Hotels have been attempting to mitigate lowering the rates and putting new measures in place with an aim to revive the hotel industry and contribute to revenue recovery amid the coronavirus outbreak. Wego has put together a list of sustainable precautions and recommendations for the hotel industry during these uncertain times.
Be flexible
There’s a few ways you can take a flexible approach to the current situation. Why not waive cancellation fees, offer a full refund and allow changes in bookings at no extra cost? This will ensure your relationship with your customers stays positive and makes it more likely they will book again once travel restrictions are relaxed.
Encourage modifying the booking instead of cancelling
To save the tourism industry, companies are encouraging travellers to postpone or modify their bookings based on the measures applied in each country. So, why not check in with your customers and see if they would like to push their booking to the summer and benefit from the good rates while they last?
Promote the facility’s disinfection and hygiene practices
Highlight the new measures you are putting in place, as well as the guidelines followed, to protect against transmission of the virus. This will reassure your customers that their health and safety is your main priority during their stay.
Use CRM
Study customers’ behaviours closely and issue tailored alerts based on seasonality and their geolocation. This will enable you to reach out to relevant segments of travellers during their journey and suggest nearby staycations and places to visit.
Refresh loyalty programs
Consider finessing the conditions of your loyalty program. Provide tier status for loyal customers and benefit extensions. This will make it far more likely that they will book with you next year, especially as they won’t want to miss out on any perks.
Focus on staycations and offers
Promote staycations and shorter stays. This is the time for you to push those 2 for 1 night stay, full-board, and all-inclusive deals. Once they are able to travel, people will be looking for the best deals they can get and competition will be high. Use this time to plan out a full promotional campaign that you can put into action as soon as travel restrictions are lifted.
Keep your customers up to date
Ensure that your customers are up to date with the latest measures and announcements around COVID-19 and the precautions you are following in this regard. Customers will always remember that you value their safety first and will continue booking with you in the future.
Use metasearch engines
We are in this together. Wego brings the hotels’ offerings to its users to help them get the best rates and deals from hundreds of hotels and alternative accommodations.
The policies, procedures and the government initiatives applied globally as well as IATA’s efforts to combat the effect of the virus and revive the economy are promising. We are optimistic and hope to see a growth in the next couple of months.
You may also be interested in…
- Stringent hotel protocols unveiled as hospitality industry re-opens
- We should reinvent hotels to be living labs for the future
- Could Virtual Reality be a way for hotels to differentiate?