Last weekend my wee girl had an accident and I had to take her to the after hours clinic (she’s fine now, don’t worry). As we all know, a visit to the after hours clinic involves a lot of waiting around. But it struck me that it wasn’t the waiting that was the problem, it was the waiting without knowing how long the wait was going to take or what the outcome would be after all that waiting. Was she going to need a cast on her arm, was she going to miss her sleep, what would I get her for lunch?

Waiting for an on-request booking request response from an accommodation operator can be a similar experience. Will my booking be confirmed or declined? Should I wait to hear back before I request somewhere else? In managing Travelbug for the last couple of years, there is one thing that has been a constant thorn in my side. It is the cause of more support requests than anything else and the biggest cause of leakage on our reseller network than any other factor: poorly-managed on-request inventory.

On BookIt (as on Vianet), operators can manage their inventory in a variety of ways. They can be fully realtime and offer instant confirmation inventory managed through a direct link to their PMS, through a channel manager or by using our inventory manager tool. They can also manage their inventory on-request meaning that a traveller making a booking on any of our reseller websites must wait to hear back from the operator to see if their booking is going to be accepted or declined.

If it is accepted then that’s great, but if it gets declined then the traveller is faced with a decision. Do they go back to the website and find another place and try and book again (and possibly go through the same painful process) or do they give up on that website and try something else? Either way, significant damage has been done to their impression of that website and the property concerned.

Let me be clear, I’m not against on-request per se, just poorly-managed on-request. I understand that there are certain high-demand periods where operators may need to take extra care regarding double-bookings, and properties with only a few rooms that want to be distributed widely online may need to protect against that possibility as well.  On-request fills that need and allows a safety net.

Outside those two situations, however, if you are choosing to go on-request on a website then you should be actively managing your inventory and blocking out dates as soon as they become unavailable.  On-request as an availability option should not be treated as a free listing or a set-and-forget way of appearing on websites to drag-net for booking leads. It needs to be updated and managed pro-actively to keep the listing as fresh and accurate as possible.

Here’s four reasons why:

• Your listing is the first experience a traveller has with you. Waiting for a reply for a booking is bad enough, but having a booking declined is even worse. A bad experience in making a reservation means that you are on the back foot already.
• Travellers that have bad experiences spread the word, so declining a booking might not just mean you are unlikely to get that traveller’s booking, you might be unlikely to get their friends’ bookings either.
• A declined booking is lost revenue. Many travellers have flexible dates and if they could clearly see which dates are unavailable, they’ll request the available date. This means you’ll be able to accept the booking and everyone wins.
• The websites don’t like lost revenue or declined bookings either, and will likely have measures in place that will decrease your visibility on their site based on how often you have declined booking requests.

The best way around on this is to offer instant confirmation if you can manage it. Your visibility lifts, you have access to a far wider range of promotional possibilities, you don’t lose bookings and travellers have a great experience right from their first interaction with your property.

If you can’t manage instant confirmation then I’ll leave you with this one thought – don’t leave potential guests in the waiting room wondering if they are going to need a cast. Don’t use the on-request feature as a means of getting a free listing. Give it the attention it deserves and update your inventory as often as you possibly can. Use it as a way to increase your familiarity with managing your inventory online and you may be more comfortable with offering instant confirmation.

We are thrilled to advise that the migration of Travelbug to BookIt is complete. As of 3.15pm on 1st June, the BookIt system is processing all bookings on Travelbug.

Congratulations to Pinewood Lodge who was the first operator to receive a Travelbug booking through BookIt - a Travelbug t-shirt is on its way to you!

There are a few things we need you to know about how "new Travelbug" differs from "old Travelbug". While it is essentially working in exactly the same manner, thereare a few differences that come out of the extra flexibility that the BookIt system enables, so please see below for the answers to our most frequently asked questions.

Thank you for helping us meet our targeted date of 1st June. Please let us knowif there is anything we can do to help you get the best out of the BookIt system.

