Hilton Hotels Corporation has reported accelerating growth of sales through its websites.
In 2006 the global hotel giant expects to generate $2.5 billion in revenue online, up from $709 million five years ago.
Bookings through websites have grown by around 30% year on year since, 2002, but third quarter figures for 2006 have revealed that has jumped to 39%, which translates into a 60% increase in revenues and 43% increase in room nights.
Third party online agency reservations account for just 3% of overall bookings for Hilton Hotels Corporation and 15% of its Internet business which represents 17.2% of total business, up from 9.1% in 2002.
President brand performance and development group, Tom Keltner said: “Our brand site bookings have increased at a staggering pace since 2002 and will continue to show compounded increases through the remainder of 2006 and beyond,
“With its acquisition of the lodging assets of Hilton Group plc and a growing international presence, website bookings outside of North America represent the next frontier for significant growth, where we are in the process of implementing our successful online distribution strategy and enhanced features.”
Senior vice president for distribution and brand integration Bala Subramanian added: “The Hilton Family of Hotels has made numerous enhancements to its websites that place more choice and control in the guest’s hands, making it even more convenient for them to find the right hotel accommodations and services at the best value.
“From a business standpoint, these enhancements will enable our company to continue increasing the percentage of website bookings across all of its brands. Already, our Hilton Family of Hotels websites collectively rank among some of the largest revenue-generating commercial/retail sites in the world, excluding those that generate advertising revenue.”