According to a new TravelClick survey, more than half (57.31 percent) of hoteliers said that they are increasing their marketing budgets for 2016, with an increased spend on search engine marketing (23.17 percent), website update / redesign (20.73 percent), online advertising (12.20 percent) and, most importantly, mobile (17.07 percent). In fact, about one-third (35.37 percent) of respondents said that they will experience the most growth in mobile bookings, compared to any other direct booking channel, in 2016 and are increasing spends on mobile specifically to capitalize on this trend as a result.
When asked where hoteliers will place the most resources with respect to mobile, 46.34 percent said that they plan to enhance / improve their mobile websites, 24.39 percent said that they plan to improve their mobile search and 21.95 percent said that they plan to put resources toward social media. Additionally, because mobile will be so popular in the coming year and beyond, nearly half (48.79 percent) of respondents are spending more money on mobile than in previous years.
“It’s clear from the data that hoteliers are expecting to see the most growth in 2016 bookings through hotel websites via mobile, as well as through the GDS and OTA channels,” said John Hach, senior industry analyst, TravelClick. “This is consistent with what TravelClick has seen as part of its quarterly North American Distribution Review reports and shows both the relevance and impact that mobile continues to have on hoteliers around the globe. It is no longer acceptable for hoteliers to leave out mobile as part of their marketing strategies, and the data reflects hoteliers’ acceptance and embrace of mobile as an important way to significantly move the needle for their properties and reach a new group of consumers simultaneously.”
