In 2020, the coronavirus pandemic greatly impacted the hotel industry.
According to an article from the New York Times, business contracted between twenty-five and thirty-five percent in 2020. Nonetheless, with vaccinations on the rise and a general belief that the summer will provide a lot of easing and opportunity for travel, the hotel industry is likely to rise again in interesting ways. Here are five trends to expect.
A Rise in Both Tourist and Business Bookings
The number of overall bookings will rise, perhaps not quite to pre-pandemic levels, with an extra focus on domestic travel, as has been seen in the UK. It all depends on how well countries have rolled out their vaccinations. For business travelers, however, you can expect an even more significant rise, especially as businessmen and women can get exemptions for travel. That said, don’t expect any large conferences just yet. If you are a hotel looking to connect with business travelers, or a business looking for good hotel deals, check out https://turbores.com/ for a great B2B platform.
A Rise in Boutique Experiences
Smaller, more local, more personal experiences are likely to be on the rise as people will want to avoid large crowds and mass-market trips. Expect hotels in rural areas, especially ones that blend in with nature, to receive far higher bookings than usual, as well as smaller residences that assure more privacy. This also will appeal to business travelers, who will also have similar concerns for more curated experiences that complement their constant travels better and that feel far more personal.
Safety First
Safety is going to be on everybody’s mind when traveling over the next few years. Customers will expect their rooms to be deep cleaned when they arrive, scrubbed of any contaminated services that may still have traces of the coronavirus. Equally, amenities where people group together, such as the hotel breakfast buffet, may still need a few more months before coming back in full swing. Nonetheless, with fewer people wanting to go outside of their hotel, there is the opportunity for the hotel to make more money from restaurant bookings and personalized in-hotel experiences.
Full Package Experiences
With a renewed desire for people to travel, there is likely to be much higher demand from people who want their trip that go deeper than a mere city break. Expect longer stays coupled with the desire for once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Hotels should be prepared to either offer these resources or know-how to refer guests to them in order not to lose out to other companies.
More Senior Travel
As the coronavirus vaccine is doled out to people over 75 first, expect far more senior travel this year than usual, especially as these people will want to seize the day after surviving the pandemic. As the latest news has confirmed, bookings are already up this year for late 2021, spearheaded by the elderly who believe that they will be able to travel with relative freedom after having both doses.
