Let me be first to say, I am not a fan of fancy new buzz words or acronyms. I have seen my share of those come and go. Most of them add no value. Today, I will explain why I am actually excited about the concept of Total Distribution.

I first heard about Total Distribution by reading Greg Berman’s article here. We have always liked using the term “democratizing travel inventory” but “Total Distribution” makes more sense in the context of the hospitality industry. I recommend for any hotelier to read Greg’s article and I would further like to add to his definition below.

“Total Distribution”, according to Greg, is for hotels to refocus and start selling more than just a room night. Selling a single room at the lowest price works for OTAs because their entire business model is focused on offering the cheapest possible accommodation. Hotels can recapture market share by selling something entirely different than the OTAs on their brand.com site.

Here’s how I’d like to expand on that definition by adding points from the “Third Industrial revolution and the Zero Marginal cost society” talk given by Jeremy Rifkin for Vice. Hotels should also start utilizing low-cost sales channels that massively increases their reach. Hotels should leverage Zero Marginal cost to get their inventory in front of millions more users for next to nothing; all while offering the user a better bespoke deal than the one they get with an OTA. The result would be akin to Uber / Lyft breaking the New York City taxi monopolies apart limb by limb. Or, if you’re a little bit older, it would be like Netflix crushing Blockbuster with an entirely new business model and superior technology.

Our current state of affairs has made travel into a domestic adventure. It’s forcing hotels to rethink everything they’ve ever taken for granted. Now is the PERFECT time to think about what Total Distribution can do for them and how they should apply for best results.

https://wink.travel helps you get started on that journey.