Discovering the Secrets to Digital Transformation Success for your Hotel
The Rise of “REVENGE TRAVEL”
Data from Google shows that in the first quarter of 2022 travel-related searches increased about 300%, and some hotel related searches doubled compared to the same period in 2019.
And this data is aligned with data we have seen from STR that verifies that in the first quarter of 2022 U.S. hotel gross operating profit per available room (GOPPAR) reached its highest level since 2019.
I have for many years now collaborated with my friends at Cloudbeds . And they launched its 2022 Trend Trends Reports that added some new and valuable insight in context with the data from Google and STR.
2022 has now been defined as the year of “Revenge Travel”.
Unpredictable dynamic travel demands
One of the key findings in the Cloudbeds report was that the COVID-19 triggered a consistent unpredictable travel demand.
Much of this unpredictable travel demand was originally initiated by border restrictions and business lockdowns.?
As a result of business lockdowns it forced travelers to cancel and change their travel plans in last minute.
From this new learning experience grew new patterns and habits. Travelers started book their reservation within 14 days of their reservations, and they required a lot more flexibility with their reservation.
STOP HERE for a minute! Why is this finding important for hotels?
A lot of travelers that had made their reservations with online travel agencies (OTAs) grew frustrated due to poor communications and long delays with refunds.
Negative media also lowered travelers’ confidence in booking with OTAs.
For a hotels a new digital door had opened! There was now an unpredictable dynamic travel demand that was seeking out more flexible direct bookings.
The hotelier in me was super excited about this finding. This was the data the hotel industry been waiting for and asking for now for several years.
But my joy and excitement did not last very long…
I learned that challenges remain, with 56% of hoteliers saying they don’t have enough marketing budget to invest in direct bookings, and 47% saying they are unable to effectively compete against the OTAs in online advertising.
WAIT A MINUTE!!! The traveler’s mindset is moving towards more direct bookings, but hoteliers are still stuck in a mindset that doesn’t provide travelers with a lot of alternatives.
This is why I create digital transformation frameworks for hotels that open the digital gateway to more direct bookings without competing against the OTAs.
Discovering the Secrets to Digital Transformation Success for your Hotel
Well, you know the WHY now => Creating digital frameworks for hotels that open the digital gateway to more direct bookings without competing against the OTAs.
“People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it. And what you do simply proves what you believe.” -Simon Sinek
Why represents today the purpose or belief behind what your hotel organization is doing.
How represents the executions taken by your hotel to realize the Why.
What has today shifted from service functions (products, services, and job) to experience functions that provide tangible proofs of your hotels purpose.
Digital transformation frameworks put this in a context that creates exponential value through differentiations and cost-effective alternatives.
Work as a team, play as a team
As hoteliers we can no longer allow ourselves to be constrained by old mindset. It is time for us to take back ownership of the hotel industry again!
The foundations of a successful digital transformation framework start with building relationships and making friends first.
Fair Process
I have for a long time used and studied blue ocean marketing in the context of creating new high-value digital transformation frameworks for hotels.
And one key concept here is fair process that builds executions into the frameworks by people buy-in up front.
The fair process consists of three principles;
1.??????Engagement
2.??????Explanation
3.??????Expectation Clarity
Engagement is about collaborating and involving employees and customers in new strategic decisions that affect them by soliciting their input and allowing them to refute the merits of one another’s ideas and assumptions. It is key to communicate respect for individuals and their points of view. This will result in more effective decisions and genuine commitment from everyone involved in execution.
Explanation ensure that everyone involved and affected understand why the final strategic decisions are made. An explanation of the rationale supports confidence among all the people involved, and that their ideas and input has been considered. This principle serves as a powerful opportunity to learn and help to learn.
Expectation Clarity requires that after the strategy is set the new rules of the game has to be clearly stated. If you started out in the spirit of collaboration and partnership with people through the engagement and explanation principles they will take ownership of the new rules of the game. When people clearly understand expectations, political jockeying and favoritism are minimized, and everyone involved can focus on executing the strategy rapidly.
Digital Visibility for the win
Yes! It is still important that your hotel is found and seen.
领英推荐
In addition to a fair process, creative and innovative experience partnerships will help hotels with online visibility without breaking the bank and getting into an expensive battle with OTAs.
I partnered with rainmaker travel that adds a new layer helping hotels opening a new gateway to more direct bookings without competing against the OTAs.
This partnership allows me to combine my 5 cost-effective steps to start a new digital transformation shift for hotels with 5 stages of success.
The first step in my strategy represents Work as a team, play as a team. This step I explained above
The purpose of the 5 stages of success is to help your hotel to become independent from market-dominant online platforms again and reduce the complexity of your operations, improve profitability, and have more time with your guests.
And the first stage is visibility.
Visibility
Your hotel has to be found and seen in some way digitally today, else you will no longer exists.
We ensure that your hotels organic visibility and findability in the Google universe is optimized in such a way, that you are found both directly and indirectly when potential travelers search for you or search for accommodation or activities within your region. As a result, more potential guests are directed straight to your website.
This is exactly where we offer you a holistic approach. Unlike traditional software providers and marketing agencies, we completely manage the extremely time-consuming workload for you.
Our promise to you:
Gain independence from market-dominant online platforms, reduce the complexity of your operations, and improve your profitability.
We will ensure that you will have enough time again to focus on memorable experiences for your guests that makes them happy.?
Our task?is to increase?your visibility to potential guests and to grow direct bookings. After an unforgettable experience, their great reviews will help you attract new guests. All managed by us.
Start learning and help to learn
Every day presents you with new ways to grow and to help other people grow.
Opening the digital gateway for hotels to more direct bookings without competing against the OTAs represents a new dynamic and flexible digital journey. This is a digital journey that will require a new mindset shift.
Collective strengths are now defining the future of hotels. And with a holistic approach hotels can guide the future in collaboration with employees, customers and the local community.
Digital transformation success happens when you combine people and technology together in harmony, and your hotel function as one high-performing team as opposed to separate silos.
PS – please don’t get stuck in the word digital here. As illustrated people come first.
Is your hotel ready for a new exponential partnership? If you have some feedback or questions, let me know in the comments below…
Are Morch ?is a digital transformation coach helping hotels open their digital front door, reimagine their processes and culture, and transform experiences in a fast-paced world!
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