1. Holiday trends after the pandemic
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Booking.com’s latest research analysing booking data and shopping behaviour and feedback from its surveyed users has highlighted the importance of a number of points that affect consumers and from which the following trends emerge:
1.1. Safety as an essential factor in any trip.
It is clear that today’s travellers are taking more precautions when it comes to travelling. Therefore, those destinations, establishments and attractions that guarantee safety and hygiene with transparent information and clear measures will attract more travellers.
On the one hand, those who prefer destinations where cases are low and measures are stable and reliable. On the other hand, those who do not wish to quarantine on arrival and return to their home destination, thus maximising their travel days, which have also been affected by new trends among consumers.
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1.2. A change in the concept of travel and the route.
Although the desire to escape and travel has been increasing and the aim of many travellers is to be able to travel long distances, this has not been so easy due to security measures and restrictions in many countries. The length of trips has been reduced, with a higher percentage of travellers opting for holidays of one week or less.
This is also why, during the pandemic, there has been an increase in travel within the country of origin, reducing travel distances and having similar restrictions, but away from the crowds. In fact, among the motivations for choosing a destination, 48% of people sought a non-crowded destination.
Proximity tourism, national tourism has grown, what is more, many national travellers prefer plans related to nature, thus betting on experiences beyond the traditional sun and beach or capital city. Leading us to the next trend in travel consumption:
1.3. A commitment to other types of holiday experiences.
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As we have just mentioned, tourists (especially the new generations) are increasingly demanding other types of holiday experiences, which allow them to discover destinations in a new way, aligned with their preferences and lifestyle. This is why it is increasingly common to observe a growth in the demand for:
- Rural tourism. With the chance to breathe fresh air and enjoy nature, to relax away from large crowds of people, to go hiking or to live rural experiences.
- Glamamping tourism. From the fusion of glamping and camping has emerged this concept and trend among travel consumers who want to spend the night in isolated places, surrounded by nature but enjoying some luxuries as it is not necessary to carry a sleeping bag. This type of tourism ranges from log cabins to transparent bubbles in warm and cold destinations.
- Astro-tourism. Many tourists are becoming attracted to the stars and looking beyond what their own eyes can see, hence the growth in Starlight-certified destinations.
- Starlight.
- Gastro-tourism. Increasingly, we find a sector of middle-aged travellers and food lovers who consider it the best experience to go on a gastronomic tour of different cities and even countries, especially Mediterranean countries, which have quality products and renowned gastronomic elaborations.
- Gastronomic tourism is a growing trend.
- Sustainable tourism. Fortunately, more and more travellers are also paying attention to the impact of their trips on the environment, but also on the economy of the destinations they visit.
- Sustainable tourism.
1.4. A new way of combining tourism and work
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The pandemic has forced many companies to introduce remote working. In fact, many newly created jobs stipulate remote working as a requirement, while others are adopting it as a possibility to be combined with face-to-face work.
What is clear is that for those people who can telecommute, it has opened up the possibility of working from anywhere in the world, not just from home, as long as you have access to WIFI. That is why many respondents in this study have declared their intention to work from another destination, even combining some days of holiday.
1.5. A demand for more flexibility in the cancellation policy
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If there is one thing the pandemic has taught travel consumers, it is that nothing is guaranteed. Travel is still being prepared well in advance and, although not as far in advance as in previous years, holidaymakers are not guaranteed a trip if they get infected at the last minute.
Although many are taking precautionary measures in the last days before their trip, the fear of becoming infected, especially since the Omicron variant appeared, drives these consumers to appreciate the more flexible offers of flights and establishments with free cancellation, or with an acceptable cancellation policy.
When booking, travellers don’t want to leave anything to chance, especially when they have to fork out a considerable amount for accommodation at their destination.
1.6. A progressive deseasonalisation of destinations
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As a result of this demand for different experiences in which leisure and work can be combined, it is becoming even more necessary to deseasonalise tourist destinations focused on a sun and beach offer.
This is why, more and more, the tourist offer in destinations takes into account the existing possibilities all 12 months of the year, throughout the territory that can be explored and offer an experience to the traveller during any season.
In this sense, technology to know the customer will be fundamental, not only for the development of new products and services but also, first and foremost, to understand what this customer is like, to understand their needs and concerns. This is why it will be necessary to implement marketing strategies that allow us to obtain information in a sustainable and consensual way that also allows us to improve sales.
2. Fundamental strategies to drive sales
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It is clear that the post-Covid consumer is going to be more demanding. Not only have we seen a predilection for more isolated and even out-of-season holiday experiences, with safety being key, but also travellers feel that they deserve that holiday, that they need it and are therefore going to be more meticulous in choosing where and how they spend their budget.
Experts at the last International Tourism Congress explained that not only security and sustainability are fundamental for host destinations, but that digitisation in the tourism sector is key to offering more personalised experiences to the most demanding tourists. So, which marketing and sales strategies are fundamental:
2.1. Web + booking engine + integration.
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The ultimate exponent of the digitalisation of tourism businesses is the creation of a website with a booking facility. Not only does the direct sale of the product or service offered, but the website can also offer more and better information about the product or service on offer, but also about the destination.
A well-structured website with interesting and clear information for those buyer personas of the business, i.e. consumers likely to be interested in what is offered, together with an intuitive and optimised booking engine for all types of screens is key to improve sales and to boost loyalty, especially for those businesses in which a recurrence of customers is observed, a strategy directly related to the objectives of boosting direct bookings.
But, in addition, with web contact elements such as forms, chats or chatbots, it is also possible to get to know these buyers, these potential customers in the different phases of their purchase cycle. Knowing more about their needs and interests in such a way that products and services can be better targeted, for which it is essential to have the ability to store, segment and apply direct communication techniques thanks to strategies such as:
2.2. CRM + automation + email marketing.
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Only a CRM with the capacity to store information from the booking engine, the website, the PMS and the Channel Manager can offer a rigorous and effective segmentation with which to work with the information obtained from the contacts. On the one hand, by offering those products and services at the best moment in the purchasing cycle of these consumers. On the other hand, by analysing trends to improve strategies to achieve an increase in sales.
Obviously, CRM must be linked to a strategy of automated marketing and direct email marketing both to manage communications more effectively based on certain triggers or actions, and to send interesting and personalised information that attracts contacts to the brand. Although, of course, email marketing cannot be the only content-based communication strategy.
2.3. Content + reputation + positioning
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Since content is still king on the internet, content marketing for tourism businesses is essential because today’s travellers are inspired, informed and make purchasing decisions based on the information available on the web. But, in addition, one of the great peculiarities of travel consumers is that they share content related to their trips, inspiring other consumers and giving their opinion.
For this reason, the content that is created and shared on different channels (web, social networks, reputation platforms…) in different formats (video, image, text) must transmit the brand’s particular message in order to consolidate the brand’s online reputation. The management and monitoring of own content and that generated by consumers is essential to improve sales.
Closely linked to content is the search engine positioning strategy, which is especially interesting for those businesses that wish to boost direct bookings on their website. In this case, it is important to remember that, although the positioning is worked on, only interesting content can motivate the booking, which, in the end, is what matters.
