Trying to keep up to date with what’s going on in the hostel industry? We give you a rundown of the latest news and offer our insight.
ACCOR INTRODUCE THEIR NEW CONCEPT TO MARKET
Breaking news from Accor HQ – they are continuing to replicate the hostel concept and are planning to launch 300 of their new Greet brand properties across Europe by 2030.
Similarly to their Jo&Joe brand, some of their rooms will be able to accommodate between four and six people. While they may not dubbed as dorms, Accor’s intention is to open up the potential to target the group market, similarly to what hostels do.
The hotel company are looking to do things slightly differently with this brand concept. In an attempt to attract environmentally conscious young travellers, Accor are pushing the sustainable angle through their interiors and have even partnered with recycling company Valdelia to help source second-hand furniture.
As the hotel industry continues to incorporate elements of the hostel concept into their properties, it will be interesting to see how travellers react – particularly as the price points remain significantly higher…
CTRIP OPEN TO INTERNATIONAL INTEREST
China is the world’s biggest market in outbound tourism – and this is only set to grow – yet reaching Chinese travellers online is trickier than other target audiences as popular social media platforms are not in use in the country.
So, this week’s news that Ctrip – a popular Chinese accommodation and travel service – are becoming increasingly open to global partners is certainly exciting and an opportunity that hostels should not be missing out on.
Jane Sun, CEO of Ctrip.com said: “The Chinese tourism industry continues to experience constant, exponential growth. Last year, we sold 700 million high-speed railway tickets, 350 million aeroplane tickets, and 350 million hotel rooms.”
Explaining how Ctrip has benefited from forging partnerships globally, Sun is actively encouraging international firms to sign up and access their platform of 300 million registered users.
With current international tensions, Sun highlighted the role travel companies can play in breaking down barriers between nations. She said: “The US, as well as Australia, Italy, the UK, France, Germany and Spain are among the top destinations for Chinese travellers.”
Travel is such a great way to bring people from different countries and backgrounds together, to educate one another, breakdown barriers, and avoid misunderstandings. I believe that it is our duty to enable as many people as possible to have this opportunity.”
We couldn’t agree more and we know that hostels work to bring people together do exactly that too.
If you’d like to find out more about getting your hostel on Ctrip and Chinese social media sites like Weibo and WeChat, just get in touch – we’d love to help.
TRAVELLERS LOSING FAITH IN TRAVEL BRANDS
Travellers are frustrated with booking online and becoming increasingly less trustworthy of brands, according to the latest study by TravelPort.
Travelport’s latest Global Digital Traveler study has found that half of travellers are frustrated at not knowing who to trust online – an increase of 6% on the 2018 study – while 43% are frustrated at how long it takes to find what they need.
The study of 23,000 travellers from 20 countries also touched on technology, with 58% expressing the importance of a positive digital experience when making an accommodation booking.
Significantly for hostels, a huge 77% of those surveyed say they have reviewed videos and images on social media as part of the research process which illustrates the importance of having a strong online presence.
We have said it before (and you know we will say it again) but it’s absolutely crucial for your hostel to have a great website and a strong presence on social media in order for you to avoid missing out on bookings.
BOOKING.COM ACCUSED OF IGNORING THE LAW
Booking.com has been accused of ignoring a crackdown in the industry aimed at getting rid of pressure selling tactics on hotel room sales.
Which? Travel carried out spot checks last week on six websites after orders were made to make changes following enforcement action by the Competition and Markets Authority.
The regulator stepped in amid concerns of pressure selling, misleading discount claims and hidden charges and gave a September 1 deadline to comply with new laws set out.
Previously, it was concluded that practices such as giving a false impression of a room’s popularity or not displaying the full cost upfront could potentially break consumer protection law. The CMA issued a deadline for changes to OTAs including Expedia, Booking.com, Agoda, Hotels.com, ebookers and Trivago – yet Which? Have claimed that Booking.com has not gone far enough to issues changes and is flouting the laws.
We have all seen Booking.com’s pressure-buying tactics and we encourage the law changes set out by the CMA. We also know that these sales efforts are becoming increasingly less effective with millennials and Gen-Z travellers and leading to the mistrust we described in our last point. Instead, modern travellers are looking to hostel’s social media platforms and user-generated content to decide where to book.
SAFESTAY WORKING TOWARDS INDUSTRY DOMINATION
This week, Safestay have announced a spike in revenue after a ‘positive trading summer’ despite pre-tax losses climbing.
In the same week, the hostel firm also announced that they have entered into a joint venture partnership with E0S Sicav to develop a 660-bed hostel in Venice.
It’s been a busy year for Safestay as they have already completed an extension of their hostel in Elephant and Castle in London as well as acquiring a hotel in Glasgow which they will soon be converting into a 200-bed hostel.
Exciting times ahead…
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