Helping hotels generate revenue via digital channels over nine years: Internet Mogul’s story

With the evolution of digital era travel, hotels and allied services have become cheaper and accessible for consumers. Consumer internet companies like MakeMyTrip, Yatra, Goibibo, Thrillophilia and Holidify among others have disrupted the way we book flight/train tickets, hotel room and experience our holidays.

At the same time, B2B companies like Internet Moguls helps hotels, travel companies and airlines to use seamless technology integration and digital marketing to drive and balance revenues from various channels for these industries.

Founded in 2005 by Avijit Arya, Internet Moguls is a hotel and travel marketing company hired by hotels across the world to drive their digital revenues. “We help hotels and travel companies to find revenues through technology integration, digital marketing and revenue channels which they don't know about. Primarily digital mediums are easier to create revenue than the usual expanding of their sales teams and advertising in print,” says Avijit.

The company imparts nuances of revenue management to startups in the above domains through its operational knowledge of running hotels and travel companies. “We offer search re-marketing neuroscience for web design and reputation management to deliver revenues for hotels,” he adds.

Internet Moguls uses its own ‘digital hospitality’ training classes to train hotels across the region on the nuances of digital marketing. “These educational forums led us to change the mindset of our Indian clients,” says Avijit. Initially, convincing hotels about digital channel was very tough for Avijit but soon hotels realized that while they spend millions to decorate their hotel lobbies, a few thousand dollars can help them get access to clients from across the world.

So far the startup has worked with top notch hotels like the Taj, Hotel Lalit, Radisson, Mapple, Lemon Tree among several others.

Internet Moguls starts working with hotels from the beginning of the financial calendar. “We help them allocate their budgets and ROI planning across revenue channels and then optimize digital channels to drive cheaper cost of guest acquisition for the hotels,” adds Avijit. It uses technology (IBE channel manager and PMS), SEO, SEM, social and reputation management to generate the revenues through a seamless digital plan.

The startup generates its own revenues by sharing profits with hotels and travel companies. “With a keen eye on new revenues and expenses, our main focus has been on educating the industry and facilitating trainings under digital hospitality in India and the UAE,” reveals Avijit.

The company has decided to explore the investor interest and grow beyond India to six regions overseas. “Scalability at this time will come with reliable and true moguls joining the force. Many senior hoteliers and revenue professionals from foreign companies are now joining our network of digital consultants,” adds Avijit.

In India, the startup competes with independent consultants who work with hotels. Globally it competes with giants like Travelclick which was recently acquired for $930 million.

In the future, Internet Moguls will be strengthening its presence in the UAE, South East Asia and increase partner network in Europe and North America to resell the startup’s revenue generating solutions for hotels in their regions.