Kind regards,The Trade Me Travel team
support@bookit.co.nz

• As Travelbug bookings are processed by BookIt, you will receive booking emails and invoices from BookIt. These are formatted differently to the old Vianet emails but have all the information you need. Here's an example of how your booking confirmation/invoice email will appear:
  
  
  
• You can now amend Travelbug bookings within your BookIt account, with extra charges or refunds processed automatically back to the traveller's credit card.
• The minimum cancellation fee on BookIt is $10, rather than the 20% minimum that was applied on Vianet. Please make sure you set your cancellation policies in BookIt on the 'Product setup' page.

• We've added BookIt traveller feedback to Travelbug so there may be some new feedback on your Travelbug listing page.
• Rankings have changed slightly as a result of the switch. Bugrank still applies, however, and offering instant confirmation is still the best way to rank highly in search results. Give us a call if you need help to move to instant confirmation.
• Regions and districts have changed, please check where you appear and make sure you are happy with your region and district. We can't add every little district but we'll do our best to help you out.

• By default, payment for BookIt bookings are made to your nominated account automatically 7 days before arrival, with weekly payment runs on a Thursday evening. If you already have a BookIt listing and have changed your payment terms, your settings will not have changed. You can view payments due on the 'Billing' tab within BookIt.
• If you have lost your BookIt login details go to http://business.bookit.co.nz/pub/PwdRecover.aspx and enter the email address ich this email was sent
• BookIt does not currently offer a text message notification service for booking requests and confirmations.

• We won't switch Vianet off until around the end of September. Funds for forward bookings are secure and will be paid out as normal.
• Please keep updating Vianet for self-retail (if using Vianet within your own site) and other Vianet reseller websites. If you don't want to manage instant confirmation on both systems, please use Vianet for on-request and make BookIt instant confirmation.
• If you use Vianet in your website for direct bookings, you will need to switch to BookIt. The code is available for you to download within your BookIt account so please let us know if you need any help with that.

It's been a while since our last newsletter - since we joined Trade Me, in fact - and we thought it was about time to welcome you to the BookIt network, or welcome you back if you've been around for a while. We'd also like to tell you about some exciting changes to the system and update you on the integration of BookIt into Travelbug.

New BookIt features We've recently added some new features to the site: Inventory manager - allows you to view all products and their rates and inventory on one screen to more easily manage your business. You can use it to copy inventory and prices across and down, manage minimum stays and block out unavailable dates.   Cancellation policies - you can now assign different cancellation policies for different products. This is perfect for non-refundable and fully-flexi products.   Login removal - travellers no longer need to create a login to book. This makes things faster and easier for them, while you benefit from more bookings.

Moving from Vianet to BookIt We're well into the migration of Vianet to BookIt, with all Vianet accounts now mirrored on BookIt and either approved or ready to approve once rates have been loaded. If you haven't already, please log in to BookIt and load rate seasons, rates and inventory ready for when Travelbug switches to BookIt at the start of June. We will switch the Vianet system off for new bookings later this year.

BookIt tips and tricks If you are new to the BookIt system, here are a couple of things you might find useful: Booking notification emails are sent to the "master" user email address, or the reservations user email address if there is one. Please make sure you are happy with the email address loaded in your account. Amendments are a great feature of the BookIt system. Do you have a guest that wants to change their dates of stay or the number of nights? Simply view the booking and use the editing tools at the bottom of the page - refunds or extra charges are made automatically to the traveller's credit card.

Fraud and chargebacks There's no escaping the fact that there are dirty, rotten scoundrels out there who make bookings on other people's credit cards. We get a few chargebacks from people questioning the charges they find on their cards; unfortunately, it is up to you to match the person who checks in with the person who made the booking, and where possible obtain: a signed registration form a copy of their ID If you have this information, we'll be able to provide it to the bank if the charge is questioned by the card holder. If the information is not provided, the chargeback is likely to hit your account.

Moving from Vianet to BookIt While we're part of Trade Me, we're our own little team and we're here to bring you online exposure and bookings. If you have any questions at all, make sure you contact us on 0508 BOOKIT or email support@bookit.co.nz. Thanks for reading this newsletter, we'll be in touch again soon. Regards, The Trade Me Travel team

Trade Me has reached conditional agreement to acquire the business of BookIt Limited.

