Latin America Hotels Unite to Launch Direct Booking Tools and Website
Photo Caption: A guest room at the Esplendor by Wyndham hotel in Buenos Aires. Source: Wyndham.
Skift Take
Far too many hoteliers in Latin America have failed to embrace the latest tools for marketing their businesses online. A group of Argentine hoteliers aims to bridge this digital divide by pooling resources.
Argentina’s hotel and restaurant federation seeks to level the playing field in online distribution by debuting a homegrown booking website. Federación Empresaria Hotelera Gastronómica de la República Argentina (FEHGRA), has launched ReservAR Alojamiento, which promotes local, licensed establishments — whether they are affiliated with the association or not.
The move comes as Argentina's hotel brands risk becoming collateral damage in the online distribution wars. Companies such as Despegar, Google, Booking.com, Expedia, Kayak, Trivago, Tripadvisor, and Ctrip are making inroads into Latin America.
While consumers begin to embrace online booking, many local travel companies remain behind the times in online sales.
The new project from Argentine hospitality leaders aims to bridge that digital divide. It provides digital management and marketing free to licensed hotels, hostels, resorts, cabins, and vacation rentals.
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