Finally, after nearly two years, we’re finally heading into what looks like something like a post-COVID-19 world, or at least one that’s controlled. Countries are opening up around the world, hundreds of millions of people are vaccinated, and we seem to be heading back to a usual-operating world. For the travel and tourism industry, this is warmly welcomed.
It’s no doubt been some of the hardest years in memory for travel, and many businesses weren’t able to survive. However, as the world opens back up, it’s time to explore some of the essential strategies you can employ to get yourself more successful than ever before.
Investigate Cost & Profit Margins
First things first, you need to make sure you’re spending your available investments and budgets in the best possible way. This means looking into how you’re marketing, which channels you’re spending your money on, and how you’re putting yourself out there.
In short, you need to make sure you’re spending your money wisely because things are different now. You can’t just rely on your old way of doing things. There are new ways of marketing and new channels you should be considering. Evaluate what you’re up to and how you’re spending and ask yourself whether this is really the smartest way of doing things.
Reevaluate Your Partnerships
As a hotel and accommodation supplier, it’s important to ensure you’re partnering with the right businesses, suppliers, and contacts for your brand. For example, if there are industries and businesses that aren’t yet COVID friendly, you should probably avoid working with them since people are going to be on the lookout for these themselves, and if you’re seen working with them, you may be losing potential customers.
This affects all areas of your business. Make sure you’re paying attention to who you’re working with and what kind of impact they’re having on your business. Only choose to work with businesses that are actually going to bring value and benefit into your way of operating.
Get Bookings Directly
Sites like Booking.com are great for your customers to see what you’ve got to offer, but as a hotel, it’s rubbish. You’re paying high commission rates, and with the aim of trying to get back everything you’ve lost over the last 24 months, it’s not feasible for many businesses.
A 2021 survey shows that over 79% of Hotelier hotels will be prioritising their direct channels (usually their website) and will continue to do so over the next 12 months. It’s this approach that is allowing hotels to offer much fairer rates that will attract more people and won’t have to worry about paying a commission fee.
Work On Your Main Channel
Whatever your direct channel is, you must keep working on it because, sure, it may be challenging to get results on it now, but what happens as the world keeps opening up over and over? What happens when your bookings overtake your pre-COVID booking rates due to growth?
How are you going to make that a reality? Heading into 2022, it’s vital to make sure you keep up to date with optimising your main channel. This goes hand in hand with the point above. Get social media up and running properly, get a strategy in place, and get people booking through your website for the most profitable sales.
Watch the Markets
How are you approaching markets right now? Sure, you may be looking at traditional tourists, family and package holidays, and the sorts, but the world is much broader than that, and there are so many more markets to be aware of.
“For example, think about local travel, or staycations, and how you attract people in your own country to come to stay with you (which has become far more popular over the COVID period). For international travel, you may want to look into things like business travellers, students, educational facilities, and senior holidays, all of which could be a great opportunity for you,” explains Sarah Coombes, a business blogger at Writinity and Draft Beyond.
Contactless, COVID-Safe Services
Of course, it should really go without saying that creating a COVID-safe holiday environment should be one of your top priorities since this is one of the main criteria people are looking for when it comes to booking a holiday.
“This includes everything from contactless payment while in the facility, cleaning and anti-bacterial stations, social distancing, and any other ways of operating you can think of that resonate with your business and could attract more people,” shares Hunter Smith, a writer at Research papers UK.
Market According to the Trends
There are trends in every industry, the travel industry included. It’s vital to make sure you’re paying attention to these trends and marketing yourself accordingly. Trends are trends for a reason, so it’s important to make sure you’re doing everything you can to match these trends. Marketing is, in essence, a numbers game. The more eyes you have on your content, the more sales you make.
About the author
Jenny Williams is a Business analyst and writer at Case study writing service and Business assignments. She also writes for Gum Essays service blog and loves helping businesses be the best they can be.
