online agency off the ground.
As European consumers become more comfortable with the Internet and selective in their purchases, specialized e-lodging agencies are expected to grow in both number and quality of service. For hospitality industry executives who are on the look out for new business opportunities, setting up an e-lodging agency is a lucrative prospect.
About RoomsNet
RoomsNet is a global network of e-lodging reservation specialists. We enable accommodation agents, hospitality professionals, online travel directories, tour operators, hotel reservation call-center agencies and entrepreneurs to setup niche online reservation sites and cater to the growing demands of the online lodging industry.
Uthpala Kumara
uthpala@roomsnet.com
RoomsNet International
www.roomsnet.com