Tourism 'needs to get tech savvy'

Technology and WotIf

Technology is all very well sometimes it can be a negative thing ... take for instance the new trend toward long term accommodation discountors like Wotif
WotIf, I think, are going to destroy the accommodation industry ... or at least take all the profit out of it
We heard of a recent guest who booked months out for an NZ trip through an overseas travel agent and on arriving in Auckland
they found Wot-if and rang up every accommodation provider they were booked with in for their 2 week plus trip and asked if they would match the Wot-if rate they advertised instead of the rate charged by the travel agent .... which in most cases was more than double the Wot-If rate
When one here in nelson said "no we can't do that as you booked through an agent" they said cancel out booking we are going elsewhere where we can get a $325 room for $149 on Wot if
They then phoned their travel agent and told them they would never use them again unless they cancelled their entire accommodation booking and that they would pay the 20 or 30% booking fee ..... and the rest is history
This is where the industry is going unless something is done
Wot-If came along as a last minute discount wholesaler to get rid of excess room stock .... originally only 2 weeks out .... that was OK
then it went to 1 month then now 3 and now they are talking more .....
With the downturn in travel Wot-If has now turned operator against operator and they are just going lower and lower just to get business
it is doing no one any good .... except Wot-If who make 10% + $4 a shot and the travelling public who get cheaper accommodation
You now get top hotel rooms on Aucklands waterfront for $99 including breakfast !!! something is wrong here
we will all be in the poor house soon .....
anyway that is my gripe for the day
anyone like to comment on this ?
yours Tim