January 2023 has demonstrated a positive trajectory for the year ahead in the travel industry. After one of the most difficult experiences of our time, the past year felt like a breath of fresh air to most of us, as an opportunity for social and economic redemption.
Optimise each and every booking channel:
It is expected of travel companies and hotels to provide a user-friendly and seamless experience across all digital platforms; However, desktop bookings continue to be the most popular method. According to Adobe research, 52% of travelers used a mobile device to find information about hotels, restaurants, tours, and activities in their preferred location; however, only 21% of travelers booked their accommodations using a mobile device. Since only 23% of leisure travelers believe they can get the same hotel or flight deal on mobile as on desktop, current statistics also indicate that over 90% of travelers will conduct their research online. Of those who do conduct their research online, the majority will do so on the desktop site.
In addition, 66% of millennials are said to now book travel with smartphones. As a result, hotel brands must optimise all digital booking channels to ensure a consistent, streamlined, and appealing guest experience.
Direct Bookings on the Rise:
Over the years, hotels and online travel agencies have engaged in a long-running battle for traveler preference. In the past, the ease of booking and promotions offered by OTA platforms frequently resulted in hotels making direct reservations, which can be costly due to commission costs incurred by OTAs. Many tourists seem to have lost faith in online travel agencies as a result of poor communication and lengthy refund processing times.
Time To Get Personal:
There is no denying it: personalisation drives sales and enables hotels to forge deeper connections with visitors. Travelers, in particular, favour hospitality brands that utilise guest data to curate personalised and relevant messaging and offers. Today, consumers expect personalization from brands in all industries. In point of fact, when they book a hotel, ninety percent of all travelers anticipate having a one-on-one experience.
This is especially crucial as hotels attempt to boost historically low conversion rates and optimise their booking channel. Personalization and specialized booking recovery solutions have the potential to dramatically raise hotels’ online conversion rates, which currently average a measly 2.2 percent. By maximizing email engagement with, you guessed it, super-personalized content and offers; hotels can seamlessly recover lost bookings with the appropriate technology.
