Revenge tourism (or revenge travel) is the talk of the town today.
NB: This is an article from eZee Absolute
Ever since states have opened the doors for travellers, people are being supremely quick on the trigger to tick their bucket list destinations.
Social media is also flooded with #RevengeTravel.
With the massive number of people taking trips, it does look like chaos. However, if done right — with the seriousness of these hard times and all the safety measures, it is nothing less than a blessing for the travel and tourism sector.
Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and stay up to date
But, are hotels ready for this? Are they ready for the gazillion bookings coming their way?
Well, this is exactly what I am addressing in this blog. I will put down all the right arguments and strategies for hotels to make the most out of this new hot ticket.
What is Revenge Travel?
The sinister-sounding buzzword, revenge travel (or tourism) was coined last year when people started travelling after the lockdown ease. Today, it is not just a phrase, revenge travel is actually being put into practice and we can already witness the same.
Simply put, it is all about post-pandemic travel; people travelling after getting fed up with the lockdown.
If you’re wondering why ‘revenge’, it is against the pandemic.
Why Should Hotels Focus on Revenge Tourism?
For months, hotels have faced severe crises. While many faced heavy employee turnovers due to salary crunch, many went into debt and are permanently shut. The bottom line is the industry is badly battered by the pandemic.
Last year, the industry saw a ray of hope when the COVID-19 graph was flattening and lockdowns were easing. Many hotels even managed to gain a good amount of business in that duration. However, the good times didn’t last long.
With 2021, came the second wave of COVID-19. Again, people have been advised to not step out of their houses, let alone take a vacation.
As a result, it has forced a tsunami of permanent closure of several hospitality establishments. They again sank under the burden of mortgage payments, dwindling footfalls, and whatnot.
The silver lining
But this year, things are starting to get back on track.
How?
Vaccination drive is ramping up in almost every nation and it is making states to be more receptive to welcoming tourists.
There’s now a soaring hope for travel and tourism to return to normalcy.
Over and above, post-pandemic travel is going to be the recovery capsule for hotels. Revenge tourism is not just about people going to a destination and staying. Tired of being home-bound for months, people are now beginning to plan longer, further, and more expensive vacations.
They are looking for experiences more than just the comfort of an air-conditioned room. It’s time for hotels to buckle up and prepare for the rebound.
How Will Travellers Decide Their Destination?
I know I have mentioned the terms ‘post-pandemic and revenge travel’, but we can’t really call it post-COVID travel yet. The virus is still out there and vaccination has also not reached 100% yet.
So, despite being armed with vaccine certificates and antsy to travel, people will stick to the safety protocols.
They will be concerned and conscious about the health and hygiene standards of the city, region, or property they are travelling to. Moreover, this will impact the way they decide the destination.
Let’s look at some factors that will impact travellers’ decisions:
In terms of destination:
