By James Bishop, Senior Director, Global Ecosystem at SiteMinder
Almost a year and a half since the UK accommodation industry first felt the effects of Covid, travel is coming back, with the widespread rollout of the government’s vaccination programme fuelling confidence, and a wave of pent-up demand driving a “staycation” boom. According to SiteMinder’s World Hotel Index, on August 4th UK hotel bookings reached their highest year-on-year level compared to 2019 since March 2020, at 87.94% of the numbers for the same date two years ago, some 21 points above the global average, and significantly better than other major European markets including Portugal, Germany, France, Italy, Malta and the Netherlands.
Here, I take a look at what’s driving Britain’s stand-out performance, whether it will last, and what accommodation providers can expect from the new and evolved traveller. These are my top four takeaways for hoteliers:
- Expect increasing growth of bookings – wherever in the UK you are
Brighton and Bournemouth have comfortably surpassed 2019 booking numbers on many occasions over the summer. But it isn’t only coastal towns that are welcoming holidaymakers in droves; these actually peaked in June. And, while we expect the coast to continue having a great season, it is the ongoing growth of major cities up and down the country that made July an even better month for UK bookings. Top destinations include Edinburgh, Bristol and Glasgow. Even London, which has been hardest hit by the restrictions on international travel, is growing strongly.
This underlines how much of a diversified and resilient destination the UK is. As such, wherever your hotel is, you can’t afford to be complacent. Make sure you are ready for an influx of bookings that could soon be coming your way.
- Short-term guest horizons and last-minute modifications are the “new normal” (at least for now)
The vast majority of bookings made in the past two weeks arrived or will arrive in July, August or September. This reflects the fact that due to the ongoing unpredictable nature of the pandemic, travellers are still not comfortable booking too far ahead. This is in line with SiteMinder’s Changing Traveller Report 2021: UK Edition, based on the survey responses of almost 900 British holidaymakers, which found that two out of every five UK travellers (40%) listed free cancellation or booking modifications as one of their top two deciding factors.
Hotels must therefore make sure they have the correct strategy and technology in place to manage last-minute bookings, through multiple channels efficiently, as well as being prepared for late cancellations and modifications.
- Be prepared for the new and evolved traveller
Nearly two-thirds of UK travellers plan to travel either more than (26%) or the same amount as (35%) prior to Covid, and a clear majority now expect either higher (33%) or much higher (19%) standards than before Covid (we see similar results around the world). However, some 25% of respondents included low price among their top two priorities when booking accommodation, with cost now ranking higher than health and safety practices.
Make sure you understand your new type of traveller, as it isn’t the same person you welcomed before the pandemic. While the strong recovery of tourism is excellent news, you will need to optimise your efforts, ensuring you meet the heightened standards of a changed clientele, whilst remaining flexible and price competitive. More than ever, you must strive to offer guests a seamlessly-integrated, personalised and memorable experience, from their first encounter with you online, to the moment they check out.
Technology will be central to your efforts to understand, communicate with and satisfy your customers. The good news is that over two-thirds of UK travellers accept their personal data being used to improve their stay, and we see similar or higher numbers in our different reports from around the world. Hoteliers who successfully use the technology available stand to reap the rewards of the current recovery and beyond.
- Don’t neglect international travellers
Only 5% of hotel guests are currently from overseas, but this figure is projected to increase almost fourfold by January 2022, currently at 20% of arrivals for that month. This figure will only increase as the UK continues to open up and the global travel industry keeps growing.
Make sure you are taking into account this vital and growing market segment when designing your marketing, communications and end products, to maximise your reach among overseas visitors to the UK looking for the ideal place to stay.
