2024 looks promising for hoteliers. After several complicated years linked in particular to the health crisis, the specialized press predicts sustained activity with the return of foreign customers. And the Olympic Games should strengthen the situation. 🏆 Yes, but now, to get a piece of the pie, it is no longer enough to provide basic services to travelers. It is necessary to anticipate customer behavior in order to remain competitive. Let's take a look at the 5 main trends in the hotel industry in 2024.
Hyperpersonalization 👨 👩 👧 👦
“Customer experience”: all marketers have this word in their mouths, especially in the field of tourism. Numerous articles dealing with hospitality talk about it. Like that of the McKinsey International Law Firm. Its journalists interviewed hotel leaders about the changes expected by 2030.
Verdict: Convenience and Customization (comfort and personalization in French) are the first terms mentioned. Matteo Pacca explains that the personalization of the offer (via emails or tailor-made promotions) is only at the beginning. Thanks to technology and especially generative AI, the hotelier will know all the habits of his guests — from his preference for showers or bathtubs, to his favorite coffee brand to his alarm time.
💡 Our advice for 2024: identify the channels through which you can recover a maximum of Data on your customers and prospects, then imagine how you can exploit them. And if you haven't already done so, equip yourself with a PMS (Property Management System) to centralize this data.
Authenticity 🏡
In addition to the personalization of the offer, there is the desire to experience a “real” and unusual stay. Of course, in 2024, you will continue to receive customers who need a simple bed with breakfast. But not only that. Many of your hosts are in search of meaning and this is reflected even in their choice of tourist accommodations. They want to get away, immerse themselves in the local culture and experience memorable moments. The good news: this heralds the end of the standardization of the offer. A real boon for independent hoteliers who are now free to assert their identity.
💡 Our advice for 2024: redefine your targets based on the 7 traveller profiles identified by Booking and create a unique and original offer in line with the environment of your establishment.
Careful atmosphere 🎀
According to Expedia Group, of which the Hotels.com brand is a part, the atmosphere of a hotel represents a significant criterion of choice when booking for 85% of French tourists. A figure revealed in their Report of November 9, 2023 on travel trends in 2024. And with this remark, they're not just referring to the color of the walls or the piano in the corner, but to the level of service and attention paid to them. Rather, it is about the general atmosphere that emanates from the place.
💡 Our advice for 2024: reread your customer reviews or ask them about their impressions when they enter your lobby. Is there a friendly and welcoming atmosphere? Do they have services Workation to relax and work, or spaces to meet and play outside their rooms?
AI and connected objects 🤖
In a world where everything goes fast, patience is a quality that is becoming rarer. From the moment a traveller decides to Booker One night, he wants everything to run smoothly: from booking to Check-out. Technologies such as artificial intelligence and robotics are major assets for streamlining the customer journey. Some hotels are already investing in this area, such as:
- The Chatbots, to communicate instantly and 24 hours a day with their hosts;
- IoT (Internet of Things) allowing the command or voice control of devices: heating, air conditioning, lighting, electronic access card to rooms, measurement of their state of wear...;
- virtual reality (VR) or augmented reality (AR), to present the range of services in a different way;
- applications including Guest app, to provide personalized and updated information in real time;
- etc.
YOTEL, New York City — considered to be one of the most high-tech hotels in the world: concept of the future or delirium? It's up to you to make up your own mind. [link to the image]
💡 Our advice for 2024: automate tasks that are usually assigned to the reception team, thanks to applications such as GetWelcom.
🌍 Sustainability
Ecotourism is no longer the business of a niche of travelers. For everyone, the hotel of the future is ecological and eco-responsible. And this is beneficial to customers who respect their environmental values even when they travel, to hoteliers who save money by reducing their energy expenses and to our planet of course!
Here are some examples of actions to put in place:
- a policy for the reuse of linen during the stay;
- short circuit procurement and anti-food waste measures;
- the use of renewable energies and the reduction of waste;
- the adoption of a CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) charter — read our article Hospitality and CSR
- the purchase of recycled furniture.
💡 Our advice for 2024: take one step at a time — start by digitizing your welcome booklet to reduce the amount of paper consumed with the Room directory | GetWelcom.
🌟 Our “inspiration” bonus: why not make your commitment to ecotourism a concept, like the brand Greet of the Accor group? They call these new establishments “second chance hotels.”
Now that you know the 5 main trends to follow in 2024, get ready to start next year with confidence. How? Contact GetWelcom. We have developed digital solutions to meet the expectations of hotel customers and enhance their stay in your establishment.
