5 key trends to look out for in the hospitality industry in 2023

Here are five trends to keep an eye on over the next 12 months.

1.????A boom in culinary tourism

Food has always played an essential role in hospitality, but in 2023 this is going to take on a life of its own. By 2032, ‘culinary tourism’ is expected to surpass US$ 4,530.9bn according to the?Future Market Insights , at a CAGR of around 16.6% per year.

Moreover, new trends are emerging when it comes to the food space. It isn’t all about catering to gourmet loving foodies either – modern travellers are reconsidering the impact of their consumption and?vegans, vegetarians, and flexitarians will gain immense traction in tourism.

2.????An increase in ‘Bleisure’ travel

Bleisure travel – business mixed with leisure – was a trend that started a few years back. Classified as a trip that employees extended for a few extra days’ post-business engagements, it proved to be a much more cost-effective way of booking a break.

This trend has seen a boom in recent years, with travel sites reporting a hike in these kinds of bookings, and it quickly became standard practice just before the pandemic. This year is expected to see it back with a vengeance and hotels can capitalise by adapting their offerings to meet the needs and wants of this unique segment.

3.????Short-term booking windows remaining prevalent

According to the latest?Pulse Report data?from hotel software company Duetto , the short-term booking window remains strong and will continue to challenge hotel teams in 2023 – both operationally and from a revenue perspective. Across all global markets, bookings drop off more than three months from stay date, with the eight to 12 week booking window remaining prevalent.

But this can be a good thing. “Increasingly, a short-term booking window represents an opportunity to connect with a more mobile, more astute, and engaged traveller, switching seamlessly between business and leisure profiles,” said Chris Crowley , chief revenue officer at Duetto.

4.????More budget conscious travel

With the somewhat grim economic forecast for 2023 in most of the world, travellers are decreasingly seeking lavish displays of wealth and instead prefer to spend wisely. That’s why the budget-friendly travel segment looks set to increase. Limited and select service properties should keep a close eye on rates so they can capture a greater market share. One product that will help the consumer do just that is the Roomph app which I have been involved with. I’m looking forward to it taking off cross Pakistan in 2023 so we can look at expanding on its regions.

5.????The ongoing demand for digitised services

Lastly, but crucially, the trend toward digital and contactless services will gain new momentum in 2023. Hotels can gain themselves great online customer ratings by making sure check-in mobile keys and contactless payment processors are monitored and maintained to minimise complaints. Digital payments have been a big focus of mine over the last few years with Foree set to take the market by storm

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