6 Key Travel & Hotel Online Booking Statistics   Did you know that internet travel booking revenue has grown by more than 73% over the past 5 years, and that 49% of travellers won’t book a property without reviews? These statistics, and many more, reveal the ever-changing landscape of the travel and tourism industry. To help you keep up with current trends, we’ve put together 6 key online booking statistics for hotels, and for travel in general.   31% of leisure travellers say they’ve booked travel on a smartphone, while 53% of business travellers say the same. (Source: Google)   Now, more than ever, it’s important to ensure your Brand’s website is optimised for mobile. The most important factor to consider in this process is design. Opt for Responsive Website Design (RWD) – a layout that fluidly changes depending on the size of your screen.   46% of travellers who do mobile travel research make their final booking decision on mobile, but moved to another device to make the booking. (Source: Google)   When constructing the consumer journey on your Brand’s website, make sure the mobile and desktop booking process is quick, clean and simple. Remove any unnecessary steps, and provide visitors will clear directions or instructions. 36% of online travellers visit social networking sites to influence destination selection. (Source: World Travel Market London)   In this day and age, social media presence is key in almost all sectors of business – none more so than the hotel and travel industry. Choose 2 – 3 social media channels to focus on and post regular, relevant content that is interesting for users. Run competitions to pique interest in, and engagement with your Brand, and promote yourself to boost exposure.   Brand Websites account for 65.4% of total online hotel bookings. (Source: Statistic Brain)   So make sure your website is in tip-top shape! Keep content fresh and relevant, use striking images across your site, have clear calls-to-action, and run regular specials that can only be booked directly through the hotel.   TripAdvisor has 260 million unique monthly visitors and 125 million travel reviews and opinions from travellers around the world. (Source: TripAdvisor)   Each year, review sites such as Tripadvisor become increasingly influential as more and more users write and read reviews for endless accommodation options in the hospitality industry. Improve, or maintain your reputation on Tripadvisor by claiming and optimising your listing, responding to reviews in a timely manner, being polite and professional in your responses at all time, and by adding a hint of personal connection into your replies.     72% of business travellers and 74% of affluent travellers booked upon watching a video. (Source: Google)   Short, vibrant videos are a great way to show guests exactly what they will get when booking a room at your hotel. Use them to highlight the very best facets of the hotel, be it the exterior, the rooms themselves, the dining facilities, conference rooms, or public spaces. Display videos on your website, release them on social media, and even make use of video content in Pay-Per-Click display campaigns.   To find out more tips and tricks regarding hotel marketing, keep an eye on the Hotel Revenue Management Blog, and to learn more about outsourced revenue management, simply get in touch with us by emailing jaco@hotel-revenue-manager.com or phoning +27 74 490 7711.  

Tips to Boost Low Season Bookings Winter in South Africa is typically classified as the low season, when demand is in short-supply and everyday folk opt for a weekend indoors rather than venturing out for a holiday. This is the time to make active attempts to stimulate business. While there is no Holy Grail to low season marketing, and all marketing plans and actions should be property-specific and driven by historical success and failures, there are few broad ideas worth exploring. Here, we outline a few of the best suggestions: Run Exciting Promotions/Specials/Packages It’s a generally accepted fact that winter, or off season, is one of the best times to explore a destination – when prices have been dropped and it’s less crowded. Putting together exclusive packages and specials during this time won’t just satisfy travellers, but it is also likely to attract a host of new customers who’ll keep coming back. Monitor Events in your Area and Always Quote Regardless of the season, it is essential to be informed of any and all events in the area surrounding your hotel, and to use particular marketing tools to position yourself as the ideal choice of accommodation accordingly. In winter, it’s more important than ever to capitalise on the opportunity to offer attractive rates to high volumes of visitors already in town. Remove General Booking Restrictions During peak season when demand is high, many hotels implement unique booking restrictions to increase revenue yield and secure occupancy. However, when demand is low, booking restrictions will tend to work against you. As a result, temporarily do away with minimum stays, ‘closed to arrival’ rules, and maximum length of stay constraints. Give your Online Content a Facelift Take advantage of the seasonally low traffic to your website by sprucing things up a bit. Update your content where necessary making sure it is still relevant, ensure it is of a high quality, and position yourself optimally for peak season. What’s more, this is also a great time to update the images on your website, improving its overall appearance. Offer Great Value Ads Make your off season rates more enticing by including any number of value add-ons to your standard fare. Include free passes to local attractions, offer free Wi-Fi, or simply include free breakfast and parking. This way, guests are sure to thoroughly enjoy their experience at your hotel, one they’ll want to have again, and one they’ll share with friends and family, opening up the door for future business. To find out more about boosting business during the off season, or to secure outsourced revenue management and hotel management in general, simply email Hotel Revenue Management on jaco@hotel-revenue-manager.com or phone +27 74 490 7711.