Mid -Year Review: 2019’s Travel Trends and How to Capitalize on Them
Note: this post was originally published on July 2, 2019 for the Marriott Digital Services Decoded blog. It has been edited and formatted for this website. Please see original post here.
Happy July! We’re halfway through the year and wrapping up the second quarter. While many of us are still looking ahead, this is also a great time to catch a breath and reflect on what’s been accomplished so far in the hospitality industry. Back in January, I attended Skift’s 2019 Megatrends Forecast & Launch event in Washington, D.C., which highlighted the major travel trends we would be seeing this year. Now that we’re in the full swing of summer and in the midst of prime vacation time, it’s a great moment to recap the predictions presented at Skift’s launch event and to compare how Marriott has stacked up. Read ahead to learn more about this year’s trends and how to stay ahead of the curve.
Consumers Crave Experienced-Based Travel
One thing that Skift touched on back in January is that travelers are planning trips around experiences – research data shows that experienced-based travel is seeing a huge surge and will continue to rise this year. This is fueled by millennials, who prioritize authentic cultural experiences when visiting a new location – and the sentiment is growing among all demographics. TripAdvisor reported that historic and heritage experiences saw the most growth, with a 125 percent increase in bookings and that food-centric experiences such as cooking classes and food tours were in high demand as well, seeing a 57 percent increase in bookings.
Marriott as a whole has already taken measures to cater to guests who are seeking genuine local experiences, offering the “Travel Experiences” feature to help customers search by destination and interest. Additionally, Bonvoy Activities features destination-based suggestions along with recommendations from local experts and celebrities. By leveraging the power of word-of-mouth, the company is adding value and driving loyalty through experienced-based travel.
Individual properties can capitalize on the experience-economy as well stay up-to-date on the best events, sights and tours in their area and equipping staff with local recommendations to offer to guests. When doing so, think of original experiences that highlight the authentic culture and food of your destination – use your own expertise! Furthermore, along with the continued push for mobile-dining, properties can begin to tie these two together by bringing food-centric experiences on-property – perhaps with cooking classes or authentic cultural dishes inspired by the local landscape.
Personalizing Accommodations
It’s no secret that customers want a travel experience that meets their individual needs and caters to their varying tastes. With the continued personalization of accommodations to appeal to the different types of travelers, guest expectations are higher than ever. 2019 has been and will continue to be laser-focused on finding original ways to differentiate hotels without losing sight of a guest’s core needs.
With Marriott now owning 30 separate brands post-Starwood acquisition, there is expansive opportunity to offer more niche experiences to various types of travelers. Much of this personalization is being done digitally (think predictive insights) through customer data. According to research conducted by Salesforce, 82 percent of customers will share relevant information about themselves if it enhances their digital and in-person experiences. By leveraging the power of the Bonvoy loyalty program, Marriott can begin to interact and update suggestions in real-time throughout the booking process based on the information they have available on the guest – proving to the customer that their needs are being understood.
Personalization is also widely being implemented through Marriott’s rollout of soft brands, such as The Luxury Collection, Autograph Collection and Tribute Portfolio hotels. Tina Edmundson, Marriott’s Global Brand Officer, discussed how these brands (as well as the millennial-focused Moxy hotels) cater to a segment of people who are looking for a “non-conventional, independent experience.” Also, the recent launch of Marriott Homes & Villas, (the company’s approach to home rentals), is Marriott’s latest answer to the call for personalization. By providing carefully curated luxury home rentals, Marriott is looking to appeal to those who crave a more unique experience in a market dominated by Airbnb.
So, how do you continue to meet your customer’s needs within your hotel brand? Take time to really understand your demographic – either through research or by asking guests the right questions. You never know what could eventually become a huge selling point for your property by gathering information straight from the source. More so, highlight what makes your property stand out by building a strong online presence. With hotel bookings predominantly being done online and hundreds of options for customers to choose from, it is crucial to quickly show guests why they should stay at your hotel and how you meet their personalized needs.
P.S. MDS can help you optimize your online presence and reach key customers – ask about elevated websites, SEO strategies and our PLUS program!
The Rising Interest in Wellness Travel
Wellness travel has by far been the biggest trend to watch in 2019. “Consumers increasingly have a more sophisticated sense of what wellness is,” said Skift Travel Tech Editor Sean O’Neal back in January. According to the GWI, wellness travel is now a $639 billion dollar industry and growing at twice the rate of regular tourism.
In a summit hosted in 2018, the Global Wellness Industry discussed how hospitality’s current focus on authentic and experiential travel will shift towards a deeper, more emotional level branded as “transformative travel.” In order to reach the personal level of transformative travel, hotels must find new ways to cater to the intrinsic value of providing health and fitness-forward options to guests.
Some examples of how Marriott brands have been capitalizing on wellness travel: W Hotels are continuing their FUEL weekends – which enlists fitness experts to lead “workout getaways” at destination properties. The JW Hotels have been providing guests “thoughtful and highly personalized approaches to overall well-being” by offering programs such as Peak by JW. Peak by JW guides participants through yoga, strength and high intensity interval training classes through video sessions led by health and wellness expert Nora Tobin. Westin is also finding new ways to encourage health and fitness beyond their one-of-a-kind gear lending program and staple Heavenly Bed, Bath and Spa. Here in D.C., they sponsored the Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon, inviting employees from Marriott HQ to partake in the race with the RunWestin team.
While research shows the bar for wellness travel has been raised, the hospitality industry has been answering with big brand initiatives through strategic, personalized efforts to reach the next step of transformative travel. Hotels can look to create this level of travel for customers by offering deeper, more meaningful experiences – perhaps by leading recurring events on property or in the surrounding community for guests to participate in, such as weekend hikes or afternoon meditation sessions. By building more thoughtful experiences into the everyday guest stay, Marriott and other hotel brands are asking to be part of a customer’s journey to wellness – to be the voice of encouragement and peace of mind for their guest’s every step of the way.
Overall Thoughts
As we continue through 2019, it will be interesting to see how these trends evolve and affect the travel industry in upcoming years. The key takeaway of these trends is that hotel companies are listening to the needs of their guests and finding ways to reduce the friction of travel. By continuing to offer authentic experiences, personalized solutions and health and wellness options, Marriott and others are showing their loyalty to making the travel experiences of guests better – and building loyalty in return.
However, there is still room to improve the guest experience, especially by expanding on digital solutions. My guess for the next big tech trends in travel: hotels utilizing voice search to answer questions in real-time and brands offering subscription-based services to continue to build loyalty.
What are your thoughts? Let me know!
