Four Developments in Hotel Marketing

There has been something of a revolution in the travel industry over the last few years, with the pace of change growing ever faster.

In order for a small or independent hotel, guest house or bed and breakfast to survive in this rapidly moving market, they need to adapt fast or face missing out on the global travel boom.

So what is driving this change? We have identified four key developments that hoteliers need to keep in mind when they are considering their hotel marketing strategy.

Faster Internet Connections

The web just got a whole lot faster. Thanks to the push for broadband, more people than ever before have a high speed connection to the internet. This gives them a connection to the world of web video.

For the savvy hotelier it means that cheap and easy web videos can be created that promote their hotel, their area and the main attractions in a way that would have cost tens of thousands of dollars just a few years ago.

Budget Flights

The growth in budget airlines is something of a double edged sword.

See, if you are one of the areas served by a low cost flight, you have been magically connected to a huge new potential customer base. This effect has fuelled travel from the UK to former Eastern Bloc destinations such as Prague and Budapest. Knowing where your customers are coming from means that you can create very targeted marketing messages for them.

On the other hand, for many traditional destinations such as Blackpool in the UK, the arrival of budget travel has only served to speed up the decline of the area as their traditional customer base heads off to more 'exotic' destinations where prices are generally lower.

Threat Of Terrorism

The threat of terrorism was responsible for many airlines facing closure just after the Twin Towers disaster of 9/11. Many Americans decided that travel outside of the USA was simply too dangerous and they chose to stay at home.

However, terrorism had an even bigger knock-on effect for the rest of the world, as airport procedures were made even more restrictive. As each threat occurs, the confidence in the traveling public suffers another blow.

What does this mean for the hotelier? Well, this depends on where your guests come from. You are likely to take a hit from anyone who needs to board a plane or cross a continent. But this is countered by a growing number of local guests who prefer to stay 'closer to home' and drive or catch the train to your resort.

Changing Travel Attitudes

Public attitudes to travel are changing. On one side we have the threat of global warming, which has convinced many to cut down on non essential travel.

On the other side we have a more adventurous traveler that wants to get off the beaten track and discover new adventures in far off destinations. The gap year students of today will become the family travelers of tomorrow so I can see this trend continuing for the foreseeable future.

Overall, the changes to the travel and hotel industry are going to continue, albeit at a much faster pace. But knowing what to expect and why, will help the savvy hotelier to keep ahead of the crowd.