A new travel trends report, by travel tech company Impala, has revealed that travellers are looking to rediscover old destination in new ways, last-minute demand for travel is here to stay and the Jubilee has sparked an interest in heritage properties.
Strong, Last-Minute Demand
Covid restrictions got travellers used to making last-minute bookings – so they’d avoid having to adjust their plans. But the trend of late decision-making may be here to stay: holidaymakers report that the convenience of seeing the weather forecast, and finding the best deal for their trip means the “book” button is being pushed nearer to departure.
This puts hotels in a tricky spot: how long do you hold your nerve before discounting rooms? Late-booking travellers are certainly incentivised by discounted rates, but their primary motivation for making last-minute reservations isn’t price alone. It’s a new world of revenue management, and one that will take a while to become predictable, but the initial evidence suggests that, for now at least, you don’t need to worry about unsold rooms until much closer to the day.
Palatial Aspirations Sparked by the Jubilee
In the week following the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations, Impala found that the pomp and ceremony against a backdrop of Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle, drove a spike in bookings for heritage properties.
In the run up to the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, Impala signed up historic castle collection company Celtic Castles, which has over 100 properties across United Kingdom, Ireland, Spain and France, and has observed that with all things royal trending worldwide since the Bank Holiday weekend, interest in heritage properties, whether for short breaks, or self-catering family celebrations, has spiked.
Hotels Seek Digital Nomads
Impala has also revealed that many properties they work with are looking at ways to attract long-stay guests. Lorenzo Scumaci, Market Manager at Impala advises hotels to “adapt and market your facilities for digital nomads. For example: outline what co-working spaces you have, highlight your excellent WiFi speeds, provide long-stay discounts and promote any networking, community and social events you host. Hotels can then look forward to being listed on sites such as our partner RemoteDream.”
Business Hotels Dial up Leisure Proposition
Bleisure – the blending of business and leisure travel – has been an emergent trend for years, and post-pandemic, this trend continues. Unlike digital nomads who are living and working remotely, bleisure travellers are professionals who extend their business trips into a holiday. Some enjoy R&R alone while others bring the family along for a quick jaunt. Providing facilities for families, offering comfort and convenience all help smart business hotels dial up their leisure side, says Luana Chiocchi, Impala Market Manager – and weekend deals with length of stay promotions can help hotels attract guests.
Consumers look for New Destinations
As post-pandemic travellers look to spread their wings, hotels need to be aware of how their destination is perceived in different source markets: for example, Brits see a trip to Mexico as much more luxurious than Americans do. Properties can segment their sales and marketing: target traditional source markets by showcasing what’s new in the destination; attract guests from new markets by showcasing their destination as a whole. Saudi Arabia is developing completely new resorts that will appeal to the adventurous traveller, and may draw guests away from other destinations, so ‘traditional’ destinations should always be looking to appeal to new demographics.
Emergence of Super Apps
Super Apps – single apps that offer a number of services within their platform – are changing our daily digital lifestyle. According to Accenture, users of WeChat, Alipay, Grab, GoJek, Paytm and Careem top 2 billion.
Gemma Dominguez Cidad, Impala’s Sales Enablement Manager advises hotels: “Imagine it as a single-stop destination where a user can not only manage their bank account, but book hotels, flights, and car hire, and purchase event tickets, message friends, order groceries, and virtually complete their to-do list without ever leaving the app. “Super Apps have grown exponentially in Asia, and with PayPal, Uber, and other dominant Western apps moving into the space, hotels need to stay aware of this emerging trend and how it affects the way rooms are booked. Make sure they’re part of your distribution strategy.”
Ben Stephenson, founder & CEO of Impala said: “We believe the best way to seize the opportunities that these trends offer is to build a strategy and distribution infrastructure that is flexible and fast to adapt. Open Distribution allows hotels and room sellers to explore new channels and pivot on a whim. No matter where the next bleisure destination is or which Super App takes the world by storm, you’ll be able to stay ahead of the herd with Impala and Open Distribution.”
