SiteMinder's Changing Traveler Report is an annual survey of 10,000 respondents from 12 countries. It aims to comprehend travelers' motivations, opinions, and behaviors globally, making it the most extensive accommodation survey in the world. The report provides critical insights into global trends and data to help hotel managers maximize occupancy and revenue and enhance the guest experience.
When comparing this year's data with 2022, hoteliers saw positive results as the market recovered.
The number of people planning to travel "only internationally " has increased by 22% year-on-year. Even though difficult economic conditions persist, 87% of people are willing to spend money beyond the cost of their room, a 2% increase from the previous year. Furthermore, 52% of people attribute staff and customer service as the main reason for returning to accommodation, a 9% increase from the prior year. These numbers indicate that people are eager to make up for lost time and enjoy memorable experiences. Due to this development, hoteliers should be encouraged to prepare their marketing and distribution strategies enthusiastically.
Global Trends Hotel Managers Should Know
The data uncovered many interesting insights and trends among travelers. However, there are seven key findings that hoteliers should pay attention to:
- 91% of travelers plan to maintain their current travel frequency, while 57% intend to travel more frequently than last year.
- 20% of travelers facing financial difficulties opt for accommodation packages, and another 19% look for more affordable rooms at their preferred properties.
- Most guests (43%) prioritize having a great experience during their stay, followed by having enough space for family and friends (38%).
- Over 75% of travelers believe that the industry is only average or behind when adopting new technologies.
- Half of the respondents said they would spend most of their time or a considerable amount of time in their accommodation.
- 88% of guests are happy to receive communication from their accommodations beyond confirming their reservations.
- More than half (52%) of travelers said they would likely use AI to receive accommodation recommendations.
Based on the available data, hoteliers can gain valuable insights into what areas to prioritize. Specifically, they should focus on engaging guests with value-for-money offerings, investing in technology to streamline operations and enhance the guest experience, improving communication, and providing personalized service to boost satisfaction and revenue.
How to Increase Bookings and Revenue
Hotel managers must consider how their main source markets perform with an increasing volume of international bookings. Let's evaluate the most significant European source markets - the United Kingdom, Germany, and France.
United Kingdom
UK travelers are willing to spend more on breakfast and other extras during their hotel stay. This presents a valuable opportunity for hotel managers to boost revenue. Additionally, it's worth noting that 69% of UK travelers are open to sharing their data with hotels if it leads to an improved experience. To take full advantage of this, hoteliers should offer extras and add-ons through their booking engine and create guest profiles to personalize the guest experience. This can lead to growing customer satisfaction and more loyalty.
Germany
German travelers have differing preferences for finding and booking accommodations. While 27% of them start their search using Google, 25% prefer a specific website or app. Furthermore, 34% of travelers plan to book directly through the accommodation, while an equal number of 34% intend to use an OTA.
To cater to German travelers' diverse needs, hoteliers must adopt a multi-faceted approach to marketing and selling their rooms. This can be achieved by combining a channel manager and a booking engine, making them visible and bookable across all platforms and channels German guests use to make reservations.
France
French travelers usually begin their search on a search engine when planning a trip. About 35% of them also plan to book their accommodation directly. To increase their chances of direct bookings, hoteliers should ensure a professional website optimized for SEO. Using metasearch services and the best booking engine can also increase direct bookings from search engines like Google.
