Cloudbeds, the hospitality administration platform powering extra reservations and happier company for impartial lodging companies across the globe, has spotlighted key developments poised to reshape the journey trade this yr.
The findings, featured in Cloudbeds’ 2024 State of Independent Lodging Report, embrace new spins on experiential journey, the rising reputation of inflation-busting journey hacks, and a rising demand for new abilities amongst next-generation hoteliers.
Adam Harris, Co-Founder and CEO of Cloudbeds, stated: “The economy seems poised to dodge a recession again this year, but that doesn’t mean it’s smooth sailing for hotels. Travel patterns are changing, travelers are more price-sensitive, and demand may soften. Under any market conditions, it’s the hoteliers who monitor the trends and data closely, act quickly to seize opportunities, and offer a distinctive guest experience that will outperform the market.”
Here are a number of the rising traits set to form the journey and hospitality landscape in 2024, as recognized by Cloudbeds:
- Travelers commerce up. Travelers are discovering inventive methods to improve their journey experiences amid excessive inflation, by leveraging money-saving hacks, swapping fashionable locations for extra inexpensive ‘dupes’ (Expedia), and counting on ‘Buy Now, Pay Later’ choices (Atmosphere Research). Despite the rising price of dwelling, Skyscanner discovered 81% of vacationers deliberate to journey the identical or extra in 2024 in comparison with 2023.
- The expertise IS the vacation spot. After years of post-pandemic binge-buying, customers are transferring on from amassing stuff to amassing experiences. Almost 70% of vacationers say they’re extra doubtless than ever to journey to a live performance exterior their hometown (Expedia), whereas 47% of US vacationers have booked a vacation spot purely to go to a particular restaurant (Skyscanner). Meanwhile, Booking.com discovered greater than half of vacationers are eager to guide a shock journey the place every thing right down to the vacation spot is unknown till arrival.
- Next-gen hoteliers improve their abilities. As know-how transforms the hospitality trade, next-gen hoteliers should adapt by buying a mix of technical, analytical, and strategic abilities to successfully leverage new instruments and preserve a stability between automation and human interplay. The World Economic Forum suggests an estimated 42% of enterprise duties can be automated by 2027. In the hospitality sector, 91% of lodges globally use a PMS, 64% have a reserving engine, and 33% have a channel supervisor (Skift).
The new traits complement final yr’s 5 key developments, that are set to proceed this yr: value-driven decision-making, the shift to digital entrance desks, blended journey assembly hybrid hospitality, new applied sciences to disrupt journey search and inspiration, and a shift from specializing in facilities to visitor experiences.
