.webp)
Corona has changed all of our lives, both privately and professionally. The last two years have turned behavior on its head and brought many restrictions, but also opened up new, mostly digital opportunities — especially when it comes to travel behavior.
For many hoteliers or employees in the catering and hotel industry in particular, the time was very difficult and meant a lot of change.
This article deals with how the changing travel behavior is affecting the hotel industry. We show which trends are emerging and what significance this has for hotels and our industry in general.
Fewer business trips, but more holidays in Germany — will it stay that way?
Instead of working from home, instead of customer visits or video conferencing via Zoom or Microsoft Teams, instead of a personal conversation, more exchange via email: What seemed unthinkable just two years ago is today the norm in practice.
But will it stay that way now that national borders are reopening, restrictions are gradually falling and incidence rates are falling? A representative questioning by the opinion research institute YouGov on behalf of the Numa Group has revealed that business trips in Germany are carried out less frequently even after the end of the corona pandemic.
However, this does not mean that business travel will be discontinued, as was the case during lockdowns. The larger conferences, the resuming trade fairs and exhibitions are also strengthening the business segment of the hotel industry in Germany. This is already apparent at the beginning of 2022.
In an article, Handelsblatt has shown an effect of the absence of business trips for more than two years, which may not be generalized but is nevertheless concise. According to this, the pressure to change as a result of the change in business travel behavior has led to some hotels, particularly urban hotels, being converted into serviced apartments. This is certainly a particularly far-reaching consequence. But it shows that alternative approaches can also be discussed and found in the hotel industry affected by corona.
But what the past year 2021 also showed: Germans have rediscovered their own country as a travel destination. Admittedly forced in part due to travel restrictions, but the impression remains that this was received positively. In the summer of last year, city hotels, holiday apartments and even the rural hotel industry were overrun with German tourists. Although this is likely to flatten out somewhat in 2022, as the borders are open again, at least in Europe, this trend will not disappear completely.
Hygiene and sustainability — are these topics of greater importance for travel behavior?
Intensive cleaning and hygiene have become important for travelers in the last two years and have had a major impact on booking behavior. No OTA, No booking portal and only very few hotel websites can get around without evidence of compliance with the new standards. Inquiries and reviews clearly show how much attention is paid to this and that the majority of travelers value handling them correctly.
Disinfectants at entrances, partitions for staff and minimum distances maintained have become almost “normal” for all of us and are therefore not only expected but also implemented in the hotel industry. This will certainly remain the case to a certain extent, even if the pandemic comes to an end.
In the case of a DRV Regional Assembly (German Travel Association), the topic of sustainability was the focus of the so-called restart of the hotel industry. It was worked out that sustainable action, and thus also sustainable travel, is becoming increasingly important. One conclusion was: “The topic of sustainability will therefore no longer just be a nice-to-have in the post-Corona travel world, but must become the attitude of an entire destination as part of social and environmental responsibility. ”
Travel insurer surveys revealed that many companies want to plan business trips increasingly from the point of view of sustainability in the future. Companies are striving to reduce their carbon footprint. This includes asking the question of the need for business trips in the first place. When the trip is necessary, the car is currently the most popular means of transport due to the lower risk of infection. But there is also a trend here: Many travel guidelines determine the choice of mode of transport: For example, rail instead of short-haul flights. It is better to combine several dates and therefore fewer but slightly longer trips.
Booking behavior and new trends — do we have to adapt?
Of course, the majority of Germans would like to travel “normally” again. But this “normal” has probably changed a bit. Hygiene standards are expected to be met today. However, it is also expected that the trip can be flexibly rebooked or — in the worst case — even cancelled.
As a result, many holidaymakers now book their trip via OTAs and use their customer-friendly cancellation or rebooking options. For hotels, this means that cooperation with portals and platforms is becoming even more important than was the case before Corona. As a hotelier or responsible person, you have to maintain these sales tools well and use them constantly.
But not only marketing, but also the offer can be adjusted. Over the last two years, stays in holiday homes, camping or serviced apartments have become increasingly popular.
Working from home has also meant that many people can and want to live somewhere else for the longer term. If you can work from anywhere, why not work in the sun? Longstay apartments on the Canary Islands were extremely popular in 2021. As a result, many local hotels have retained at least part of their business there. The trend towards so-called workations is also unwavering. Living for a few weeks in another country in a hotel (or apartment) with all amenities and working fully at the same time? For larger chains such as robinson For example, Worcation rooms are now firmly on the agenda and are frequently booked out. Individualists travel across Germany and Europe by camper and work on the go.
Practically in return, the trend towards short breaks remains unabated — another opportunity for city and holiday hotels.
Digitalization — opportunities for everyone?
For everyone privately and for companies, digitization has (necessarily) continued in big steps over the last two years. This development has not stopped at our industry either. And it is important to use that.
Our guests book online — so we need to be present in portals, at OTAs and with our website.
Chatbots on websites help you get in touch with guests more quickly. The bot answered simple questions about the booking process directly on its own. This also allows hoteliers to adopt new ways of communicating with guests. For example, when they give their consent to be informed about offers via WhatsApp in the future. After departure, the hotelier can also ask about satisfaction and thus secure good reviews.
As requested by many guests, we should ensure contactless check-ins (filling out the registration form, depositing credit card details, etc.) and check-outs. Offer templates in digital format often lead to faster decisions by bookers and to more turnover.
Digital guest folders In the rooms and digital menus in the restaurants make a guest's stay pleasant.
These new tools and structures in guest communication have even more advantages: They reduce costs and personnel expenses without leaving guests with the feeling that they are not appreciated.
But digitization shouldn't stop at operational processes either. Hoteliers have many useful digital applications available for purchasing, warehouse management, reservations and, of course, revenue management.
These tools help hoteliers focus on important things such as strategies, marketing, and sales. Digitalization can therefore be the key to making work in the hotel easier and relieving employees so that they have more time for important tasks and direct contact with guests. And in doing so, we provide our guests with an excellent stay and a relaxing trip.
