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Backpackers embrace SMS technology

Hotel Booking Ray Nolan, CEO and founder of Web Reservations International, discussed how technology will play a major role in the future of youth travel, speaking at the annual Hostelworld.com Conference in the Hilton Hotel Dublin.

Gencentric gencentric success story image When your service is dependent on services such as air flights, which are highly susceptible to delays, making use of SMS can be just the tool to help you avoid wasting unnecessary time waiting for your clientele at airports. Hotelzon hotelzon success story image Hotelzon International is the leading European hotel reservation technology provider. The company is one of the oldest hotel booking agencies in Europe and has a staff of 75 in four countries. key hotel booking solution for corporations and travel industry professionals, such as travel agencies, reservation companies and travel related portals.

Travel Agency Basing his comments on a recent Hostelworld.com survey, Nolan noted that more than 80 percent of youth travelers carry a mobile phone, 86 percent travel with a digital camera and a surprising 21 percent even take a laptop computer on their trips.

8mong many firsts for the group market, the new technology platform enables consumers to do something that other sites haven k allowed to book travel and accommodations for more than five rooms in a single online session. Featuring more than 56, 000 hotels, including 7, time group rates, Groople is primed to become the industry largest automated solution for unmanaged group leisure travel, a market estimated at $18 billion to $24 billion. Under its hosted inventory and commission models, Groople generates group bookings niche by niche for hotels and plans to add air, car, cruise, bus and rail later this year.

Cheap Hotel Recognizing that backpackers are often ahead of the curve when it comes to technology advances, Hostelworld.com anticipated this trend and as a result currently offers short message service (SMS) confirmations to backpackers on the road. Hostelworld.com also helps hostel owners make their sites i-mode compliant so backpackers can book through cell phones and create on-the-go travel guide Podcasts.

"We integrated the use of the customer's email client with our group travel planning and booking tools, providing an easy way to network with other group members, " said Stacy. Each group receives a personalized Web page with hotel options, amenities, and destination information. Taking advantage of Microsoft's .net platform and social networking technology group members can discuss which hotels best suit their needs as well as alternate destination options and desired trip activities.

Flight Booking "Our customers embrace new technologies. When we offer SMS confirmations to a phone and mobile accommodation booking, the take-up is impressive. Most hostels now also offer wireless Internet access. And it's not unusual to see backpackers traveling with laptops," said Nolan in his keynote opening remarks.

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Travel Agent  

Groople (www.groople.com), the leading online group travel booking and planning site, has partnered with Hotel Hotline (www.hotelhotline.com), an online hotel reservation site including the properties HotelHotline.com and HotelsCheap.org. Groople provides Hotel Hotline customers with the ability to search for and book group hotels that are appropriate for their group type. Groople's private label solution offers Hotel Hotline with a customized booking solution that satisfies the needs of their users. "Partnering with Groople gives Hotel Hotline access to dependable group booking technology and professional group travel customer service, " said Mike Stacy, CEO of Groople. "HotelsCheap knows the size and growth of the group market and sees Groople as the best way to tap into that market"

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