| Journal: TWUK | Section: |
| Title: | Issue Date: 08/05/00 |
| Author: | Page Number: 31 |
| Copyright: Other |
Thistle adopts WAP strategy
Direct-sell market
Report by MOE KAFER
THISTLE Hotels has started using new mobile-phone technology to advertise its properties to the general public in a bid to increase its share of the direct-sell market.Customers with Wireless Application Protocol mobile telephones who can access the Internet can now search for details about Thistle’s 56 properties.
Information that can be accessed includes nearest hotels, directions, the latest special offers, called E-Deals, and business and leisure facilities.
Thistle electronic marketing manager Karen Plumb said that eventually clients will be able to book and pay for their hotels via WAP phones but claimed this wouldn’t mean the end of agent bookings.
“We’re not looking to replace agents, we’re looking to include them,” she said.
“At the moment WAP is only an information service and is most likely to be used by the corporate traveller who is still guided by company booking channels.”
According to Plumb, the information system will make booking hotels easier for agents because it will open up a new channel to get the Thistle message out.
Thistle chief executive Ian Burke said: “We want to be at the forefront of developing new customer services. When the market is ready, we will look to WAP to enable our on-line reservation system so that customers will be able to book and pay for a room direct from their mobile phone.”
The WAPservice is available at: wap.thistlehotels.com.
New technology: Thistle customers with WAP mobiles which are on the Net can access hotel stock