WORLDHOTELS reports successes
(Hong Kong, 19 November 2009) – One of the world’s leading groups of independent hotels, WORLDHOTELS, is proud to report the results of several successful initiatives which have helped the company to combat the economic downturn this year.
Over the past year, the group had followed its “IMPACT 2009” strategy, which included successful incentive schemes for MICE agents and corporate clients, the launch of a new booking engine and e-marketing department, as well as a new training initiative. Consequently, its revenue and market share have grown across a number of markets, business segments and channels.
One of WORLDHOTELS’ most effective measures that it has undertaken this year has been the increased focus on its online business with the creation of its new e-marketing department, as well as the launch of its new online booking engine, WORLDHOTELS.resmaster. As a consequence, production generated through the website worldhotels.com grew by 33%, while production generated through the company’s booking engine has increased by 32% over the past year.
In addition, the group was able to strengthen its partnerships with online travel agencies and internet distribution partners, whose bookings with WORLDHOTELS have effectively increased by 6% in the last year. The increased efforts in the online sector are already showing some significant results: while the majority of WORLDHOTELS’s business still comes through GDSs, the share of the internet distribution systems in the business mix of the company has increased from 23% in 2008 to 32% this year.
In October 2009, the number of reservations for WORLDHOTELS affiliate properties surpassed the figures of 2008 for the third month in a row, whilst room nights exceeded the previous year for the second month in a row.
Roland Jegge, Vice President for WORLDHOTELS Asia Pacific commented “Faced with a global economic slowdown this year, we decided to take the initiative and expand rather than wait for change. WORLDHOTELS therefore targeted all of its business segments with a vertical approach and tailor made strategies in order to generate revenue growth. This has proved to be the right strategy for our affiliate hotels and we have, in fact, been able to add 46 new affiliates to our portfolio so far this year. We’re now looking forward to a healthy 2010, when we’ll plan to introduce a new set of initiatives and programmes designed to drive business forward for the group, as well as our hotels and partners.”
In 2010, WORLDHOTELS will, for example, continue its innovative training initiative for its affiliate hotels which was launched in 2009. Under this programme, called Unlimited Training, hotels can send an unlimited number of staff to all of the trainings offered by WORLDHOTELS.academy for a one-off nominal fee. In 2010, the academy will offer over 300 training courses in over 40 international destinations.
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