Hoteliers are looking forward to what lies ahead as the year draws to a close. In addition to dealing with a shortage of employees, high guest standards, and a plethora of requests, hoteliers also have to come up with growth strategies for 2024.
The good news is that group travel appears to be just as promising as the worldwide demand for leisure travel. More than 28 million group room nights have already been reserved for Q1 2024, according to Amadeus Demand360+ data as of November 3. This represents a 10% increase over the same period this year.
Now is the perfect time for hoteliers to plan their sales strategies to maximize business as events resume and travel volumes return to normal following the pandemic. Here are three essential actions you can take right now to position yourself for sauccess in the upcoming year.
Make data the central component of your plan
Making decisions will be much less guesswork if you have access to thorough business intelligence data. Collaborate with a technology supplier that provides insights into the past as well as the future to gain a deeper understanding of market trends and how your performance compares to that of your competitors. Additionally, data will assist you in determining booking trends so you can predict peak and off-peak times for your property and adjust your marketing and sales strategies accordingly.
Create offers and messaging that speak to a variety of audiences
Astute hotel managers are aware that depending on the nature of the trip—leisure, business, or “bleisure”—guests have different requirements and expectations. This implies that there should not be a one-size-fits-all strategy for sales. Rather, lodging providers ought to devise sales tactics that resonate with every distinct clientele.
- According to recent Amadeus research, leisure travelers are prioritizing more individualized, flexible, and sustainable travel experiences that are backed by contemporary digital tools. In response, hotel operators ought to provide customized promos on their website and employ countdown clocks or banner advertisements to generate a sense of urgency for reservations. Promoting “free cancellation” or other accommodating policies, for example, can help improve the hotel’s revenue and sales tactics. In order to maximize bookings, don’t forget to promote the same offers on third-party channels that you are aware that leisure travelers use, like social media, metasearch, online travel agencies, and more.
- Examine your current corporate partnerships to see which companies you have negotiated room rates with in order to attract more business travel. Are you able to expand the deal by providing more amenities or more enticing rates? Regarding your travel agency, who are your most loyal clients? Is it possible to strengthen your relationship and provide these travel agents with better value for their reservations? Using a business intelligence tool such as Amadeus’ Agency360+ will not only help you safeguard your current corporate business but also locate other businesses that are booking into your market and competitive set. From there, you can strategically target these businesses to gain market share and forge new alliances.
- Then there are the tourists who have an endless desire. Blended travel is becoming more popular as a result of a global shift towards remote and hybrid work, which has blurred the lines between different types of travelers. The estimated size of the global leisure travel market in 2023 is $594.5 billion, according to Statista. According to the GBTA’s Business Travel Index Outlook report from August 2023, business travelers are combining business and personal travel more frequently than they did in 2019. Of these travelers, 42% add extra days of leisure to their business trips, and 79% stay at the same hotel for both business and vacation purposes. If you can creatively advertise your hotel to appeal to both the business and leisure sides of the guest experience, this is a great upsell opportunity for you as a hotelier. A guided city tour or a guest suite with a kitchen might be of interest to lone digital nomads. During the day, conference attendees might value robust Wi-Fi and cutting-edge audio/visual equipment while anticipating a spa visit after hours. Providing details about the amenities offered by your establishment, such as the fitness center, chef-driven dining options, pool, and golf course, will only encourage these visitors to stay longer.
Victory over RFP season – now!
The time to cultivate corporate relationships and showcase your property or hotel chain is during the request for proposals (RFP) season.
You can differentiate yourself from the competition and win important group and negotiated rate business for 2024 by using technology to create persuasive proposals. As a key selling point, emphasize your location, the variety of rooms and meeting areas you offer, as well as extras like business and fitness centers and flexible cancellation policies. Your dedication to your clients’ success will be evident in your prompt responses to their questions and requests for proposals as well as in your customized proposals that cater to their unique requirements and preferences.