How to Prepare Your Business (And Your Customers) For the Travel Surge?
Travel has taken a backseat in the minds of many since the COVID-19 pandemic began. As borders closed, destinations went into lockdown and cases rose, hospitality businesses across the world had to pause their operations as travellers prioritised health and safety over trips and holidays.
Gradually, the Asia Pacific region is reopening and starting to see positive signs of travel recovery. With rising vaccination rates and travel bubbles emerging, the industry is slowly regaining ground in this new normal. Tourism officials and industry leaders remain hopeful for a busy end-of-year holiday season that will provide a much-needed boost for many businesses desperate to get back on their feet. In September 2021, hotel searches on Tripadvisor grew 6% month-over-month for Asia Pacific destinations — a welcome sign of returning momentum and increasing travel intent across the region.
At Tripadvisor, we can see trends in customer demand at the destination level emerging in real time, based on the searches and check-in dates Tripadvisor users are selecting. We have also closely tracked consumer sentiment concerning their travel intent since the start of the pandemic.
Looking at that data today, we are optimistic for our industry.
As destinations across the region begin rolling out travel recovery plans like sandboxes in Phuket, travel bubbles in Australia and Vaccinated Travel Lanes in Singapore, we wanted to take the opportunity to share what Tripadvisor has in store to support the travel industry, helping businesses build back guests’ trust, attract customers, and ensure that properties are ready for the rebound.
Safety first
Now more than ever, travellers need extra information, guidance, and support to navigate a novel set of challenges. Safety measures will be of major importance in the upcoming months. Especially as vaccination rates go up, guests are now expecting facilities to take new precautionary measures to protect staff, guests and the entire community. Taking Singapore for example, a recent Tripadvisor survey found that 70% of Singaporean respondents are taking safety measures and precautions that businesses take to protect customers more seriously than ever before, when it comes to making travel decisions. In addition, 78% of respondents will be doing more research than ever before as they plan their next trip.
Last year, we introduced the Travel Safe initiative that gives consumers the peace of mind they need to book a hotel or an experience, and to make a restaurant reservation. The information provided to travellers gives hospitality businesses a simple way to highlight their safety measures at no cost (for any business with a claimed listing). Travellers will be able to find, filter for, and validate health and safety protocols being enacted by businesses and feel more confident in their travel choices, e.g. masking requirements, availability of sanitisers, or a plethora of other measures a business might take to keep travellers safe.
Rethink how you attract customers
Cost-effectively capturing your share of the rising demand in tourism is another crucial challenge for businesses. After a year of historically low revenues and with other costs now rising, it is no surprise that many businesses have had to reassess their marketing spend while at the same time understanding the need to invest in the future as markets reopen. To help our hotel and restaurant partners, Tripadvisor is offering a range of exclusive recovery packages worth over $700M in total savings globally to help hotels recapture traveller demand, and restaurants accelerate their recovery.
Looking at hotel packages, these consist of bundled discounts and promotions on Tripadvisor’s four leading hotel products:
Get seen first: 30% off three months of Sponsored Placements
Capture and convert demand: Three months free of Business Advantage + 60% off three months of Sponsored Placements
Impact your Tripadvisor ranking: Three months free of Reputation Pro + 60% off three months of Sponsored Placements
Maximise your revenue: One month free of Rate Spotlight + 60% off Sponsored Placements for three months
With an 18% year-on-year increase in searches in September for year-end trips, APAC travel is clearly showing positive signs of recovery at the end of the year. Getting your marketing strategy right will be crucial, as new customers you attract now could become the loyal, returning guests you rely on in the future.
Reimagine customer experience
Finally, travellers are also reassessing the way they interact with organisations, demanding a completely new type of ‘no-touch’ customer experience. 62% of respondents from a recent traveller survey expressed that the availability of contactless payments is an important factor in picking a travel destination for their next trip. Digital menus also help minimise physical contact and increase confidence amongst diners. Tripadvisor now offers consumers a safer, cleaner way to decide their next long-awaited meal: Menu Connect.
Clearly, the year-end holiday season is proving to be a pivotal time for our industry. Despite all the challenges, the tourism and hospitality industry will continue to rebound and rebuild. We see demand spikes as soon as markets are vaccinated, and even more demand once borders open to international travel — both being trends we fully anticipate the APAC region to mirror compared to North America and Europe. After the year we have all been through, there is surely no better sign of normal life returning to the APAC region than the bustle of a packed restaurant or a busy hotel reception welcoming eager guests through their door. We will see you all — in person —very soon, and raise a glass to toast the return of travel and hospitality once again.
