Continued Growth for FastBooking in 2006

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. October 14, 2008

FEBRUARY 20, 2007. FastBooking, the internet hotel booking expert, has shown outstanding results for 2006. The company has announced a 67% rise in business volume, representing over 200 million euros. The positive trend shown in the first six months was borne out in the second half of the year. Overall, FastBooking and its range of different solutions will have generated a business volume of 203 million euros, 67% more than in 2005.

The number of overnight bookings made through the FastBooking system showed a similar upturn, to reach 1 550 000 (as against 920 000 in 2005). This growth is far above the e-tourism market average and is illustrated not only in the bookings generated on the hotel websites but in those stemming from the FastBooking distribution programs.

'Our core mission is to help hoteliers develop their internet sales' says Thierry Lamblin, CEO and co-founder of FastBooking, adding that 'in 2006 each client hotel generated on average a 40% increase in business compared to 2005.' A remarkable achievement, upheld by the work of an e-consulting team with proven experience in the techniques of internet sales optimisation, who advise the hoteliers on a daily basis on all aspects of their strategy. 'Providing a service to hoteliers has always been our number one priority' continues Thierry Lamblin. 'This is why we have significantly reinforced the staff in our Paris headquarters and opened offices abroad, where our clients are located.' Today FastBooking has almost 100 staff members, with subsidiaries in Italy, Asia, New York and Canada and a development platform in India. Thierry Lamblin

3200 client hotels - the rise continues

FastBooking broke its record in 2006, with 3200 clients now using the FastBooking solutions, including of course the company's groundbreaking on-line booking tool, FastBooking Engine. Among its new customers feature the prestigious Hotel Fouquets Barri`ere* *|*L on the Champs Elys'ees, Paris, and the Jiva Hill Park Hotel* *|*L in Geneva, to name but two. 'FastBooking offers not only the paramount technical skills required in today's market but real expertise in the hotel sector. And it is this that enables us to meet the demands of such highly prestigious establishments, whose main priority is to find a partner capable of providing a level of service to internet users to match their quality image' explains Thierry Lamblin.

Clients give new products their full approval

The hoteliers also appreciate the company's unfailing determination to adapt to market trends and provide concrete answers to their questions. This was shown once again in 2006 with FastBooking investing in the takeover of a company in India comprising 40 developers, in order to fine-tune its service offer with two new products, both of which have been hailed as a success by its hoteliers: FastBooking Checker and FastBooking Updater. The first enables the hotelier to operate automated competitive rate monitoring, thereby ensuring the objective competitiveness of his hotel. The other makes it possible to update rates and availability simultaneously on the main distribution sites and thereby avoid time-consuming updates in different back offices. Over 100 hotels are already using these two products.

Successful launch of www.fastbooking.com

2006 was also a highly rewarding year for FastBooking's distribution activities. Having chosen to position itself in this market niche only four years ago, distribution now represents 50% of company turnover and rose in 2006 by 105% compared to 2005. The launch of www.fastbooking.com in September 2006 to complement the exclusive single-destination sites already in operation (www.hotels-paris.fr, www.hotels-direct-london.com, www.hotels-direct-rome.com ...) has been a huge success, with 50 000 overnight bookings generated in only six months. 'This multi-destination portal is totally in tune with the demands of internet users' explains Thierry Lamblin, 'clear, easily comparable prices, immediate visualization of promotional offers, precise descriptions of the hotels, customer evaluations, no pre-payment, no registration fees...' In order to optimize this new site, FastBooking devoted a budget of 400.000 EUR over the second half of the year to purchase sponsored links on the main search engines and launched an advertising banner campaign on Yahoo and other targeted channels. These distribution portals can only be accessed, however, by FastBooking's Booking Engine customers.