cancellations

Despite the positive news surrounding vaccinations in Europe, it still seems that European travelers have given up somewhat on travel

Many hotel brands and management companies are touting flexibility around guest cancellation polices and loyalty status but some are being cautious

A fundamental shift is taking place in hotel policies with hoteliers increasingly offering free cancellation in a bid to convert bookings

What’s most important is to train sales and reservations staff to show compassion for the person who is canceling. Remember that the true heart of hospitality is human kindness, especially for strangers.

While the overall declines in search behavior and the rise of cancelations present headwinds for all travel marketers, pockets of opportunity still exist

A demand shock in the travel industry can come from many sources; a financial crisis, health crisis, or political crisis. And as the term suggests, they often can’t be predicted

Unfortunately, cancellations aren’t going anywhere – take comfort in the fact that cancellation rates from direct bookings are generally much lower than on other platforms!

While 54% of people tracked personal reasons for cancellations 26% of people choose change of date and 10% cancelled as they had made an alternative booking.

Hotels might struggle to provide last-minute cancellation policies, therefore maximising retention of their bookings and reducing cancellations can be utilised in other aspects of the booking process.

While cancellations affect a hotel’s ability to forecast revenue and impact their income in real terms, they are used by OTAs as a marketing tool – one that benefits their growth, rather than hinders it