People around the globe are willing to travel more, both for business and leisure. This trend projects that the hospitality industry will witness positive growth in the future. With an annual growth rate of 5.8 percent, the hotel industry’s market volume is expected to reach $193,851 million by 2023.
But along with the business opportunity, hotel operators will experience stiff competition as well. Therefore, it becomes mandatory to adopt the latest hotel industry trends to maintain competitiveness and to attract a higher footfall.
The guest experience remains the topmost consideration for the hotel operators. However, there are numerous other ways to register a higher number of bookings. You just need to adopt the latest concepts to implement these ways. So what are the latest hotel industry trends or concepts that will influence your hotel business in the near future? Let us check them out.
Technological inclination
Besides automating and simplifying hotel operations, technological advancements are certainly amplifying the guest experience. A new concept of smart rooms has been introduced wherein rooms are equipped with smart gadgets and appliances. These include automatic lights, fans, air conditioners, geysers, televisions, and so on. Voice assistants are here to assist guests in controlling the majority of these gadgets and also for communicating with the hotel staff.
Talking about hotel operations, hotel management software synchronizes various operations like sales, marketing, CRM, accounting, staff management, property management, inventory management, and so on. Cloud-based software can update information in real-time, automate tasks, boost collaboration among employees and much more.
You can also invest in POS software to facilitate easy payments and managing loyalty programs. At the same time, installing help desk software allows you to address queries and problems promptly, thereby ensuring a smooth workflow.
Go mobile
Over one-third of the hotel room bookings are happening on mobile devices and the figures are rising exponentially. This is the right time to develop a mobile-friendly website and a mobile app. If you are able to provide a seamless user experience on mobile devices, you can expect a rise in bookings. In addition to bookings, you can integrate smart features in a mobile app, such as offering a virtual reality (VR) tour of the hotel property, control features for the smart room, and so on.
Some of the mobile-specific social media apps – such as Instagram – are beneficial for gaining booking traction. Consider building a strong social media presence on media sharing apps and websites. Some of the most prominent ones are Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and YouTube. Apps working on the shared economy model also offer hospitality solutions. List your property on apps and websites such as OYO, Airbnb, and others.
Adopt localized and sustainable approach
Experiential traveling is gaining prominence in every corner of the world. Travelers are keen to indulge in local experiences, tradition, culture, and food. As a hotel operator, you can focus on these aspects. For example, include traditional food in your menu. Offer your guests traditional food made using organic and local ingredients. You can also arrange a city tour, taking them to cultural hubs and the countryside.
As people are becoming more environmentally conscious, they are opting for sustainable solutions, even when it comes to traveling. Responsible travel is on a rise wherein travelers adopt a minimalistic approach, use eco-friendly products, eat vegan meals, and commute using local transportation. You can also adopt a sustainable approach in your hotel bu using eco-friendly products, harnessing non-renewable energy resources, and so on.
Redefined marketing strategy
Everyone is marking their presence on social media platforms, whether it’s Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, Twitter, or any other platform. Your potential customers are present out there, you just need to optimize your hotel’s social media accounts and invest in social media marketing to attract hotel bookings. You can generate leads using effective strategies that revolve around visuals, conversions and retargeting.
Reaching out to travel influencers is one of the most effective ways to target your audience. Just create a branding strategy, create content, and collaborate with travel influencers to deliver your message. While you harness the potential of social media marketing, you must decide your target audience, whether it is leisure travelers or business travelers, Millennials or Generation Z.
Customized offerings
You need to go beyond your limits to boost loyalty and your customer retention rate. One of the most effective ways is by delivering customized services. You must be agile enough to curate packages for the clients. So if guests demand a chauffeur-driven car or ask for organic & vegan meals, you should definitely respond to their needs, as you will surely gain extra kudos for these services.
Creating customized packages in collaboration with airlines and online travel agencies (OTAs) is an intelligent strategy for attracting traveller groups. You can customize these packages according to their needs and situations. For example, weekend tour packages and local homestay packages can be effective ways to engage your customers.
Deploy a help desk team for interacting with existing and new customers. Help desk software assists in personalised one-to-one interactions, creating customized offers, maintaining travel records, solving queries and problems, and much more. Ultimately, the aim is to render completely customized services.
Redefine your approach now
Business trends keep on changing, so you must adapt new and old strategies to create a whole new redefined approach you guests. The aforementioned hotel industry trends are here to stay for a few years. Include them in your marketing and outreach programs to attain maximum hotel business growth.