Dunedin-based BookIt is a leading online software provider for New Zealand tourism operators. The company has been providing booking tools and payment processing services for a network of more than 40 reselling websites and 1700 tourism suppliers for the last five years.

BookIt co-founder, Ian Taylor, explains the sale to Trade Me would bring a level of online expertise and resource that would allow BookIt to realise its full potential.

"We have been looking for a strategic partner for some time who shared our vision in the online booking space. Trade Me was the perfect fit and feedback from our clients has been positive".

BookIt was recently included in the Deloitte Technology Fast 500 for the Asia Pacific region, having experienced very strong growth over the past two years. It has three staff who will continue on in the business as Trade Me employees.

Trade Me’s Head of Travel Alex Fala said the deal would be good for existing customers of both Trade Me and BookIt.

"Users of Travelbug and our reseller network will be able to choose from a deeper selection of accommodation and a broader range of products, including activities like skiing and sightseeing tours. Suppliers to BookIt and Trade Me will benefit from a larger audience.”

Mr Fala said Kiwis are using the internet more to book their travel, and the move made sense. “Trade Me made it easy for people to buy and sell online, and we’re confident that Travelbug will continue to make booking travel in New Zealand easier too.”

The new Trade Me travel team will be working with suppliers and resellers to ensure a smooth integration.

Contact:

Alex Fala Trade Me Ph 021 896 363

About Travelbug

Travelbug, launched in September 2007, is a website offering accommodation booking services with over 2,500 bookable properties across New Zealand. Travellers can book all accommodation types with no booking fee up to 365 days in advance, and then rate their experience to help keep other travellers informed.

BookIt has launched in Australia with top Holiday Rental Accommodation website Stayz.com.au. Holiday seekers are now able to pay directly online through Stayz, and property owners can use the system to simplify the management of their booking payments. 

This new system ensures Stayz meets consumer demand for online transactions and will boost consumer confidence in holiday rental bookings.  
Benefits for property owners include quick and easy collection of funds, the ability to manage their own amendments, cancellations and refunds at the touch of a button, and prominence of the online payment facility.

Kirsty Shaw, General Manager for Stayz, explains.

"We researched a range of different technology options for providing online booking and payments on our website. When selecting BookIt we were confident that we had found not only the right software, but the right team and expertise to deliver the solution."

The site upgrade launched prior to Christmas with immediate success.

"It's great to see guests and property owners embracing the new system to transact." explains Jon Harrison, Product Manager for Stayz.

The team at BookIt are looking forward to other opportunities in the Australian travel space.

"This foothold is a great chance for us to assess the market in Australia." explains director Ryan Baker. "BookIt is working really well for our New Zealand clients, so it is a logical next step to look to offer the service in Australia."

Plans for the next phase of the Stayz project are underway with further releases due to go live in the first quarter of 2010.

About Stayz:

• The number 1 website in Australia for online holiday rentals, with over 20,000 property listings from over 1,400 locations throughout Australia
• Ranked 3rd in Australia for online accommodation
• Visited by over 590,000* unique browsers each month and has over 200,000 subscribers to its fortnightly e-newsletter  (*Source: Neilsen//Netratings, Market Intelligence, total audience average 2009)
• Offers Australian home owners an opportunity to list their rental property online and make the most of their investment.

In this Newsletter:

• BookIt makes Deloitte Technology Fast 500 Asia Pacific
• Tourism Auckland launches BookIt system
• New BookIt suppliers getting great feedback
• BookIt Xmas support information

Click here to read the newsletter...

We are thrilled to announce that BookIt has been ranked on the 2009 Deloitte Technology Fast 500 Asia Pacific - one of the region's most comprehensive and respected rankings of fast-growing technology companies.

The Deloitte Technology Fast 500 Asia Pacific program is now in its eighth year. The program recognizes technology companies that have achieved the fastest rates of annual revenue growth in Asia Pacific during the past three years. It includes companies based in Australia, China, Hong Kong SAR, India, Indonesia, Japan, Macau SAR, Malaysia, Philippines, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.

