Wanting to keep up to date with travel industry news? We give you a rundown of what’s going on and offer our insight.
HOTELIERS PREDICT INDUSTRY BOUNCE BACK
As the hotel industry starts to rebuild after being decimated by the coronavirus pandemic, hoteliers are having their say on when we can expect a comeback.
Alastair Thomann, C.E.O. of Generator and Freehand believes the rebound will be imminent.
“There is huge demand for travel – people want to get back out there. Of course, they are a little bit more careful now. Of course we have to stick to social distancing… but we can see there is a huge hunger to get back to normal.”
Hotelier and entrepreneur Ian Schrager of Studio 54 fame agrees, stating that while guests want to know they are safe, they also want to get out and enjoy themselves, and know what’s open in the neighbourhood.
Schrager – who believes there will be a sharp rebound in 2021, said: “I think business will get back to normal. It will be a thriving business again.”
Thomann predicts a meaningful rebound not happening until 2022.
MILLENNIALS AND GEN-Z WANT TO TRAVEL
A survey released by St Christopher’s Inns on behalf of a collective of 11 hostels brands has been conducted to gain an insight into how hostel-goers feel about travelling in the post-COVID world.
The World Hostels: Post Covid-19 Reopening Survey offers hostels across the world invaluable information into the changes they will need to make to prepare for the ‘new normal’ travelsphere.
“We wanted to know what were the concerns of our target market regarding travelling again,” Anne Dolan, co-founder of Clink Hostels, a member of the collective, said.
While a large proportion of respondents stated they weren’t worried about travelling and that their concerns on factors such as price and location remained the same, 81% said it’s important that social distancing measures be put in place, especially in dorms.
Findings from the report also revealed that 40% of travellers want to find out about a hostel or hotel’s health & safety procedures via email prior to their arrival, with 86% believing it is important for staff to wear masks and have regular access to hand sanitizing products.
On a positive note for the hostel industry – which is loved by so many travellers for the sociability factor – over half of respondents said they would not be hesitant to join in with activities such as pub crawls, tours and other social experiences.
Dolan commented: “Connecting with like-minded travellers and discovering new places to enrich your cultural understanding of people will not change but going forward, the inclusion part and feeling part of a community will be more challenging to manage.”
GOOGLE ANALYTICS INTRODUCES MEASURES TO TARGET POTENTIAL GUESTS
Google Analytics has announced two new predictive features which will inform brand’s paid advertising, allowing them to reach potential guests who are more likely to be ready to purchase.
As part of their Beta for App + Web properties, Predictive Audiences will enable users to see new audiences, based off two audience types: ‘likely buyers’ and ‘likely churning purchasers’.
This new audience feature – which is similar to functions on Facebook Ads – can be linked to your brand’s Google Ads account. It will be able to inform targeting in order to get your ads in front of the section of your target market who are most likely to be ready to purchase which will boost your conversions and lead to increased bookings and revenue.
The Predictive Metrics feature – which will be introduced at the same time – can also help analyse data in ways that may better help you shape your marketing campaigns in the future. Its aim is to show you things such as which marketing campaign gave you users with the highest purchase probability. It basically informs you on what is contributing to building your Predictive Audiences.
While it is not accessible to all Google Analytics users at the moment, it is a promising step for Google who are continuing to improve the insights and data available for brands to inform their marketing output.
SPIKE IN DOMESTIC TRAVEL GIVES GERMAN HOTELS MUCH-NEEDED BOOST
Data released by SiteMinder has shown that domestic travel has boomed in Germany, giving a much-needed boost to the country’s tourism industry.
SiteMinder’s World Hotel Index – based on the booking data of 35,000 hotels globally – has revealed that domestic travellers will make up 78% of all hotel guest arrivals in Germany in July and August, compared with 62% during the same period last year.
Clemens Fisch, SiteMinder’s regional director for EMEA, says, “More than ever we are seeing Germany’s local businesses being supported by local travellers, which is very encouraging for the country’s hoteliers who need the support during this most critical period.”
As domestic travel rises worldwide, Germany is currently leading the way among Europe’s most visited countries in terms of domestic bookings.
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