This simpler path is enabled by Expedia Group’s new Autonomous Onboarding, according to the release.
With Autonomous Onboarding, properties can go to their existing connectivity software, select Expedia Group as a distribution channel, review and accept their agreement, and connect, the release said.
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After that, Expedia Group’s technology reaches into the property’s connectivity software to transfer the data needed to set up the hotel, Expedia Group validates the data and the property goes live in less than 24 hours, per the release.
Once live, properties can reach travelers through Expedia Group’s consumer brands, which include Expedia, Hotels.com and Vrbo; its B2B distribution network, which includes 75,000 partners and 200,000 travel advisors; and its emerging artificial intelligence-powered travel partnerships, according to the release.
“Adding a new source of demand should not add a new layer of work,” Chris Hodges, vice president of global connectivity and partner solutions at Expedia Group, said in the release. “Autonomous Onboarding makes it much easier for properties to join Expedia Group through the technology they already use.”
PYMNTS reported in August that during Expedia Group’s second quarter earnings call, executives argued that the company’s strategy of pairing artificial intelligence investments with a fast-growing B2B business is giving it multiple engines for growth.
Expedia Group said in a June press release that it was embarking on a journey to reduce friction in the day-to-day operations of hotels. The company said this initiative, dubbed “Autonomous Distribution,” would be implemented in three phases. The phases include Autonomous Onboarding, Autonomous Management that will use software to streamline day-to-day operations and Autonomous Optimization that will provide promotional levers and expanded distribution to improve hotels’ performance.
In the Tuesday press release, Hodges said that the newly launched Autonomous Onboarding “is an important first step in our broader vision for Autonomous Distribution, where partners can spend less time on manual processes and more time growing their businesses.