Hotel search engine

Search engine for the best hotels in Gran Canaria.

Find your ideal hotel

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Project Details

Main Objective

The aim of this project is to automate the extraction, cleaning, storage and analysis of data related to accommodation offers in Gran Canaria. The workflow integrates Python for data extraction and processing, Azure SQL Server for database management, and Power BI for interactive dashboard creation. The database is updated weekly, providing information on price trends, room types, locations, and customer scores.

For this reason, I have developed an automated system that extracts valuable information about accommodation offers in Gran Canaria, supporting strategic decision-making in the tourism sector and improving the visibility of market trends.

Project Scope

  • Web Scraping Automation:
    • Tool used: Selenium with Python.
    • Frequency: Weekly run every Monday.
    • Search period: Data is collected for the next four weekends (including the current week), specifically from Friday to Sunday.
    • Search parameters:
      • Destination: Gran Canaria
      • Guests: Two adults
      • Length of stay: Two nights
    • Data collected:
      • Property name
      • Location
      • Room Type
      • Price
      • Opinions
      • Punctuation
  • Data cleansing and transformation: Using Python and Pandas to normalize data and calculate metrics such as price per night.
  • Cloud Database: Azure SQL Server for structured data warehousing.
  • Interactive Dashboard: Visualizations in Power BI highlighting pricing trends and scores.

Workflow

  1. Data extraction:
    • The scraping script runs every Monday.
    • The data is extracted from websites using Selenium and temporarily stored in a Pandas DataFrame.
  2. Data Cleansing:
    • Data is cleansed, transformed, and processed with Python and Pandas.
    • Key transformations include text normalization and calculation of derived metrics.
  3. Data storage:
    • The cleansed data is uploaded to a cloud database hosted on Azure SQL Server.
    • The hotel table is updated weekly using pyodbc and SQL queries for efficient data insertion.
  4. Data Visualization:
    • Power BI connects to the Azure database to generate interactive dashboards.
    • Dashboards present clear and actionable information.

Expected Results

Identify locations with high scores, monitor pricing trends, and compare room types to support strategic decision-making. This automated system minimizes manual effort and ensures information updated every week.

  1. Key Information:
    • Identify Top Rated Locations: Determine which properties receive the best reviews and ratings.
    • Monitor Price Trends: Analyze how accommodation prices fluctuate from week to week.
    • Compare Prices by Municipalities: Study the price differences between different municipalities and towns in Gran Canaria.
    • Analyze Prices According to Room Type: Understand how different types of rooms (apartments, bungalows, hotel rooms) influence prices.
  2. Full Automation:
    • Minimal Manual Effort: Automated scraping and direct updates to the database reduce the need for manual data collection.
    • Weekly Updates: Scheduling the execution of the extraction code and the dashboard in Power BI through cron job on a VPS and Power BI Services.
  3. A Valuable Tool for the Tourism Sector:
    • Data-Driven Decision-Making: Dynamic dashboards allow stakeholders to make informed decisions based on real-time information.
    • Market Trend Analysis: Understanding pricing trends, customer preferences, and popularity of accommodations helps in strategic planning and marketing.
    • Competitive Benchmarking: Hotels and accommodation providers can compare their offerings with those of competitors in terms of prices and quality.
    • Resource Allocation: Information on periods and locations of high demand helps optimize resource allocation and inventory management.
  4. Benefit to Consumers:
    • Comparison Tool: Allows consumers to compare accommodation options based on price, location, and quality.
    • Optimal Booking Times: Identify the best times to book accommodations at favorable prices.
    • Value for Money Analysis: Helps consumers find accommodations with the best value for money.
    • Informed Decision Making: Empowers consumers with data-driven insights to choose accommodations that best fit their needs and budgets.

Impact

This project stands out for offering a detailed analysis and a search engine for accommodation in Gran Canaria, ideal for any type of user, from tourists looking for the best quality-price options to companies in the tourism sector interested in strategic data. It combines automation, efficient cloud data management, and interactive dashboards to provide clear and up-to-date information, making it an essential tool for decision-making and strategy optimization in the hospitality industry.

  • For the Tourism Sector:
    • Enhanced Strategic Planning: Provides actionable insights that help tourism businesses plan their offerings, pricing strategies, and marketing campaigns effectively.
    • Better Market Understanding: Offers a comprehensive view of the accommodation market in Gran Canaria, highlighting consumer trends and preferences.
    • Competitive Advantage: It allows companies to get ahead by understanding the prices and quality of competitors' services, making timely adjustments in their own offers.
  • For Consumers:
    • Informed Decisions: Consumers can make informed decisions by comparing various accommodation options based on their specific preferences and budgets.
    • Cost Savings: Identifying the best times to book accommodations can lead to significant savings, making travel more affordable.
    • Optimal Experience: By analyzing value for money, consumers can select accommodations that offer the best value, ensuring a satisfactory stay.
    • Transparency: Provides a clear view of the accommodation landscape, helping consumers understand the factors that influence pricing and quality.

Conclusion

This project efficiently integrates web scraping, cloud data storage, and interactive visualizations to provide high-value analytics for both the tourism industry and consumers. By automating data extraction and employing advanced visualization tools, you streamline analysis processes and empower users with actionable insights to make informed decisions.

The significant impact on both industry players and end users highlights the relevance and effectiveness of this solution, positioning it as a prominent component in any portfolio focused on data analytics.

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