Often viewed as a traditional industry, the hospitality and tourism industry has been affected hugely by the growth and development of the digital world. With technology continuing to advance and customer expectation growing even more in recent years, it’s no surprise that many are struggling to keep up with the rapid pace in which the industry is changing.
With the summer holidays finally here, it’s an important time for hoteliers and booking sites to generate business, even last minute. In order to reach out to new buyers and enjoy new business opportunities, you need to offering holidaymakers a service that integrates smoothly with the digital world.
But how can hoteliers increase booking this summer? Let’s take a look at some of the most important factors that could help you increase business over the summer holiday period.
Mobile Optimised Website
With an increasing amount of people now opting to search for and book both holidays and accommodation on mobile and tablet devices, if you’re looking to increase conversion rates you need to have a platform that is optimised for those using mobile devices. By ensuring a great user experience across all channels and making sure the entire step of the book journey is optimised, you can see a significant increase in bookings.
Personalisation
Personalisation is huge across many industries right now meaning the hospitality and tourism industry should be no different. Helping build a customer relationship, personalisation can be done through a variety of ways, from offering freebies through loyalty programmes to allowing customers to customise their own stay, there are a number of great opportunities out there to encourage a more personal and tailored service.
Social Media
Social media can be an incredibly effective way for those in the hospitality industry to encourage bookings, allowing you to reach out to new guests, encourage reviews and even show off what you have to offer through images and videos. With multiple platforms out there, each offering their own unique services, there are plenty of opportunities for hoteliers and booking sites to engage with the perfect audience, increasing not only conversions but also helping build a community around your business.
Despite being viewed as a traditional industry there’s no reason the hotel industry can’t benefit make the most of going digital. By analysing how your customers are likely to behave and knowing what they expect when booking a holiday or accommodation, you can implement a new strategy and give your customers what they want from your service.
