Great point of discussion. I am trying to encourage an “un plugged” experience hence do not offer any electrical entertainment at the moment. I have board games instead. It’s a low key operation and I like to keep it this way at least for the moment. I am thinking of ways to reduce my carbon footprint as well on any decision I take for the guest house. Something that the Gen Z cares about we haven’t been able to tap into through B.com
yet.
From my observations booking.com is great to get visibility. Thats usually where it stands!
The struggle for booking.com and us as owners is, holding the guests to honour the bookings.
Ie: once booked on booking.com (not prepaid), the local guides picks these guests up at the train/bus stations and allures them to another location where they will make a buck on the side. Resulting in booking.com and owners losing business opportunity. We all put money into getting the guests down to the destination but some one else profits from it."
What we must ask as owners of businesses is,
A) What are the guarantees that we get by joining the OTA's? Yes we pay commission when the guests turn up, but when they don't turn up and we have blocked the rooms for the guests, who is responsible for the loss of business?
How can we as owners find a way to ensure that the OTA's provide the owners with the service/accountability we need as a client to the OTAs just as much as we as owners try to accommodate providing services for the OTA's and guests on an ongoing basis.
The opportunity lies where ensuring the guests honour booking.com "bookings". This way booking.com as well as business owners can have a win win situation.
Great point of discussion.
I am trying to encourage an “un plugged” experience hence do not offer any electrical entertainment at the moment. I have board games instead. It’s a low key operation and I like to keep it this way at least for the moment. I am thinking of ways to reduce my carbon footprint as well on any decision I take for the guest house. Something that the Gen Z cares about we haven’t been able to tap into through B.com
yet.
Hi
From my observations booking.com is great to get visibility. Thats usually where it stands!
The struggle for booking.com and us as owners is, holding the guests to honour the bookings.
Ie: once booked on booking.com (not prepaid), the local guides picks these guests up at the train/bus stations and allures them to another location where they will make a buck on the side. Resulting in booking.com and owners losing business opportunity. We all put money into getting the guests down to the destination but some one else profits from it."
What we must ask as owners of businesses is,
A) What are the guarantees that we get by joining the OTA's? Yes we pay commission when the guests turn up, but when they don't turn up and we have blocked the rooms for the guests, who is responsible for the loss of business?
How can we as owners find a way to ensure that the OTA's provide the owners with the service/accountability we need as a client to the OTAs just as much as we as owners try to accommodate providing services for the OTA's and guests on an ongoing basis.
The opportunity lies where ensuring the guests honour booking.com "bookings". This way booking.com as well as business owners can have a win win situation.
Food for thought.
Thanks
Sam