There are four key points that will continue to mark the hotel and accommodation industry throughout 2020 and that have to do with marketing, guest relations and care for the environment, according to the analysis carried out by Nick Wyatt, chief Research and Tourism Research at GlobalData.
Hotel chains will step up efforts to boost direct bookings as it is a way to maximize profits, Wyatt explains. Is that, according to the expert , “the relationship between hotels and online travel agencies (OTA) like Expedia is symbiotic and problematic. On the one hand, OTAs help fill in the blanks, but on the other, they control commission rates. ” Smaller, more independent hotels “have little bargaining power,” while major global chains “have invested large sums in loyalty schemes like Hilton Honors and Marriott Bonvoy, and see this as a way to attract not only personalized bookings but also direct ”.
Sustainable hotels
GlobalData highlights that sustainability is a “watchword in the tourism industry” and hotels have already started to take action in favor of the environment. “The most outstanding actions have referred to single-use plastics”, but “this is only the beginning and we will see more hotels making these changes and taking other measures, such as doing more to reduce water use.”
Invest in technologies for personalization
For guests personalization is “essential” because “they don’t want to be seen as just a number.” Personalizing the stay is a way to demonstrate a commitment to hospitality, they explain, and investing in technologies that help better understand guests’ needs is key to that. Hilton’s Connected Room is an example of hotel chain leverage technology to personalize a guest’s stay, and Marriott has launched a platform that gives employees access to a ‘360-degree view’ of each individual guest by tracking their interaction both before and during your stay.
Shared hosting
Sharing accommodation is no longer a fad, but a central part of the accommodation industry. “Many travelers are looking for more flexibility, convenience and value and shared hosting offers this,” Wyatt explains. “With Airbnb now tapping into the experience market, its influence is likely to grow.” Given this, they point out, it is logical that hotel chains continue to adapt to this trend to “mitigate the Airbnb impact”.
Note taken from: HostelTur