SIX TECH TRAVELER TRENDS FOR 2018: HERE'S WHAT TRAVELERS ARE LOOKING FROM BOOKING TO STAY

Business travel has become very common in the hospitality industry and more people are investing in this industry. All the managers of established hotels are working very hard to cater to the specific need of business travelers to meet the plans of their targeted hotels. The industry in the U.S. is expected to reach $302.7 billion by the end of the year. “Even Airbnb has begun directing their attention toward business travelers, launching a Business Travel program which enjoyed a 700 percent growth in its first year”.

As technology improvements continue at a constant speed, it can be difficult for hotels to move with modern developments. However, the new technologies tend to deliver easiness to the hotel managers therefore, it is important to move along with the technology and traveler’s trends.

Here is the list of the Six Technology Trends that hoteliers need to put into their hotels to meet customer satisfaction

Cloud Software as a Service

The terms Cloud Computing and Software as a Service or in short SaaS are commonly used by most of the people who work with a computer. This technology is useful for the hoteliers because it helps in taking the headache and distractions of IT people, leaving them free to focus on the day-to-day business of looking after their guests.



Internet of Things (IoT)

We live in a world with the Internet of Things (IoT); a digital world where the Web, mobile, and the physical world meet, and people access information about everything from anywhere at any time on a small device.

Hoteliers are working hard to understand how to use this technology for improving the standards of their hotels. One thing which every hotel has almost change is the check-in process because it is one of the first interactions between the hotel and the guest.

Social Media Presence

There is no doubt that social platforms are the most used channels for marketing whether it's for a brand, business or hospitality. In the world, where everyone is a critic, and the position of any business depends on its Google rating and reviews, then the importance of social reputation becomes a priority. For hoteliers, online marketing is a way to target more customers and it is also useful for online bookings. Therefore, effective online reputation management will lead a hotel to success with increased revenue.



Artificial Intelligence

Over the last couple of years, we can see many changes in the technology especially the adoption of artificial intelligence in the hospitality industry. No matter what, this new technology in the hospitality sector has left other competitors behind and at the same time has increased value for its customers.



According to an Oracle report, Hotel 2025, 68% of hotel operators predict that the use of robots for check-in and checkout will be mainstream by 2025. Many hotels have already adopted AI for the best customer experience and in the meantime, it has become a necessity for the hospitality sector to move on with new technologies.

Ease of Booking

Identifying popular Online Travel Agencies that your target audience is most likely to use is one of the best hotel strategies to attract foreign guests. Make sure your website is registered to all the famous booking sites such as www.booking.com and www.trivago.com so that it can be easy for the people to search your hotels. There must be a booking option on your own website as well with easy payment options.



Distinctive Experience

People have many choices of hotels for their stay. But in the meantime, every hotelier wants its customer to come back again. This strategy of the business is common and there's nothing new about it. But have you ever thought that what you did to achieve it? Offer the services which makes a customer comfortable in your hotel and high customer satisfaction makes customers more likely to come back in the future.

Leisure travelers are obsessed with adventures, and 36 percent of guests would pay more for a personalized experience while 67 percent value experiences over physical objects. Offer your guest historical and heritage tours, passes for the cruise, or any famous local club for a distinctive experience.

Other Trends
Proper social media presence, adoption of SaaS, IoT, and Artificial Intelligence were some of the basic technological trends which hotels have equipped to provide the services which people are looking for in 2018. There are many other trends such as the adoption of chatbox to change the overall look of the hotel, wellness hubs, and mobile phone apps for easy check-in and check-outs.