Our long-running hospitality technology distribution infographic is a wonderful way to see how the hospitality technology industry is evolving year over year, and in the last few years, we’ve experienced industry-wide change and uncertainty as we forge ahead through the global pandemic. The great news is that many of the businesses we know and admire that were around pre-COVID have braved the storm–you’ll see many familiar logos and brands in this chart. What that tells you is these are trusted tech partners that know the industry and are prepared to grow.
What has changed above anything else is automation. The brands that are embracing this change will lead the way in the coming year. There are a number of exciting companies that are rethinking the way we do tour-operated business, meeting spaces, and more. In this evolution of technology, we’re glad to see the many tech partners are continuing to innovate and using this transformative period for the travel and hospitality worlds to move our industry into the next chapter. We can’t wait to see what lies ahead.
What is the Hospitality Technology Distribution Infographic?
So, what is the chart exactly? The Shiji Hospitality Technology Distribution Infographic serves as a tool to help visualize the current hotel and hospitality technology landscape, how the various providers fit in, and their relationships with the hotel, the guest, and each other. What originally was designed with just the hotel technology industry in mind has come to showcase the entire hospitality technology landscape.
When the Shiji Insights team started researching how to update the chart, we turned to Shiji Distribution Solutions, who have decades of experience in the space, to get a deeper dive into the hospitality technology partners, vendors, and competitors on the market. So this year’s edition is probably the most comprehensive it has ever been. It doesn’t have everything, mostly because everything can’t fit on one chart.
A takeaway: Automation has seen significant growth since our last edition in 2021.
Click below to take a look at the chart, or keep scrolling for our guide that will show you how to read the chart.
VIEW THE FULL INFOGRAPHIC HERE
How to Read The Hospitality Technology Distribution Infographic
The Hospitality Technology Distribution Infographic starts from the hotel at the center and expands outwards towards the guest. The chart is organized following the data flow from the hotel towards the guest via the three distribution groups: Online, Travel Agents & Tour Operators, and Meetings & Events. Each ring moving outwards is a level of hospitality technology that builds on the last to reach the guest.
For example, a Property Management System (PMS) connects to a Channel Manager, which connects to an OTA, which then connects to a search engine for advertising, and finally to the guest.
Below are descriptions of each section of the hospitality technology industry, from the inside moving outwards.
Property Management Systems
Property Management Systems store information and are your main hub for your hotel’s data. Everything from your available rooms, to guest data, and much more.
Hotel Distribution Tools
This section is the software used to get the rates, availability, inventory, images, texts, and more channeled out to the various marketplaces (OTAs, GDS, etc.) which help you sell across all channels.
Aggregation Platforms
Aggregation platforms include common software like Revenue Management Systems and Channel Managers or Central Reservation Systems. They pick up information and put it together for others to use for sales. For example the GDS aggregates rates and hotels so Travel Agents can take the information and use it to sell.
Selling/ Booking Platforms
These are marketplaces or self-service platforms such as OTAs where guests and end-buyers have direct contact and can use it to make a purchase. They are one of the most important sales channels but before the data arrives to them it needs to be structured, have the right rates, and more. A hotel’s website is in this section, too.
Marketing Platforms
Marketing platforms are used to generate demand towards the selling/booking platforms. This is where you can advertise and communicate to prospective guests and bring them in as guests.
Optimizing Tools
Finally, these are the tools you need to analyze your revenue, your market, your hotel and guests’ experience which will help you optimize what you are doing at the start of the workflow in order to make the future reservations better and improve guest experience.
Hospitality Technology in 2022, In Conclusion
The Hospitality Technology Distribution Infographic is more important than ever. Coming out of a crisis, the first thing hotel brands should do is increase distribution which, in turn, increases brand exposure. Now is a great time to ensure your entire distribution stack is solid and ready to go. So take a look at our chart by clicking the link below and use it to inform your own successful distribution strategy.
About Shiji Group
Shiji is a multi-national technology company that provides software solutions and services for enterprise companies in the hospitality, food service, retail and entertainment industries, ranging from hospitality technology platform, hotel management solutions, food and beverage and retail systems, payment gateways, data management, online distribution and more. Founded in 1998 as a network solutions provider for hotels, Shiji today comprises over 5,000 employees in 80+ subsidiaries and brands in over 23 countries, serving more than 91,000 hotels, 200,000 restaurants and 600,000 retail outlets. For more information, visit www.shijigroup.com.
