ONLINE DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL MANAGEMENT AND

ONLINE DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL MANAGEMENT AND TECHNOLOGIES IN HOTEL ENTERPRISES
Barış Çıvak
Anadolu University, Faculty of Tourism
Eskişehir, Turkey
and
Murat Emeksiz
Anadolu University, Faculty of Tourism
Eskişehir, Turkey
Abstract
Online travel reservations have started to be a very important subject for hotel enterprises, since the spread of
internet into all areas of daily life. Because today, a majority of travel bookings are booked through online
distribution channels (ODC). This indicates that, it should be managed in a proper online distribution channel for
hotel enterprises. Managing ODC properly with the aid of contemporary technology, will provide a number of
advantages for hotel enterprises. However, the technologies used in the management of ODC is quite new and not
known exactly by hoteliers. The aim of this study is to find out the technologies used to improve the management
of online distribution channels. This paper relies on a case study which happened in a technology consulting
company in Istanbul. The researchers joined as a participant observer to 9-day training program offered by the
technology consulting company. Research questions used in indept interview based on the notes that kept in this
observations. Indept interview were practiced with company’s director of business development and the
company’s demo software were examined. The data obtained from interviews was conducted content analysis with
MaxQDA 12 qualitative data analysis program. According to the result, the technologies used for managing ODC
are channel manager, rate shopper, STR Global reports, online reputation management tool, revenue management
systems and business intelligence applications. Using these technologies provide time savings in ODC
management and oppurtunity to focus on strategies for revenue managers and department of reservations.
Key Words: online distribution channels, technologies, internet, revenue managegement
First Author:
Barış ÇIVAK
Research Assistant, Faculty of Tourism
Contact Information:
Faculty of Tourism,
Tourism Management Department,
Anadolu University, Eskisehir
Yunus Emre Kampus, 26470
Turkey
Tel: +90553 422 2325
Email: [email protected]
Second Author:
Murat Emeksiz
Associate Professor, Faculty of Tourism
Contact Information:
Faculty of Tourism,
Tourism Management Department,
Anadolu University, Eskisehir
Yunus Emre Kampus, 26470
Turkey
Tel: +90 222 335 0580 / 2133
Email: [email protected]