How info-communication technologies change hotel room reservation services?

In today context, effective communication is the key. To work is to meet in the communication society. Work can take place anywhere, any time. The communication network becomes the work desk. Therefore, with the help of the modern info-communication techonologies, hotel room reservation services become more convenient and reliable for the user to book their preferred choice of hotels on the internet. Hotels now think ``global``. Competition is on global basis. Hotels have better facilities such as communication systems, networks, computer, internet, knowledge and e-commerce to enhance their businesses. The internet has make international boundary becomes obscure. Everyone can book their hotels from the other side of the world even though that side is actually asleep. Accessibility and reach have made it attractive for hotels to compete in these global markets easily. For example, hotels` important business activities and transaction are computerized using information system and technologies. This provide for far more rapid coordinate responses to customer needs, market knowledge and feedback. The apt description to this process is globalization. This is where people of the world are unified into a single society and function together. Therefore hotels organizations use this opportunity changing the hotel room reservation services into something that the customers can use it easily to book their hotels and as well as earn them a profitable revenues. The rapid change in info-communication technologies has changed the operations of hotel operations rapidly, particularly in room reservation process. For example, customer can access the internet to find the relevant hotels in the country that they are visiting and book it. The rest of the process in being processed by the hotel organization itself. Convenient, efficient network communication systems enable customer instantly book and confirm their reservation. Hotel organization also can get instant feedbacks from customers. Therefore, both parties are in a win-win situation. The web-pages of providers, such as ctrip.com, asia-travel, hotels.com, asiarooms, octopus, zuji.com, expedia, bookings, accomlin and holidayInn.com, are a good example of info-communication technologies that change hotel room reservation services. Now I am going to explain some of those web-pages of providers relating to my analysis and argument.

Introduction (Ctrip.com)

In a nutshell, an online and call-center travel agent, providing airline tickets, hotel accommodations, and packaged tours for travelers within China. It has arrangements with several thousand hotels so that it can sell the rooms directly to travelers. Packaged tours include transportation and accommodation, and can also include local tours.

As China continues to expand economically, travel within the country continues to climb, both from its own citizens and from international visitors. Ctrip provides a convenient means of booking travel within the large country. It serves more than 1.5 million customers and accounts for approximately 3% of all flight bookings in China (with higher penetration in major urban areas).

Analyze

Customer can access the website and sign up for an account before proceeding to book their tour package. This create a customer loyalty to the company and as well as to keep a history of past transaction between the company and the customer. The customer can anytime check the past transaction at home at their own comfort without going down to the company and request for the past transaction. It is time-consuming. The web-page of provider uses two different languages to cater to two different potential customers. Chinese language is use to attract the locals. English language is use to attract the rest of the people in the world. Customer services such as email and phone (skype) are also use to communicate with the customer and understand the customer better. Through info-communication technologies help the company to make business transaction between customer and the company more effective and easier.

Introduction (asisatravel.com)

Welcome to Asiatravel.com, the Leading Pan Asia online hotel and travel reservation service provider which is supported by a network of operation and customer service offices in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, Hong Kong, China, UAE, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Sri Lanka, India and Maldives. Our website has transformed from a niche hotel to a total hotel and travel reservation service provider worldwide.

Analyze

The web-pages provide a wide variety choice of tour package for the customer to choose. Through this, customers actually do not need to go down to the actual office. This help to reduce the time for the customer to travel and the customer can actually take their own sweet time to browse through the tour package that the web-pages provider provide without worrying about the queues. The web-pages also provide reviews and testimonials from other customers to help the customers to come with a satisfied decision. There is also a wide variety of language available to different customers throughout the world.

Introduction (Hotel.com)

Hotels.com is a leading provider of hotel accommodation worldwide, offering reservation services through its own network of localized websites and telephone call centre.Hotels.com gives travelers one of the widest selections of accommodation on the net, including both independent and major chain hotels as well as self-catering in over 120,000 properties worldwide. The company offers a one-stop shopping source for hotel pricing, amenities and availability and also specializes in providing travelers with accommodation during sold-out periods.Hotels.com offers the choice of over 110,000 hotels in more than 60 countries. Our hotel reviews will help you find the best deal in the right location. Whether you are travelling last minute, as a family or need a hotel for business we have the right hotel deal for you. We also have a 24 hour phone line if you would prefer to speak to someone. Don't forget about our Price Match Guarantee to ease your mind with your next booking. Find, compare and book great hotels at great prices all at Hotels.com.

Analyze

This particular web-page uses price match guarantee to attract customer. This is a creative way of using info-communication technologies to uproar their sales. Only through info-communication technologies allow the company to communication directly to the different hotels around the worlds to get the big bargain. They also use SSL encryption technology to ensure customers` bookings are safe and secure. Without the help of info-communication technologies, bookings on internet will never be safe.

Introduction (holidayInn.com)

Holiday Inn is a brand of hotels forming part of the InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG).

Analyze

Info-communication technologies enable those brands of hotels to communicate effectively in order to function purposely. They use web-pages for customers to access and book hotels online. Then they will allocate the customer to their nearest brand of hotels that the customer wanted to visit.

Conclusion

Without info-communication technologies, the world might be in a different stage. At work place, employees cannot function and communicate effectively. Customers cannot enjoy the comfort of using the technologies to have their work done. Therefore, info-communication technologies are important in every aspect of the society, not only the hotel room reservation services.

Reference

http://wiki.fool.com/Ctrip.com_International

http://www.aboutus.org/ASiaTravel.com

http://www.hotels.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holiday_Inn

Done by: sun kolia

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