Today’s world faces an unprecedented situation. The Coronavirus pandemic changed our habits, and we have no choice: we have to adapt to the new normal. As Charles Darwin said: “It is not the strongest species that survives, nor the most intelligent. But the one that best adapts to change”. In times of pandemic, the hotel’s success, gastronomy, leisure and free time industry will depend on how individuals respond to the trends that will take place in the coming years. Therein lies the key to success.
New target market places
One way to reach new markets is by using cutting-edge platforms. And one of them is eBay, in partnership with CultBay. With 180 million active buyers worldwide, eBay is the perfect platform for your hotel deals to have visibility and great potential. If you list your hotels on eBay using CultBay support, the chances of increasing the number of reservations are very high. The use of discount coupons and special offers is the perfect hook to retain customers worldwide. It is worth noting that the platform is very friendly and easy to access by people of different cultures and geographical locations.
Added Flexibility
As we said in our introduction, the Coronavirus pandemic changed our lives. Habits are no longer the same. In that sense, hotels can offer their guests greater flexibility, allowing 100 percent reimbursement for last-minute cancellations and other risk reduction policies. Over time, these types of measures generate greater loyalty to our product. You have to test the system that we have implemented for this purpose. Of course, this is an exceptional opportunity to reach more customers with the best prices and benefits.
Digitalized guest experiences & Contactless Technology
For many years now, the mobile phone has been the leading internet access device in the world. In this context, applications are vital when making it easier for travellers to make a hotel reservation, purchase a service, and experience many experiences. It is worth adding that more emphasis is placed on performing all these actions in the least amount of gestures possible. What are gestures? The steps we take to buy, sell or decide on a good or service.
Enhanced Hygiene Protocols
Undoubtedly, the hotel industry was one of the first to implement the necessary protocols in terms of safety and hygiene in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic. These actions generated a positive effect, and quickly the hotel establishments were imitating their colleagues’ activities. Those who pay better attention to these protocols can ensure more significant demand for their services.
Delivery service
The hourly limits and the generalized blockade led to implementing new practices in delivery and delivery service. And this includes minors who had to adapt their times to these new experiences about health and personal care.
Instaworthy design
Instagramers are here to stay. It’s incredible how people post practically all of their experiences on Instagram. This being a reality, hotels need to be part of these actions, working on their product’s engagement through tags, hashtags, and other related activities. It is also trendy to use influencers to spread everything their hotel offers and their services on their social networks and to their followers in exchange for free accommodation or a fee.
Extended Stays
Extended stays are here to stay. In times of pandemic, people run less. The protocols and difficulties in moving to lead us to a new scenario. There are fewer and fewer one or 2-day accommodations, as was the case before March 2020. For this, hotels offer special programs and packages, making their stay easier for guests. This is how hotels have adapted different services. For example, the demand for breakfast in the rooms is much more significant or providing equipment to perform gymnastics without leaving our room. This is achieved by providing guests with weights, mats, and even stationary bikes that can be transported from one side to the other.
Work-Friendly Rooms
Many hotels have specially adapted their rooms with more extended stays, allowing them to alternate between leisure and work. This is because guests tend to use hotels business centres less and hold more meetings in their rooms. In this sense, it is vital to appeal to good taste and comfort. A central factor is lighting, ensuring that the rooms have natural light as much of the time as possible.
Personalization
More and more guests are looking for personalized service. Thus, it is essential to train hotel staff to treat passengers’ missions in this way, without invading their privacy. It is imperative to treat guests with trust and respect simultaneously, by name and making passengers feel comfortable.
Virtual & augmented reality
Continuing with technology, augmented reality is very good at capturing an audience, generating more bookings. How do you do it? Implementing virtual tours, evoking a digital environment so that consumers imagine the place they are going to stay is like. Currently, there are outstanding and easy-to-use applications to make digital tours inside the accommodation.
Automation & technology
As we told you in a previous paragraph, it is very important to pay attention to “gestures”, facilitate reservation, purchase, and contract services. In this context, enter the technological developments that allow us to reduce waiting times. Even “outsourcing” for housework to robots or using big data to optimize processes, for example.
The future remains uncertain, but at CultBay, we believe that the trends that have emerged during the pandemic will continue through 2021 and into the years to come. With this, the industry anticipates a long road to recovery and will continue to focus on profitably addressing new markets. The new normal is about adapting intelligently, using all the tools that the 21st century offers us.
eBay’s alliance with CultBay generates more valuable links every day. Without a doubt, this service is here to stay. There are thousands of satisfied customers who increasingly trust this platform when making reservations and using discount coupons and special offers. We have to transform ourselves and do it for the better. We have no other choice.
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