French Niche for Irish Hotel Bookings Company

Success for ‘GuestDiary.com’ in World’s Most Visited Country.

Irish hotel bookings company, AccuBook has successfully carved out a niche in France, among the country’s high number of independent hotels and guesthouses. French sales of its booking system GuestDiary.com now account for 50% of their export sales and 20% of overall business.

Welcoming over 90 million visitors a year, France is the most visited country in the world, presenting a massive hospitality market. Unlike other major markets, France has a high rate of owner-managed accommodations with chambre d’hôtes (B&Bs) and gîte (self-catering) hugely popular. The market is well suited to AccuBook’s business model. The company has grown its business by focusing on independent hotels and guest houses where it can deal directly with the decision maker.

Enterprise Ireland’s Alanna Clarke, Market Advisor leading on the Digital Tech portfolio in the Paris office, highlights the allure of France. “Ireland’s closest EU neighbour, France is the world’s premier tourist destination. Despite recent challenges, the French hospitality sector remains resilient and is poised to reach €21.05 billion by 2029. It makes it an enticing market for Irish travel tech companies seeking global expansion.”

“Notably, 83% of French hotels operate independently, creating a distinctive landscape ripe for companies like AccuBook to establish their presence. Having strategically strengthened its foothold in the market and invested in targeted local sales and marketing efforts, AccuBook exemplifies how an Irish company can seize the French hospitality opportunity. Enterprise Ireland France proudly supports AccuBook as they continue to grow in the dynamic French market.”

Designed and managed from Donegal, AccuBook offers an all-in-one software solution to the hospitality industry. GuestDiary.com enables accommodations to manage bookings from multiple agents and platforms within one easy-to-use and cost-effective package. It seamlessly integrates a property management system (PMS), channel manager, hotel website and booking engine.

Once lagging behind, France is now leading Ireland in Hospitality Tech

AccuBook first decided to target the French market in 2012. However, they found the market was not ready for their property management system.

AccuBook General Manager Gerry Haughey says, “At that time, the French market was not mature in tech and unfamiliar with the concept of a property management system. The capabilities in the hospitality industry were far behind those in Ireland and the UK. We spent the next three years building our knowledge of the market, by which time, the industry was catching up on tech.  Interestingly, what we are now seeing is that France is leapfrogging ahead in travel tech with self-check-in kiosks and app-based smart locks growing in popularity. It’s a sign of what is coming in Ireland.”

COVID Opportunity – Online Training

Initially AccuBook travelled to meet French hoteliers in person, replicating what had worked in Ireland and the UK. However, COVID presented them with an unforeseen opportunity that would change their business forever.

“Suddenly, the busy owner/managers of independent hotels in all markets had time to consider improving their systems,” says Haughey. “It wasn’t possible to travel, so we used our time to develop an online training programme. We established GuestDiary University and our graduate community of ‘GuestDiary Ninjas’. It was during this time that we saw a real improvement in product uptake in France.”

Establishing French Company and Caribbean Clients

In 2022, AccuBook made the strategic decision to scale up in the French market. It employed agents based in France before officially setting up a limited company in Paris. The focus included expansion into French territories like Guadalupe and Martinique in the Caribbean, and Réunion in the Indian Ocean.

“We’re selling a high-tech product to a low-tech industry,” says Haughey. “As all the systems speak to each other within GuestDiary.com, it is renowned in the industry for its simplicity and ease of use of its interface. It prevents human error, or the double-booking issues caused by multiple systems.”

AccuBook’s USP and French Market Advice

Compared to its indigenous French competition, GuestDiary offers more competitive pricing and greater hands-on support. It has agents based in the North and West of France.

“Software development, sales, support, it’s all done in-house, we don’t outsource. The feedback we get from clients is put into the development queue, meaning our software is developed the way hotels want,” says Haughey. However, he has a forewarning for Irish companies considering entering the French market.

“In France, there’s greater costs associated with employment of staff. HR, payroll, and social payments are higher. There are also more regulatory requirements to adhere to, so be prepared to put in time ensuring you are fully compliant.”