According to Expedia Group’s 2023 Traveller Value Index Report, there is countless evidence that all types of travel will continue growing with velocity this year.
NB: This is an article from Net Affinity
Among the most interesting points outlined in the report include:
- 1 in 3 consumers say they’re planning upcoming business travel
- 1 in 2 consumers are likely to travel internationally within the next 12 months or already have a trip booked, compared to only 12% in mid-2020
- 46% of consumers say that travel is more important to them now than it was pre-pandemic
- While industry professionals underestimate price sensitivity among
consumers, (with only 23% saying that inflation will have a negative impact), one in two consumers (51%) say that inflation will impact their travel plans over the next 12 months - Consumers’ top priorities in relation to booking travel include their ability to get a full refund, low pricing and flexible cancellation policies
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Lots of positive findings paired with some very real insights that can help inform your strategies and create loyal, longer lasting connections with guests if you take them in and use them wisely.
What else is happening in the tourism and hospitality industries?
Ramp up of events
Knowland, the world’s leading provider of data-as-a-service insights on meetings and events for hospitality, has recently reported that June meeting and event volume is up 30.3% over June 2022 – music to the ears of anyone in the tourism or hospitality industries.
The quest for wellness among American tourists
Allianz Partners’ 15th Annual Vacation Confidence Index has revealed that around three in 10 Americans will choose to work remotely from a vacation destination in 2023, an intentional move that goes beyond “bleisure” travel that blends working time with vacation – they’re calling it a ‘pay-cation’.
ChatGPT is busy making travel plans
Due to the fact that travellers can access AI tools from a variety of devices at any time and from anywhere with an internet connection, market research company Euromonitor International have predicted the use of AI tools like ChatGPT to plan travel itineraries is about to boom.
Head of Travel and Tourism Research at Euromonitor International, Caroline Bremner, says: “ChatGPT is taking travel and the world by storm. With travel highly digitalised where 66% of all bookings are conducted online in 2023 and mobile accounts for 35% of all online sales, disruption from generative AI is already rife.”
Amongst all of these developments, focus on building loyalty – and using email to do so
A key step in creating loyalty is having a decent email strategy, and a very important part of that is your pre (and post)-stay emails.
Email marketing gives you an opportunity to build a personal relationship with your past guests, present guests and future guests. You can send email database highly targeted and relevant offers that will grab their attention in a way a banner ad often can’t.
Building a relationship
Email marketing gives you the chance to build a relationship with your subscribers before they book a hotel room.
If your subscribers like and trust you, a higher percentage of them will be interested in booking a room at your hotel.