The awards luncheon was held at the prestigious Intercontinental Hotel in Hong Kong on Thursday, 10 December 2009, and was attended by hundreds of CxO’s and senior management from winning companies across Asia Pacific. Immediately following the awards luncheon was the regional media conference, which was attended by key regional and press/media.

“Making the Deloitte Technology Fast 500 Asia Pacific ranking is a testament to a company’s commitment to technology,” Ian Thatcher, partner in charge of Deloitte’s Technology Fast 500 Asia Pacific program. “With its 150% growth rate over three years, BookIt has proven that its leadership has the vision and determination to grow in difficult conditions.”

BookIt ranks 293rd on the index with growth of 150% percent during this period. It is excellent to also see 51 New Zealand businesses making the index this year, compared to 31 in 2008 and 38 in 2007. Go Kiwi!

To read more, visit the Deloitte Technology Fast 500 Asia Pacific website.

BookIt has been selected to provide the online booking system for Tourism Auckland's website. As New Zealand's largest city and the main gateway to the country, Auckland is the biggest contributor to the New Zealand tourism sector. "We are proud to play our part in providing the best possible online booking experience to this key market." says Andrew Schofield, director of BookIt Ltd.
 
The website leverages BookIt's complete product suite including the last minute booking, cross-selling and dynamic packaging tools.

"As an ongoing part of enhancing our service, the AucklandNZ.com website now offers a complete one-stop shop allowing travellers to book everything from hotels and motels, to rental cars, campervans and local tours and activities." explains Hayden Bairstow, Online Marketing Communicator at Tourism Auckland.

"Phase 1" of the BookIt powered AucklandNZ.com website launched in October with strong early sales and customers making bookings for accommodation, rental cars, bus tours and attractions. Additional features for "Phase 2" are under development. 

BookIt’s accommodation suppliers can now find themselves squarely on the map with the recently re-launched Yellow™ Maps website.

Under a deal announced in May, BookIt provides live feeds of room rates and availability within a new dedicated accommodation search feature on Yellow™ Maps. Visitors to the website are able to search, locate, compare and book from a range of available options.

“The partnership with BookIt is a great fit for us”, explains Campbell Brown, Senior Product Manager for Yellow’s Digital Media team. “Yellow Maps is a key component of our digital strategy and providing accommodation search is a natural progression for this site.  Along with the fundamentals like maps, driving directions, and business listings we needed the best possible solution for accommodation search.  With the BookIt solution we are able to directly access the data that we need and present this on a map specific to the user’s requirements. 

“BookIt’s software also gives us a full, out of the box, online booking engine that we can plug directly into the Yellow Maps website. “

In collaboration with Auckland-based Marker studio, Yellow have now launched an improved version of the Yellow Maps website.

“The move to the new design is a direct response to client feedback.” explains Mr Brown. “Visitors wanted more map space, less clutter and the ability to simply display the map on its own.  This also means that we have far greater space for displaying our key content from partners such as BookIt’s ever expanding accommodation inventory, which is fast becoming a prominent feature on Yellow Maps™. “

“We are also looking at plans to expand the booking technology developed with BookIt into other Yellow™ sites in the not too distant future.”

New Zealand accommodation operators seeking a free listing on the Yellow Maps™ website can register online at www.bookit.co.nz.

The main objective of the E Tourism Conference is to create awareness, educate and update the travel industry with the latest e-travel strategies. This will enable tourism providers to achieve maximum return on their advertising investment and teach them how to do this effectively in the minimum time necessary.

Andrew and I are really looking forward to meeting delegates and fellow exhibitors at the conference. It will be a great chance to catch up and we'll have demos of the booking engine available from our booth. If you are attending the conference and would like to arrange an appointment please contact ryan@bookit.co.nz. Otherwise feel free to play it by ear and come and see us any time that works for you.

For more information on the conference, or to book conference accommodation (powered by BookIt of course!), visit www.etourismnz.com.