Abstract
We develop an innovative framework to study how hoteliers apply inventory control and price discrimination taking into account seasonality. We end up with a time-varying model that, using publicly available information, connects the early booking and last-minute pricing decisions. In doing so, we account for the expected demand size and price elasticity, the inventory put on sales, and the last-minute demand shocks. An analysis focused on 100 hotels in Milan (Italy) shows that during the Covid-19 last-minute discounts/surcharges remain stable over long periods while the role of advance booking as a lever for revenue management is reduced. Moreover, the pandemic has increased the last-minute adjustment at the short advance booking, especially for midweek days.
Original language | English |
---|---|
Article number | 103495 |
Pages (from-to) | 1-15 |
Number of pages | 15 |
Journal | Annals of Tourism Research |
Volume | 97 |
Early online date | 26 Oct 2022 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Nov 2022 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© 2022 Elsevier Ltd
Keywords
- Intertemporal demand and supply
- Inventory control
- Last-minute price adjustment
- Price kurtosis and asymmetry
- Score-driven model
- Stochastic seasonality pattern