A new report by SiteMinder, the world’s largest open hotel commerce platform, sheds light on an evolved German traveller with significantly more demands and higher expectations of the hotels where they stay.
SiteMinder’s Changing Traveller Report 2021, based on the survey responses of more than 900 Germany holidaymakers, has found that while the majority (58.04%) plan to travel as much or more than prior to Covid in the coming year, almost all (94.91%) now have the same or higher expectations of their accommodation provider.
The findings follow SiteMinder’s announcement earlier this month that Germany’s hotel booking momentum had overtaken the global average on the World Hotel Index, for the first time in over 275 days to mark a welcomed step in the local sector’s recovery. However, while growing enthusiasm for travel is positive news for a hospitality sector that supported 2.4 million jobs prior to the pandemic, SiteMinder says the findings also illustrate the need for local hoteliers to work smarter in order to meet the heightened standards of their customers.
“Now is a critical time for accommodation providers to be elevating their offering, with higher booking volumes growing in parallel to an increase in customer needs,” says Clemens Fisch, Regional Director DACH & EMEA at SiteMinder. “When contemplating the future state of their business, hotel operators must consider their customers’ full experience, from the first touchpoint with their property, to the last. How seamless is it for them to book via the website? How are they checking in? How are they paying? And, importantly, how easy is it for them to recommend the property to their family and friends, after they leave? Hoteliers who lean on technology to help answer these questions, are those who will ultimately be rewarded through this period of recovery and beyond.”
Positively for German accommodation providers, SiteMinder’s report points to the many travellers who support their personal data being used to better their stay. More than four-fifths of Germans (81.91%) are not opposed to their personal data being used to improve their visit, which SiteMinder says provides a further opportunity for hoteliers to meet the new level of standards that are now expected.
“Increasingly, we are seeing the importance of personalised communications and experiences as a way of creating loyalty among our hotel customers,” says Fisch. “As hotel booking momentum increases locally, those businesses that have made the decision to take a step closer to their customers and analyse their personal data, to gain actionable insights, will win more business. Technology is an investment that will pay dividends.”
The results largely mirror those of UK and Spanish travellers, where 96.74% and 98.15% respectively have the same or higher expectations of their accommodation provider, compared to prior to the pandemic. In those countries, 60.86% and 69.64% respectively plan to travel as much or more than prior to Covid, in the coming year.
