Sometimes it feels like a perpetual state of hysteria exists around the topic of NDC and its implications for corporate programmes.
Last year, 66% of travel managers were concerned about not having access to the airline content they need. In 2025, half don’t believe they are getting access to the hotel content and price they need. So what do they mean by that?
What is content?
Hotel content refers to information and resources related to accommodation bookings within a travel programme. From preferred hotels to negotiated rates, sustainability data, and compliance with travel policies.
It matters because content directly impacts traveller experiences and cost management; improves traveller satisfaction and addresses sustainability by leveraging technology for improved booking and navigation.
To us, content means the right hotel, at the right price in the right location. Proactively sourcing the right content to support the customer’s requirements.
Misunderstanding content
The problem is that content usually means different things to procurement, travel managers and traveller.
To some, content can simply be the number of hotels returned in a search, or the information and images available about a property and its facilities. To others it’s about price point and programme delivery.
For any travel manager unhappy with their hotel content, the first step is to decide what’s missing. Is it the number of hotels returned in a search or the quality of those hotels?
The truth is that whilst travel managers might think they know what they want, they don’t know what they need. 31% admit understanding how a hotel will meet their programme needs is the most challenging stage of sourcing.
What is driving the content debate
Although dynamic hotel pricing has been around since the 2000’s, ever since the pandemic, the escalation by hotel suppliers has made it harder for corporates to control their programme costs.
It is now about balancing a negotiated fixed rate (and when that rate is going to be available) against a dynamic price point offering a bigger discount.
At Clarity, we have taken a hybrid approach with fixed rates in locations with high volume locations where demand can be focussed, with a dynamic price as the contingency option. So, the customer never pays the highest price and always gets a discount.
The market has also become increasingly fragmented in recent years. Disruptors have entered the stage, offering cheap solutions for smaller independent operators to get online distribution.
For TMCs they have brought challenges including duty of care compliance, a lack of Integration with online booking tools and in consistent operating standards.
On the flipside, the opportunities disruptors have also created opportunities for corporates (and themselves) include cost effectiveness compared to hotels; being better suited to long stays and their appeal to a younger workforce’s desire for authentic, flexible, and tech-enabled experiences.
The tech effect
Distribution technology has evolved to enable TMCs to integrate multiple content partners into their tech stacks.
Whilst some TMCs access Expedia or Booking.com, within ClarityGo we have fully integrated Expedia but also have a specialist team dealing with hotel chains, so we can provide a balanced programme depending on the customer's need.
Many are still working out what benefits AI can bring. Yet, despite the hype and scramble to find ways to shoehorn it into travel management, AI can only be as clever as understanding the policy within it.
Role of the TMC
TMC’s responsibility is to ensure customers know what they need, and to meet those needs. To guide the customer in deciding what they want in their hotel programmes.
We give them a realistic price point and tell them how to maximise the value of that programme by consolidating demand into fewer hotels whilst maintaining access to the rooms and explaining why the cheapest price is not always the best because hotels restrict the number of rooms available at that rate.
That’s why the value proposition of any good TMC will always be the knowledge, expertise, and insights into the market.
