FOUR industry veterans have come together to launch what they say is the first “low-cost marketing” alliance for hotels, saying they could offer what current hotel marketing organisations do for a fraction of the cost.
Alwin Zecha, founder of Pacific Leisure Group Thailand, is chairman of Ideal. Its three directors are David Paulon, former head of Holiday Inn Asia/Pacific; Terry Francis, chairman of PATA Foundation and travel and tourism consultant; and Sanjeet, owner, Durga Das Publications India.
Zecha told TTG Asia e-Daily there was a gap in representing independent, mid-range hotels as the crop of umbrella marketing bodies largely looked at the upmarket segment and “charge an arm and leg” for their representation.
Ideal charges an annual fee of US$3,000 per property, which Zecha said was an “all-inclusive” fee to market the hotel via the website, newsletter and at key trade shows.
“The other representation companies charge a much higher fee to join and, on top of that, everything else is an extra cost,” he added.
The latest member to join Ideal is Gallery Hotel in Singapore.
– Full report in TTG Asia, October 14 issue
