Aesthetic. Modernity. Trendy. Renovated. Fancy.
Why do these words matter? For one, any hotel would want these superlatives attached to their image.
But more than that, those descriptions make up 70.6% of all positive attributes and, as the top 5, draw female travellers to certain properties, based on findings from our Brand Karma Analytics.
(On the other end of the spectrum, "dingy," "stained," and "outdated," which account for 42.8% of negative attributes, will certainly repel female guests.)
But why do women travellers matter? Travel trends and key target tourists of late have certainly highlighted other customer segments, the Chinese, the wealthy, or both at once notwithstanding. But the rise of another group should not go undetected, especially given their dominance of social media: women travellers.
As women assume the front-row seat, their online and social networking behaviour has necessitated adaptations in the travel industry. In addition to influencing online purchasing, women represent the driving force behind travel decisions, social media use, and guest reviews. But to what extent is their impact?
In Asia-Pacific in particular, use of social media in travel has risen exponentially in comparison to other major regions like the US and Europe, a trend that occurred in part because of the women. A study conducted late last year corroborated this line of thought in finding that 44% of Asia-Pacific travellers use social media platforms to research travel destinations. This is more than double the amount of travellers from US and EMEA demonstrating similar online behaviour.
Let's look at women's role in this.
Separate studies have all contributed to breaking down the online behaviour of women in Asia-Pacific. One study illustrated that of all Southeast Asian travellers employing social media, women account for 57%. Another highlighted that compared to men, women are more likely to use OTAs in booking hotels and that, when they do, they are careful to note factors like convenience, special offers, and visual images of the hotel.
Of those travellers, Internet reviews represents a strong influencer: 57% of Asia-Pacific travellers are swayed by reviews, followed by online travel forums as the second bigger influencers, as this study denoted.
Yet again, women comprise the force behind reviews. Women business travellers are not only writing reviews (56%) but are also more likely than men to express their thoughts toward a hotel after a negative experience. This can translate into leaving a comment card or commenting on social media.
In addition to creating, they're also consuming. Against men, women dominate by far in consulting social media or reviews as a part of their travel research. For instance, one study remarked that women are more likely to read both professional reviews and customer reviews from sites that include TripAdvisor, AAA, and blogs. Of those reviews being read, the chances are that those reviews were written by women, too (53%).
Having acknowledged the travel power of women, Hilton Hotels has already begun taking the next step: actionably marketing to the female travellers. For starters, they launched an ongoing, real-time dialogue with that particular customer segment via Facebook and Twitter. (Guess Hilton already knew about their tendency to flock to social media!)
What have they found? First, the unfiltered feedback provided invaluable insights to the hotel brand by uncovering that 82% of all its female guests were the primary decision-maker on travel. In addition, suggestions and comments came in a flurry: hotel shampoo disappointed; the menu offered only fattening foods; robes and slippers are often sized up; appreciated additional amenities would include yoga mats and electronics chargers, as well as better hair dryers.
John Wallis, Hyatt's global head of marketing and brand strategy, best summed up the core reason for the travel and hospitality industry's past omission of women travellers: "Hotels have been created by men for men. Women deserve a completely different customer experience than men."
The same goes for travel in general. The growth of the female customer segment is reflected not merely in their growing reign over the social media channels but also in their travel behaviours: travelling alone, travelling more, travelling based on their individual decisions.
At the same time, those planning to target this growing group will do well to remember that the decision-making process for women is one based on recommendations, reviews, or advice.
Katherine Tse is the marketing communications manager at Circos Brand Karma.
Source: Web In Travel
