Three Questions For Mark Lister, Chief Digital Officer, Ness SES, London

TMR: As a close observer of digital transformation in travel, what do you make of the lodging industry’s push to offer direct discounts to consumers?

ML:  Hotels are very excited about this stage. They have a very strong sense of their brand and how important that is to their customers. In the age of connected travel, hotels need to see themselves as a key part of the overall travel experience. Right now, the hotel is just one part of that experience. For a four-day business trip to New York, my hotel is a small part of that. But if I’m going with my wife on holiday, it plays a more important part.

TMR:  But aren’t discounts important to travelers?

ML: If they were able to bundle a discount from British Airways, that might help. But a free hotel night every now and then is incremental to me. I’d rather they look at the total related costs of travel to a city. Having a great restaurant and amazing chef in the hotel might be wonderful, but that feels like they’re thinking more about them than me.

They should be helping answer this question: “How can you make my whole trip better?” They’re going to have to experiment and try things. Instead of texting me saying “Here’s a Friday night offer,” maybe they add an attachment linking to their hotel restaurant, with an alternative offer to one of their restaurant partners in the city. I’m looking for a range of thoughtful offers with partners.

TMR: Should agents be concerned that technology enabling direct relationships with lodging companies could remove them from these bookings?

ML: Agents have to go niche. My wife is from Venezuela. There is a small group of Venezuelans in London. When I call our travel agency, they know the ins and outs of travel to South America. There are niche consumer markets like this throughout the world, the equivalent of a social network. When I phone our agency, they know I have five children, and I’ll need to get them to a beach. I know they’ve got the information to make my trip better. There is definitely still room for specialists.

Ness SES is a global software engineering company that works in a number of industries, including lodging and air transport. The company was a core member of the team that launched British Airways’ latest mobile app, integrating it with the company’s website.