You won't find it in TravelClick's latest flash sales survey announcement -- but most global hoteliers who've tried flash sales would be ready to try them again.
TravelClick was a tad surreptitious about the whole thing.
Instead, in summing up its survey of 900 global hoteliers, TravelClick, which specializes in global distribution system advertising and marketing for hoteliers, says flash sales "received mixed reviews from global hoteliers."
That may be true, to a degree, but it depends on how you define "mixed."
After all, the only finding that TravelClick publicized in its announcement about the readiness of these global hoteliers to try another flash sale after participating in at least one was that "38 percent had found it less successful than they had hoped and do not plan to use again."
In response to an inquiry, though, TravelClick responds that 62% of the global hoteliers in the survey who have tried flash sales would indeed be willing to try another flash sale in the future.
So a majority of the hoteliers in the survey who have tried flash sales were satisfied enough to try one again.
It is clear that TravelClick was rooting for the flash sales detractors, of which there are plenty inside the hotel industry and outside of it, as well.
John Hach, TravelClick senior vice president, global product management, notes that flash sales can drive demand when occupancy is low, but points to the risks.
"However, most flash sales carry a high distribution cost due to steep discount and commission requirements [25%], Hach says. "Hoteliers must remember that using the right tools, at the right time, and developing smart promotions will not only fill immediate occupancy needs but also enable them to build direct relationships with potential customers for the long term."
TravelClick, of course, doesn't help hoteliers run flash sales and they therefore don't align with the company's business.
Its best practices for hoteliers during low-occupancy periods are GDS marketing, retargeting advertising and running promotions on opaque sites such as Priceline and Hotwire, for example.
TravelClick is involved, of course, in most, if not all, of these best practices.
In other findings from the global survey, TravelClick found that 36.9% of hoteliers have not tried a flash sale and don't intend to in 2012, while 23% will try one for the first time this year.
The majority of hoteliers (53.3%) in the survey who have tried flash sales used Groupon, 28.9% partnered with Living Social, 19.3% used Jetsetter, 3.4% dabbled with Bloomspot and 35.2% partnered with others, TravelClick says.
The results from TravelClick's survey of global hoteliers contradict another survey that TravelClick did of hoteliers in Europe, the results of which were released last week.
In that smaller survey of 400 chain and independent properties in continental Europe and the UK, TravelClick found that only 27% of hoteliers would try a flash sale again.
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