Travel specialist Amadeus has reported a 7.5 per cent rise in hotel bookings made online during 2007.

Half of Amadeus' hotel bookings come from a different country from the hotel which is being booked so the rise reflects a global growth in international guests, said the company in a statement.

Some 77.000 properties are listed in the company's reservation system, representing an increase of nearly 30 per cent in two years.

In 2007, Amadeus also seized the increase of investment in revenue management technology by the hotel industry. The software help hotels increase occupancy and revenue per available room, and 1000 hotels worldwide are currently using Amadeus' web-based system.

“Our technology solutions, born and bred in a multicultural environment, help hotels make the most of opportunities related to attracting guests from new emerging markets or opening properties in them, " said Amadeus managing director Antoine Medawar.

"And now is the ideal time for hotels to invest in solutions which keep cost down and revenue high, as global demand for hotel rooms outstrips supply.”