Hotel marketing online has become an important part of the hotel marketing mix, and that importance is growing rapidly on a daily basis. However, that was not always the case. There was actually one point in time where hotel marketing online is not as confident and stalwart. There was one particular weakness that the public was quick to point out — the lack of online distribution.

In an age wherein majority of the consumers are active internet users, the threat that such a risk pose was easy enough to comprehend. So how was this problem resolved? Well, as with any problems that most businesses seemed to be plagued with – the solution is outsourcing.

For a hotel that is still striving for better rankings within the search engines, it needs someone who can efficiently organize the efforts as well as manage all internet related activities. This is where outsourcing will come in handy. Outsourcing will ensure your business will have the best of both worlds. Your business will be able to harvest the benefits that such a powerful marketing tool offers, without sacrificing quality of service (which is deemed vital in the hospitality industry). Outsourcing has indeed paved the way for hotel marketing online to progress without hitch.

But one of the main benefits that hotel business can obtain from hotel marketing online is increased sales and profits. Statistics shows that in 2004 more than 16% of all revenues in the hospitality industry were driven from the Internet. This proves without a doubt that hotel marketing online is indeed altering the traditional distribution spectrum.

Jupiter Research, a company that provides researches, analyses as well as advices to help companies profit from the impact of the Internet and new consumer technologies on their respective business, also agrees that hotel marketing online is well on a road to success. The company also predicts that in two year’s time the profits driven from hotel marketing online alone may very well reach $10 billion.

Several hotels claimed that they are already generating 20% to 30% of their bookings from the Internet. These figures are not that hard to imagine. After all, hundreds of millions of people are active Internet users and according to Nielsen 40 million of them have already bought travel online.

A report made by Keynote Systems, Inc supports that statement. According to Keynote, when it comes to booking hotel accommodations travelers now preferred to do their reservations online instead of going through the hassle of calling a travel agent or wasting money making internationals by contacting hotel reservation lines.

This is especially true in the United States. Americans preferred to make their reservations online, particularly those due to visit European countries. Consumers worldwide had finally recognized the convenience that hotel marketing online offers, regardless of their destination, whether Spain, United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, Belgium or Austria.

The Internet presents an extensive, interactive, rich media as well as a growing distribution market. If a hotel can be easily found on the internet, that means easier business and more profits.