When Expedia Group CEO Mark Okerstrom recently talked to investors about Expedia’s growth potential, he may have revealed a major shift in the OTA’s strategy.
As reported by Stuart Butler from Fuel Hotel Marketing, Okerstrom stated Expedia’s growth potential had peaked in regards to their current travel business, conversion and booking process.
In order to maintain growth, Expedia would need to expand into other areas of the travel business. Okerstrom noted specifically to dive deeper into the guest experience.
And while this may sound like a little side note, let’s remember that Expedia is already heavily invested in hotel operations platform ALICE.
ALICE, a platform to enhance the guest experience through improving hotel operations, solves a lot of problems the typical PMS does not address. It envelopes effective guest communication, service delivery as well as task management, e.g. for preventative maintenance or housekeeping.
Guest experience and customer service are at the hotel’s core. The hotel industry needs to make sure that after losing the distribution battle, customer service remains in the hands of the hotels.