The two-star gourmet chef, Thierry Marx, unveiled an initiative that could soon see the light of day during the 72nd annual congress of the UMIH (Union of Hotel Trades and Industries), which opened on Tuesday December 3, 2024 and will end Thursday December 5: a 100% French online reservation platform intended for the hotel and catering sector.
A national reservation platform to counter the giants
The heart of this 100% French platform, intended for the hotel and catering sector and unveiled by Thierry Marx, president of the UMIH, is based on simplified management of reservations, with commission fees which would oscillate, according to the projections announced by Thierry Marx, between 5% and 8%.
Unlike behemoths in the sector such as Booking or Expedia, it will highlight ethical criteria, short circuits, and tailor-made tools, adapted to small and medium-sized French structures. « It's time to give control back to our country's professionals », Thierry Marx insisted on reaffirming to his audience.
Helping the hotel and restaurant industry adapt to the digital age
Digital has become essential for the hotel and catering sector, and a real lever for visibility and growth for the establishments concerned. As Thierry Marx was keen to point out during the 72nd annual congress of the UMIH, it is urgent for the sector to get up to date, while offering “ an alternative aligned with our values and local requirements. »
The national reservation platform project would position itself as a tool to strengthen the economic autonomy of French restaurateurs and hoteliers. Currently, professionals pay up to 20% of their revenue in commissions to international platforms, lamented, in an annoyed tone, the two-star chef. This situation considerably reduces the margins of professionals in the sector and jeopardizes their profitability in the medium and long term. Currently in an advanced development phase, the project is widely supported by the sector's unions, but also by the Banque des Territoires which will be able to provide its expertise and support its creation.announced Thierry Marx.
