ccra international

CCRA Check-In

November Edition

Greetings and welcome to our November Check In Newsletter.

We are pleased to announce our Travel Agent database has grown to over 22,000 agencies with our number of new portal users growing by more than 2,500 monthly! This means a much wider audience of agents to view your hotel property.

According to the latest quarterly eMonitor from TravelCLICK, a hotel industry consultancy, travel agents remain a leading source of hotel bookings.  For the second quarter of 2007, luxury hotel room nights reserved through travel agents increased 10.8% and surpassed $384 per night in average daily rates.  TravelCLICK reports the average room night rates booked through travel agents for the second quarter of 2007 was 45% higher than the average rate for nights booked via the Internet for the same period.  EMonitor results are compiled from TravelCLICK's proprietary database of hotel distribution data from Amadeus, Galileo, Sabre and Worldspan GDS.

More insights on travel agent booking trends are in this issue of Check-In, via a Q&A from ASTA, and a success story from the Woodfin Suites Hotels.  Also, read about the national travel agencies who've signed on with Reservation Center, the parent company of CCRA. As clients of Reservation Center, these top agencies are granted access to the preferred CCRA Hotel Program for all their agents.  We are proud to team up with some of the best known travel agencies in the country and supply them with the best hotel booking options.

For a preview of exciting marketing opportunities in 2008, read about the 10th Annual Vacation.com Trade Show in June as well as our expanded Travel Agent Reference Guide to be updated by January.   Also in this issue is a report from our recent appearances at the Home Based Show and the IT Group Conference at Sea. We continue to receive positive feedback from agencies who love our hotel inventory!

And on behalf of the entire team at CCRA International, I would like to thank you for your support and friendship throughout the year. We wish you and your loved ones warm wishes for the Holiday Season.

Sincerely,
Mai Meyaart
Vice President and Managing Director, Supplier Strategies
November IATA List   | Updated 2008 GDS Instructions

Rescenter
Reservation Center has provided 24/7call center services to the travel industry for over 33 years. This year marks an exceptional new business growth period, as Reservation Center announces more national clients contracting its after hours travel agency call services. As new travel agency clients to Reservation Center, these agencies’ services and benefits will also include the CCRA hotel program rates – as Reservation Center is the parent company of CCRA International.
 Find out more

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As the preferred hotel program supplier to ASTA, CCRA chose to interview the VP of Communications, Kristina Rundquist. Kristina shared her insights on travel agent booking trends among ASTA's 6,000 members. Find out more

 

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Planning is underway for the 10th Annual Vacation.com Tradeshow and Conference in Las Vegas next June 16th - 19th. CCRA International will once again host its preferred Partner Pavilion at the sure to be sold-out event. Not only does the Vacation.com show traditionally sell-out, but so does our CCRA Partner Pavilion exhibitor space.
Find out more
 
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Summary: Woodfin Suites Hotels has been trying to improve their presence in selected markets that in the past have not been particularly productive. The market they felt they were missing most was the travel agent audience.  According to hotelinteractive.com, travel agents still book 47% of all hotel reservations, and Woodfin Suites’ goal was to target this market.  By using the advertising opportunities available to them as a CCRA partner, Woodfin Suites was able to launch an eMarketing campaign that improved their revenue. Find out more


 
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CCRA International had great success at the exclusive IT Group Annual Conference-at-Sea Oct 29 - Nov 1.  We had the chance to spend a few days getting to know travel agents and agency owners onboard the Celebrity Cruises' Mercury. Find out more

Online Ref Guide
This year CCRA launched the online version of our popular Travel Agent Reference Guide.  Response has been outstanding.  What was a sold-out publication at the beginning of each year, is now our most popular website page, accessed daily by agents while they look and book online. Find out more

Ref Guide
 


CCRA attended the Home Based Travel Agent Show in Atlantic City October 29 – November 1.  The show hosted over 1,200 attendees this year!  During the show’s Tech Forum, CCRA presented to over 800 enthusiastic home based agents on how to earn higher commissions through Net Rates on the CCRAtravel.com hotel booking portal. Find out more
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