Direct Booker announces special offers on franchise partnership and vacation rental software for Tourism Renaissance attendees
Interview with Nino Dubretic, CEO at Direct Booker
What was the idea behind your company foundation?
It was the time before OTAs, when local domain was enough to be successful as a property manager so we invested first money in our website and started with Direct Booker brand with thoughts of making direct reservations mainly and doing some small part over the OTAs.
It took a few months until we noticed Booking(dot)com was opening the doors for small properties and all of them were receiving daily reservations so we completely changed our company strategy into the direction of OTAs.
Our Renaissance in Direct Booking context is beginning these days with releasing our new website with approx. 8000 professionally managed units and with all benefits of booking directly with Property Manager.
We know Direct Booker has recently celebrated 10 years, congratulations! What innovations have you carried out during the last decade and what else should we expect from you in the near future?
Thank you.
Technology Innovation
When we started the company all work was done manually without PMS and Channel Manager, and we had a challenge to organize everything with the fact that the reservations were coming fast as well as new properties.
We overcame the operating challenge first with employment and after by renting a technology.
As we saw that technology providers couldn’t follow our development needs we decided to build our own PMS and Channel Manager. That fact is the biggest advantage of our technology, because when you have 8000 units, multiple locations, needs, options and you are developing as they are coming there can’t be any purer development than that.
Expansion innovation
There were also innovations from the expansion perspective. We have tested multiple options like joint venture model, then by opening offices with our own workforce and finally by franchising which proved to us as the best expansion model, because local persons become an owner of the business and you can’t pay that.
Our Franchise business model is not only innovation for ourselves but also for the Vacation Rentals industry as we are pioneers of the Vacation Rental Franchising.
Our Franchise comes with a complete package of “Know How” (all our standards and procedures to the smallest details that guide franchisees through the business), Technology (PMS & Channel
Manager) with customization and reselling options, Brand (which pushes franchisees through the acquisition) and Support (we guide and educate our franchisees on regular basis).
Future
On a daily basis we have technology development and contacts with a lot of interest in franchising & software renting.
As we were always 100% in the operating and development part of a business we didn’t invest time in the presentation on the websites so we had as I always said “Mercedes in a garage” so in Corona we decided to finish that story.
Right now we are finishing and realising new websites for complete business presentation (4 of them) so we are ready for fifth gear of a global expansion.
How do you see the future of OTAs and online booking platforms like yours?
If you didn’t know, Dubrovnik was a very successful republic for almost 5 centuries. The main condition for their success those days was to have good relations with those in power (Venetians or Turks).
Direct Booker had the same strategy from our beginnings by adjusting to OTAs as they have taken the lead. We are not planning to eliminate them but we see an opportunity to grow up to 30% of total bookings as our brand doesn’t have one but multiple locations with not few but many properties and with all benefits of booking directly with the property manager.
You will be speaking at the Tourism Renaissance event and your company will be among the exhibitors, what do you think about your participation at this event? What role do you imagine for Direct Booker in the innovative changes this event will be bringing?
Of course, I’m very proud to be a speaker and for the company to be among the exhibitors.
The story of a small local company becoming a world recognizable brand could be motivating for visitors, especially as this business model is available through the Franchising model to anyone willing to start or upgrade its own vacation rentals business in its own city.
By sharing our experience we are hoping to help attendees in their own “Tourism Renaissance”, and if we manage so, our mission of participating in this event would be completed.
Last but not the least and in the spirit of the “Renaissance” we prepared special offer for the registered Tourism Renaissance attendees in terms of Franchise partnership and in term of renting our software:
- 50% reduction on a Direct Booker franchise entry fee
- 100% reduction on an setup fee for Booker Tools — vacation rental software
Offer is active for all contacts made before 1st of May 2021. Franchise and Software presentations are both free of charge.
What are your predictions for the tourism industry in the next two years?
Travel will continue. You can’t change the need for travel. People have waited enough. They could spend less on travel but the Vacation Rental industry will not suffer so much as maybe some “extras” that you can save during the travel.
From the other hand, Property Managers already recorded losses and it would be very important to have an insensitive and profitable business model because each reservation will be important.
