Since the start of the pandemic, hoteliers have had to rethink many aspects of their business to accommodate new safety procedures, cater to changing guest needs, and survive in an extremely complex operating environment. New research from Amadeus reveals how the hospitality industry worldwide has adapted and the trends hoteliers think are likely to stay as the industry rebuilds.
Amadeus’ Demand360 business intelligence data shows that hotel occupancy levels are now on an upward trajectory. Worldwide occupancy reached 46 percent in April 2021, up from the low point of 13 percent in April 2020. This means that global hospitality occupancy has climbed two-thirds of the way back to pre-pandemic norms of around 70 percent for this time of year.
The data also shows that booking lead time is lengthening, indicating growing consumer confidence to plan ahead. For much of the past year, nearly all reservations across the world were made within zero to seven days of travel. In recent weeks, bookings made on the same day of travel, which are the most problematic for the industry to accommodate, have shrunk globally from 39 percent the first week of 2021 to 23 percent the week of April 25, 2021, and 31-60 day bookings increased from six percent the first week of 2021 to 11 percent the week of April 25, 2021.
The Rebuilding Hospitality report incorporates a survey of 688 global hoteliers delivering new insights into current sentiment and plans:
- Significant growth optimism: There is a sense of optimism as 30 percent of hoteliers anticipate opening one or multiple sites in 2021.
- Leisure travelers are driving recovery: The majority (63 percent) of hoteliers worldwide think that leisure travel will drive their recovery with domestic leisure by far the highest contributor (45 percent). In line with this, Amadeus data shows that the United States, China, and the rest of Asia are starting to see an increase in OTA booking volume, shifting the focus away from a dependence on direct bookings during the pandemic.
- Recruiting will be a high priority: Over half (59 percent) of global hoteliers anticipate that they will need to hire new staff in 2021.
- Opinion on vaccine passports divided amongst hoteliers: Over half of Asian hoteliers say they are considering asking for vaccine passports before permitting guests to stay, whereas just under half of hoteliers in the Americas say they will definitely not be adopting this approach. In EMEA, nearly half of hoteliers are uncertain on their strategy in this area.
When considering the aspects of the pandemic pivots that will be here for the longer term, the report reveals:
- Enhanced hygiene measures are here to stay: Over a third (32 percent) of hoteliers think that they will always need significant social distancing, sanitization, and visible hygiene measures.
- Long-term reduction in guest contact and stayover cleans: Twenty percent of global hoteliers indicate they will keep interaction between staff and guests to a minimum for the long term, and 21 percent plan to reduce daily housekeeping for guests.
- Personalization could help cross the contactless hospitality divide: Over a quarter of respondents (30 percent) said that contactless tech to support personalized guest experiences was one of the developments in hospitality they were most excited about emerging from the pandemic. Around one in four hoteliers (24 percent) went on to say they would be turning to technology to support personalized experiences making sure the ‘human touch’ of hospitality is not lost.
- Work ‘staycations’ and long stay rental investments: Creative business pivots like offering work ‘staycations’ and investment in facilities that help travelers elongate stays have helped hoteliers test out new strategies to access new guest segments. Hoteliers report that these will stay as part of the portfolio for the long-term.
Francisco Pérez-Lozao Rüter, president, hospitality, Amadeus said, “The data and trends from this report are intended to draw together insights from hoteliers around the world as we work together as an industry to plan our recovery. With lower restrictions in place, the U.S. market has provided some early indicators of traveler behavior that could help other international hoteliers understand where they are in the stage of their own recovery. One of the key takeaways from our research and report is that technology will play a central role in the recovery of the hospitality industry, as we found globally 41 percent of hoteliers plan to spend the same or more on IT this year than they did in 2019. At Amadeus, we are committed to investing in our industry and providing the technology that will help hotels to pivot their strategies and power future growth.”
Katie Moro, vice president of data partnerships, hospitality, Amadeus says, “One year on from the start of the pandemic, we are really pleased to see the early indications of traveler confidence and an uptick in some hotel bookings. Now more than ever, data is so critically important across an entire hotel business as it informs not only revenue potential but also marketing strategies, staffing, and occupancy profile. We want to help hoteliers understand how all the different pieces of data connect together. Data is the foundation that helps you build a better plan and from there, your property is so much stronger from the ground up.”
