TravelMole

Managing the traveller lifecycle with mobile.
TravelMole Guest Comment by Marina Kolesnik and Vasily Malinov, DataArt

Senior executives in charge of travel technology at DataArt share their insight with TravelMole, the 450,000+ global online community for travel and tourism professionals, on developing new revenue channels for hospitality and travel services providers, capitalizing on users’ social networking habits and location-based services, and maintaining customer loyalty.

"Travellers’ initial planning and booking phases present the best opportunity for hospitality companies to interact with customers throughout the entire lifecycle and secure new, incremental revenues. ...The most critical phase in building and maintaining customer loyalty is during the traveller’s stay, where service is an essential component of their experience. By knowing a guest’s favorite drink or newspaper, hospitality companies can greatly enhance and personalize customers’ experiences.
Hospitality companies can also develop various mobile applications, such as allowing reception desks to know when guests are in close proximity to the hotel. This allows the hotel to be prepared for guests to arrive, making them feel more welcome, as well as streamline check in, avoid long lines and reduce wait time.
By connecting with travellers before, during and after a stay, travel and hospitality companies will improve their customer loyalty and revenue generation."

(Original article)