Yapta has launched a second version of its hotel analytics tool TravelAI Hotel, a year after the initial version. The tool complements Yapta's hotel price-tracking solution, RoomIQ. On the updated dashboard, traveler buyers receive actionable recommendations on hotel sourcing, rate types and policy improvements, based on near real-time booking data, on rate availability data and on pricing data from Yapta. On the initial version, travel buyers had to work with data and charts to determine such sourcing and policy directions themselves. The new version will better serve less data savvy buyers, according to Yapta.
The tool recommends the optimal mix of suppliers, including which suppliers to add or remove, in order to achieve hard-dollar savings. It also recommends the most beneficial rate type to negotiate, static or dynamic, based on rate availability data and rates from the bookings of Yapta's more than 8,500 customers, as well as best available rates and contracted rates.
The Travel AI system also anticipates the savings that could be gained should a given travel program implement and enforce certain polices. Travel managers can see, for example, when travelers have upgraded rooms when standard rooms were available and when travelers have not booked contracted rates despite their availability.
Yapta intends to launch a similar tool for air called TravelAI Air in November. It will provide recommendations on the airlines and routes to negotiate during RFPs, will offer insight on the competitiveness of fares against benchmarks and will recommend policy changes that could increase savings.