Amateurs cut rates to fill hotel rooms. Pros take more sophisticated approaches, such as coordinating to stimulate demand from the most profitable customers.
Since 2016, Shiji has spent $141 million on acquisitions and investments across 10 tech companies outside of China, according to our review of its financial filings. Yet we still don't grasp the overseas strategy of the hospitality tech group.
Two years in, it appears that consumers didn't just sign up for the loyalty programs to get a discount. Or even if they did, they've also come to realize the additional benefits of booking direct.
The bigger question, however, is whether these campaigns will still work in 2017 and beyond; offering discounted rates can only last for so long. Hotels need to start thinking about how they can ensure this momentum continues in the long run without having to use discounted rates.