Step by step we see how things are “normalizing” in terms of the tourism sector, we see the growing interest of tourists to travel and disconnect from the crisis that this virus has produced during the years 2020 and 2021. We see how the Interests have changed and as the behavior of humanity in certain aspects has changed, the way we relate, the prioritization of things will never be the same as before, one of the aspects that we believe humanity must rescue from this pandemic, is to value more the time with the family, with the loved ones.
Due to this, the IMR company has made a recent study of how the covid has influenced the mentality of travelers and which are their expectations now that tourism activity begins to resume in most European countries. With an analytical study of 1,300 surveys carried out with people from different countries in Europe, they have reached different conclusions, which we will show below.
An important aspect to emphasize is that there is no doubt that after Covid-19, interest in traveling has increased exponentially, even more than before the pandemic.
The results show a clear Digitization by the client in the first phases of the Customer Journey with an overwhelming result of online reservations, the advance in the reservation goes down to one month and the traveler has high expectations in relation to the Qualification of the team that provides the service, the personalization of the stay and the experience.
1.- Prior planning, and suggestions from family, friends and social networks, take the lead.
- Social networks (34,18%)
- Family references (51,26%)
- Netflix (1,30%)
- Travel Agency (13,26%)
51.26% of those surveyed answered that the planning of their chosen trips and destinations comes from advice or recommendations from their friends and family, and the same 34% from what they see on social networks. Which shows that the advertising of your accommodation is an excellent tool for its positioning.
2.-How are most of the reservations made?
- Travel Agencies (12,57%).
- Accommodation’s web portal (36,70%).
- I call and book a Hotel (8,05).
- OTAS (37,24%)
- All of the above (5,44%)
36% of reservations are made directly through the accommodation’s web portal, which shows that direct sales continue to gain strength. This due to the fact that the flexibility policies that the accommodation have opted for have generated security and interest in the tourist.
3.-The digitization of processes is increasingly popular.
As we have said on previous occasions, digitization in the reservation and registration processes is vital in this new normal that we are facing. Comparing this figure with the data published by ISDI in 2019, according to their study, online reservations were made by 56% of travelers. We can conclude that this high difference of 16 points is the result, among others, of the digital acceleration that the pandemic has brought us.
4.-Anticipation of reservations.
- 1 Week before (8,43%)
- 2 Week before (34,33%)
- 1 Month before (53,72%)
- 2 Moths before (3,52%)
With the crisis produced by the pandemic, people were initially afraid of booking with such close dates, since there was no type of security or guarantee that the trip could be effectively carried out, coupled with the cancellation policies Right now, late 2020 and early 2021, they were very rigid. Now, with the massive vaccinations, the implementation of a covid passport and flexible reservation cancellation policies, the confidence of travelers has recovered, who begin to book with fewer days in advance, 80% of reservations are made 0-30 days in advance, much like pre-pandemic reservations.
5.- What does the guest want or expect from the host or accommodation?
From this analysis we observe three main aspects:
- The user seeks to have a staff willing to help in the accommodation process.
- Good treatment and quality customer service is at the forefront.
- The personalization of the stay, covering the interests of the guest, making them feel as comfortable as possible. Thus, travelers expect a professional and personalized service, either in person or through video calls, given the current context.
- The hosting has to have contactless technology that helps you digitize your registration process.
6.- Reasons why they will return to the accommodation?
Unquestionably we return to the place where we have been treated phenomenally, where we have lived a pleasant experience, nobody wants to return to a place where they have been treated badly or where they have gone through negative situations.
This is perfectly expressed in the previous graph, where 71% of those surveyed affirm that they will return to those places where they have had previous experiences, so, it is time for your usual guests to return to your accommodation happy, but when they find it this can offer them new experiences with new technologies, which give them security The technological developments that revolve around the customer experience as a strategic discipline, are not born by chance, but to respond to a real need. According to studies like the one published by Zendesk Trends in 2021, 75% of customers are willing to spend more when they have a good experience.
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