Jiřina Jenčková

University of Economics Prague, Czech Republic jirina.jenckova@vse.cz

Smart overbooking in the accommodation facilities in the Czech Republic

Josef Abrhám

University of Economics, Prague, Czech Republic

josef.abrham@vse.cz

Abstract. Overbooking can be defined as a targeted, planned and managed overbooking of the capacities available in the way that at a given date there is no conflict between more clients and simultaneously the capacity is optimally used so that the revenues are maximized. The main prerequisites for the application of the overbooking techniques are a sophisticated hotel system and the ability to predict the strength of demand for accommodation facilities. The aim of this paper is to analyze the state of the implementation of the method of “smart overbooking” as used in practice by the Czech ac- commodation facilities. The focus is placed on finding out the level of the awareness of this tool, its deployment and the extent of its use as well as the clarification of potential problems with the implementation. The methodological approach to solution-seeking is based on the results of its own survey of more than four hundred hotel facilities in the Czech Republic.

Received: December, 2015

1st Revision: January, 2016

Accepted: March, 2016

DOI: 10.14254/2071-8330.2016/9-1/20

JEL Classification:  L83, L89, M21

Keywords: overbooking, smart overbooking, dynamic pricing, revenue management, demand forecast, Czech Republic