eBay Travel
Published March 17th, 2006
Hotels and hotel chains have started selling their accommodation packages through eBay. The category “Travel†on eBay Germany has 23,000 listings and according to Cultuzz, eBay Germany has more than 10,000 items listed in the short-term lodging category at any time. A short break is sold every two minutes.
Still compared to overall travel sales figures eBay is only distributing relatively small numbers. But, with a brand and visitor traffic rivalling the Googles and Yahoos of this world and following technological investment from technology partners (there are now systems that link PMS and CRS systems directly into eBay), will hoteliers be soon using eBay as a major distribution channel?
It also seems that it is not just excess inventory that eBay could help sell. At the moment 70-80% of travel products sold on eBay are short break auctions but technology from Cultuzz was on show at ITB which demonstrated that soon “Buy it now” and “Dynamic Packaged products” will be available through this channel.
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