Crunch time approaching for hotel sites

Massive consolidation in the internet accommodation sector is already happening, and is set to increase further according to Wolfgang Kitza, chief executive of online hotels reservations network WorldRes. Speaking to TravelMole at World Travel Market on Wednesday (November 12), Mr Kitza said that “crunch time” was approaching because hotel groups could not afford to keep giving discounted rates to so many diverse channels and because they understood the need to wrest back control of their own inventory. Mr Kitza told TravelMole: “They are not going to continue those deals going forward. There is going to be an inventory crunch and the chains have to do that to get back control.” Mr Kirtza refused to be tied down on the size of the deal announced with Lastminute.com earlier this week. The XML connection gives lastminute access to bookings to most of WorldRes hotel groups including Accor, Hilton International and InterContinental Hotels Group – the investors in joint venture firm WorldRes Europe. While he conceded that Lastminute, along with Opodo,AOL and Yahoo was one of its biggest clients he claimed that no single company accounted for more than 4% of the company’s business. He added: “[Lastminute] could go to 10% or 15% but it takes time.” He claimed that WorldRes was “talking to pretty much all major airlines” about possible future deals involving white label solutions. Nottingham Crown Court last week found Mr Zbigniew Andrew Soltysik guilty for 13 offences of obtaining, and 13 offences of disclosing, personal information contrary to section 55 of the act. The agent also asked for a further 548 offences of unlawful obtaining and or disclosing of personal information to be taken into consideration. Mr Soltysik, from Mapperley, Nottinghamshire removed a database of customer details from his previous employer Quality Travel in Grantham. He then used the database to send marketing material to Quality Travel’s customers when he and his wife set up their own travel agents, New Style Travel. Quality Travel reported the case to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). Commenting on the case today the Information Commissioner, Richard Thomas, said: “I am pleased to see that this case was viewed so seriously that it was committed to the crown court for sentencing. Obtaining and disclosing personal information can have serious consequences and data protection laws protect an individual’s right to personal privacy.” He added: “The result of this prosecution by my office sends out the clear message to those engaged in similar activity that such sharp practice in handling personal information, involving invasion of people’s privacy, will not be tolerated by me, or by the Courts.”