Are you ready for the staycation boom?
As Boris shared his plans to allow staycations in the UK this Summer, the demand for hotels in August has already risen by a whopping 239 per cent and July by 166 per cent.
And as our very own Michael De Jongh, highlights in an article with The Guardian,
“We have all had a tough year and people are desperate to get away this summer. Many consumers feel it is too risky to book a foreign holiday, so they are using the money they would have spent going abroad to treat themselves to an incredible stay at a 4- or 5-star hotel in the UK instead.”
This increase in not only luxury UK travel, but UK travel as a whole is going to be a welcome life line for the industry as it makes plans to get back on its feet after a turbulent 12 months. At Avvio we are committed to helping hotels offer the best possible experience, so they are able to not only survive after the events of the last year, but also thrive.
And with August revenue for 4- and 5-star hotels more than tripling it may well be the first time staying in a luxury hotel for some customers. So it is time to start asking, are you doing the following for not only repeat customers but new ones too?
>> Making it personal: are you offering an experience that can be tailored?
>> Exciting your guests: are you using engaging design and imagery to stand out from the crowd?
>> Doing your research: are you aware of the latest trends that your guests are looking for?
>> Asking for help: are you leaning on the resources available to you and your business?
Our AI booking engine can help you increase the power of personalisation by collating and analysing vast amounts of data, including a visitor’s geography, guest history, booking preferences, website interactions, conversions and more, to better react to behaviour. We then use this data to understand and offer a personalised experience tailored to each visitor’s needs.
This approach not only makes the booking journey unique, but it also enables your guests to book what they desire more quickly, with direct revenue increases of 25% for many of our customers.
>> Boris has made it very clear that foreign holidays are off the cards until at least May, so with consumers desperate for a bit of a rest bite from the Coronavirus crisis, the rush for a UK break around Easter will be a key time for UK hotels to put this tailored experience to the test. I personally would not be booking a holiday abroad this year with the uncertainty around restrictions in most parts of the world.
Now is the opportunity for the hotel industry to really stand out and use the technology available to them to offer a truly personalised service that is built on really knowing their guests, better than they do.
