The pandemic has done more damage than one can imagine. Speaking of which, it has shattered the tourism and hospitality industry to a great extent. The revenues of travel looked ever-increasing in 2022 before the pandemic hit. Corporate travel expenses were alone anticipated to grow into a $1.7 trillion industry by 2024.
However, the corona outbreak devastated the travel sector with significant losses instead of gains. It has been a rough time for hotels, especially. While everything might seem doomed, there is always a silver lining. What’s that? Although international travel might seem dropping, regional travels are somehow increasing. For example, countries like New Zealand and Australia are encouraging local tourism to help their economy sustain.
The same pattern is followed around the globe. After all, how long can a human sustain without traveling? In India, where the cases seem only to hike, people are still traveling by road to nearby places because it has become almost impossible to stay in those confined zones.
The industry has always embraced digital marketing tactics to promote their destination and establish a loyal customer base. Also, the online presence for tourism-related activities holds special importance. With profound empathy for hoteliers suffering during COVID, this article will help uplift the sales with the innovative digital strategies post crises.
- Try a Chatbot Contest
Effective marketing tactics are using chatbots like engaging Messenger users with giveaway contests with a chance to win super cool travel prizes that are easy to set-up and scalable to adjust the size of the hotel or campaign.
Chatbots such as ManyChat utilize the much higher opt-in rates displayed for Messenger interactions when compared to other formats to propel high digital marketing investment ROI. They also render hotels with a new rich market data source to pull insights from or propel product innovation with resources every hotel requires to remain relevant to its guests.
- Make your Hotel Look Brighter Digitally
Hotels are spaces that offer guests a delightful home-like experience with luxurious amenities and prompt services when needed. It has become more critical than ever before to reflect this experience visually due to the pandemic.
The variety of visual experiences can offer their guest experience ranging from ultra-zoomable 4k images that are immersive and interactive with guests through their smart devices.
Travelers are not more careful than before and prefer a pre-arrival viewing option to ensure safety measures are taken care of, and 24/7 security is provided. The better viewing experiences at the research stage should be considered to drive mass to choose your hotel amongst your nemesis.
Hence, it is essential to make your hotel shine digitally.
- Use your Email List Strategically
Hotels established for years have a massive number of email lists but haven’t used them to boost their social media marketing. It is a great idea to refurbish your email list and consider reconnecting with your past guests. Engaging with your guests is one of the essential strategies. It gives them a sense of belonging when you remember them.
Although silence during lock-downs isn’t a viable option, it is essential to connect with your guests sensitively. For instance, a safety measure email is an excellent gesture to show them that you care.
- Invest in Public Relations
The conversation of a hotel’s brand in social media can make it popular or sabotage its image. Brands are perceived by what others say about it, and hotels are not an exception. With the fierce competition in the hospitality industry and the rise of home-stays like Airbnb, it has got challenging to survive in the market without proper PR strategies. Strategic investments in PR, either through a digital agency or internal hire, will pay dividends as customers apply ever-higher levels of a survey of brands and their offers by looking at what people talk about them on social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook.
- Look-out for Third-Party Booking Sites
A lousy booking experience on third-party sites can sabotage a hotel’s revenue potential. The increasing need for a smooth, simple, and secure purchase or transaction means if a hotel’s website link is slow to load, guests will turn away. Hoteliers need to keep a close eye on their booking partners and choose them wisely to ensure a pleasant guest experience at each step, starting from making reservations to stay.
- Equipe The Power of Data
As simple as it seems, not enough hotels gather the survey from their guests. Chatbot tech renders hotels a way to carry out good surveys and deliver accurate guest feedback about their experience throughout their stay. By receiving up-to-date information about guest experiences at critical moments like post-brunch at a restaurant or using a gymnasium facility at a hotel, they can know the guests’ satisfaction level and where to improve.
- Enhance your Website
Sadly, most hotels are stuck to a brochure theme with their website, providing a flat, one-way online experience to potential guests. Advancements have exceeded this brochure theme approach in both eCommerce and digital technology. Here, the hospitality sector can learn a lot from retail.
Retail has grown to the point where even the smallest brands have extremely functional eCommerce websites, providing users massive scope for research before purchase and play during decision making. Improving user experience can make your brand stand out and the hotel sector to flourish as before.
The Hospitality Demand Will Return
The target of $1.7 trillion in 2024 for business travel expenditure will not be achieved for a while, but it is sure to return with the new normal measures. The economy needs a significant boost after all, and businesses are a way to go.
The secret of overcoming this crisis is to embrace the guest-centric and technology-leveraged approach, especially for small brands in this sector. This may compel a sharp learning curve in the long-term and enhance how hotels are marketed and run in the long run after 2024, leaving the pandemic behind us.
Author Bio:
Claudia is a Content Writer at Hdata Systems, a top big analytics company in the world. She likes to write about the latest technologies.
