HTNG, HEDNA and OpenTravel Form an Industry Travel Safe Workgroup

Hospitality Technology Next Generation (HTNG), in partnership with the Hotel Electronic Distribution Network Association (HEDNA) and OpenTravel Alliance, launch a Travel Safe Workgroup to resolve COVID-19 implications for the lodging industry.

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is very important to build consumer confidence to ensure a safe lodging experience. Changing consumer behavior and expectations are driving new safety and health measures; from contactless access and sanitation to new search criteria and ratings, content is even more critical to instill guest confidence. The existing content specifications do not encompass the newly emerging requirements to enable hotels to convey the safety and health measures being instituted by their property.

This joint workgroup of HTNG, HEDNA and OpenTravel members will bring together a community of hospitality professionals with distribution and industry experts that will identify consumer confidence challenges, best practices and initial successes.

The Travel Safe Workgroup will review existing messages and make recommendations on changes to support new safety and health requirements. Phase I of the group will review the existing hotel content messages and determine where new codes should be added to support the new requirements. The identified codes will be submitted to OpenTravel through the organization's code list request process.

Upon completion of this charter, the team will consider re-chartering to address the need to add codes used in additional messages such as search, availability, reservation and review or make modifications to the messages themselves if any are deemed necessary.

The kick-off teleconference will be held on Wednesday, August 12 at 9:00 a.m. Central. HTNG members can join the workgroup after signing in here. If you are a member of HEDNA or OpenTravel and would like to join the workgroup, please contact [email protected].