Overbooked: The Exploding Business of Travel and Tourism

The travel and tourism industry is one of the largest and most dynamic industries in the world. In 2019, it generated over $8 trillion in revenue and employed over 330 million people. And it's only expected to grow in the coming years.

Overbooked: The Exploding Business of Travel and Tourism

by Elizabeth Becker

4.3 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	6809 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
X-Ray	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	466 pages

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This growth is being driven by a number of factors, including the rise of the middle class in emerging markets, the increasing popularity of low-cost airlines, and the growing use of online travel agencies.

However, this growth has also led to a number of challenges, including overbooking.

What is Overbooking?

Overbooking is the practice of selling more tickets than there are available seats on a flight or hotel room.

Airlines and hotels overbook because they know that there is always a certain percentage of no-shows. However, when too many people show up for a flight or hotel room, it can lead to long delays, missed flights, and ruined vacations.

The Causes of Overbooking

There are a number of factors that can contribute to overbooking.

• The unpredictable nature of demand. Airlines and hotels cannot always predict how many people will show up for a flight or hotel room. This is especially true during peak travel periods, such as holidays and summer vacations.
• The desire to maximize revenue. Airlines and hotels want to maximize their revenue, and they know that they can do this by overbooking. If they sell more tickets or hotel rooms than there are available seats, they can increase their profits.
• The lack of coordination between airlines and hotels. Sometimes, airlines and hotels overbook because they are not coordinating their schedules. For example, an airline may overbook a flight because it expects a hotel to have rooms available for passengers who are bumped from the flight. However, if the hotel is also overbooked, there may not be any rooms available for the bumped passengers.

The Impact of Overbooking

Overbooking can have a number of negative consequences for travelers.

• Delays. When a flight or hotel room is overbooked, it can lead to delays. This is because the airline or hotel has to find a way to accommodate the extra passengers. This can involve finding a new flight or hotel room for the passengers, or it can involve bumping passengers from the flight or hotel room.
• Missed flights. If a flight is overbooked, there is a chance that you will be bumped from the flight. This can be a major inconvenience, especially if you are on a tight schedule.
• Ruined vacations. If you are bumped from a flight or hotel room, it can ruin your vacation. This is because you may have to spend additional time and money to find a new flight or hotel room. You may also miss out on activities and experiences that you had planned.

What Can Be Done to Address Overbooking?

There are a number of things that can be done to address the problem of overbooking.

• Airlines and hotels can improve their forecasting methods. This will help them to better predict how many people will show up for a flight or hotel room. This will reduce the likelihood of overbooking.
• Airlines and hotels can coordinate their schedules more closely. This will help to ensure that there are enough rooms available for passengers who are bumped from flights.
• Airlines and hotels can offer incentives to passengers who volunteer to be bumped from flights or hotel rooms. This will help to reduce the number of passengers who are involuntarily bumped.
• Governments can regulate overbooking. Governments can pass laws that limit the number of tickets that airlines and hotels can sell for a flight or hotel room. They can also impose fines on airlines and hotels that overbook.

Overbooking is a major issue that can have a negative impact on travelers. However, there are a number of things that can be done to address this problem.

By working together, airlines, hotels, and governments can find a way to reduce overbooking and make travel more enjoyable for everyone.

Overbooked: The Exploding Business of Travel and Tourism

by Elizabeth Becker

4.3 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	6809 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
X-Ray	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	466 pages

FREE