| Calgary, Alberta, Canada � December 10, 2003 � VIP International Corporation,
a channel marketing provider committed to being the �number one producer
of bookings per client,� today announced it is responding to a recent hospitality
study showing property websites generate 6.25 higher percent average reservation
rates at the lowest cost per reservation, by adding a suite of Website
Services to funnel more business to clients� Internet sites. VIP�s
new Website Services will include site design and Search Engine Optimization
to give properties the ability to book more business over their most profitable
reservation channel, their hotel�s website.
Hotel Websites Drive Higher Rates
| A study of forty leading hotels conducted
from January through October 2003, comparing reservation rates booked through
third-party channels versus property-controlled websites, showed 90 percent
of properties generated rates significantly higher than those from non-property-based
channels. �In the past two years hotels have seen Internet-based
reservations skyrocket,� said Kelly Blake, President of VIP International.
�Our recent booking study of high-volume properties made a strong business
case for hotels becoming more Web-centric. The |
Kelly Blake
President & CEO
VIP International Corporation |
survey reveals that hotel-site rates are often 15 percent above those of
any other electronic channel.� Almost all channels like Expedia,
Orbitz, and consortia provide negotiated rates. Rooms sold through
GDSes are assessed GDS charges and often carry a travel agent fee as well;
together these fees can total 18 percent of the room rate. Because
a property�s website has the potential to bring in the highest rates at
the lowest cost per reservation VIP International is launching a new suite
of Website Services designed to maximize the traffic to clients� booking
sites. VIP is partnering with SECURE-RES, a leading edge Internet
specialist, to provide the most advanced search engine optimization and
website design services to its clients.
For more than two years VIP International has supplied hotels with Book-A-Res,
its website booking engine that allows guests to reserve hotel rooms in
real-time directly on the property�s website. Now, with VIP�s new
Website Services package, it is providing hotels the ability to drive as
much reservation business as possible through their own sites. �A
hotel can expect an effective website marketing program to generate 25
to 30% of its electronic bookings. Given the fact that the hotel�s website
is its least expensive sales channel, the hotel will produce its greatest
profit from these direct sales compared to the alternate channels.
The majority of our current 800 plus hotel clients have seen consistent
growth in sales from their websites. This growth is a direct result
of our enhanced site design, search engine optimization, pay-per-click
advertising and the hotel having the ability to adjust rates and availability
instantly. We look forward to delivering comparable success to the
VIP hotel clients,� said Joe Hyman, President of SECURE-RES. Mr.
Hyman added, �We expect our partnership with VIP to bring a new level of
sales success to their hotel clients.
�VIP International has a responsibility to deliver the highest rates
and greatest reservation reach across all channels for its clients, but
ultimately a property�s website is the only channel they control completely,�
explained VIP President, Kelly Blake. �They decide the rate, the
branding strategy, and how they market amenities. We are giving hotels
the option of making their website the focal point for new reservations.
Our new Website Services package will drive retail-rate reservations to
hotel sites to create brand loyalty and higher rates.�
About SECURE-RES
SECURE-RES (www.secure-res.com)
is an Internet marketing company dedicated to the hospitality industry.
The company�s headquarters are in Jacksonville, Florida with regional offices
in Los Angeles, California, Washington DC, Atlanta, GA and Miami, Florida.
Founded in 1998 SECURE-RES is privately held. Today they provide
their business partners and clients with a complete selection of professional
services; including reservations, marketing services and website design
& hosting. SECURE-RES has grown from an Internet reservation
website to a leading supplier of Internet marketing services and solutions
for the hospitality industry. The company today hosts over 1,400
booking engines for its 800 plus business partners and hotels. Its
customers include luxury resorts like The Del Coronado in San Diego, hotel
management companies such as Hersha Hotels and hundreds of hotels and resorts
in all segments of the industry.
About VIP
 VIP
International (www.vipintcorp.com)
is a channel marketing organization that drives revenue for the hotel and
car rental industries, and regional airlines through a multi-channel reservation
sales center, the adoption of leading-edge technology, and partnerships
with clients to provide ongoing education. Founded in 1979, the now privately
held Calgary, Alberta-based firm pursues a mission of being "the number
one producer of bookings per client." This is accomplished through
mastering the electronic channel marketing environment, developing and
implementing strategies for each client's unique position, and educating
customers about how to optimize participation in the changing electronic
marketplace. The company is a central distribution point to every
viable Internet website, and to all of the major global distribution systems
including Sabre, Galileo, Pegasus, WorldRes, Amadeus, and Worldspan.
Clients include Interstate Hotels and Resorts, Clubhouse Inns and Suites,
Candlewood Suites, Bradford Homesuites, Regal Hotels, Best Rate Car Rental,
E-Z Rent A Car, and Canadian North Airlines. VIP International has
business development offices in Denver, Colorado; Kansas City, Kansas;
Toronto, Ontario; London, United Kingdom; Buenos Aires, Argentina; and
Hong Kong. For more information visit www.vipintcorp.com.
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