Most hotel sales and marketing offices are currently working on their annual revenue projections and expense budgets. The theme of this year does not look to be very different from last year’s budgeting process: Do more…..with less.
Sales departments are being asked to produce more room nights, more average rate and more revenue with either the same budget as last year or in some cases even less.
It forces Hotel Sales and Marketing departments to rethink how they do business. Some are deciding to reduce sales people, teams and offices. Some have put a greater focus on e-commerce. Some are focusing on core accounts only.
Few are deciding to really focus on increasing their sales force or increasing their reach and distribution to other countries.
While most hotel companies are not focused on globalization of their sales force, this is the exact right time to enter new and exciting growing markets. Markets like India, Latin America, China, Korea etc. offer huge revenue growth opportunities.
But entry into new markets is expensive. So it is recommended that international sales office expansion is done in steps. Hotel Sales departments should enter a country with care and with a proven local sales team. The team should be experienced in outbound sales, and have the specific knowledge to sell to leisure or corporate clients.
This can generally be done through a hotel sales and marketing representation company like Connect Worldwide.
