6 Digital Travel Trends You Need to Know: Hospitality Marketing Link Digest

Busy week this week, Big Thinkers. I’m working with an amazing client in Paris, helping them to “think digital.” To help you do the same, here are 6 digital travel trends you need to know. Enjoy:

1. Tnooz has a great recap of Accor Hotels‘s Pierrick le Manse’s talk at IATA, asking “what can a hotel guy tell a room full of airline people about transformation?” The answer, apparently? A lot. In particular, it’s worth paying attention to Accor’s “dream, select, book, prepare, stay, share, return” approach to the customer journey. Really valuable insights here.
2. On a related note, Tnooz also reports that hotel chains disagree over the open marketplace concept, such as Accor uses, offering hotels outside its brand on its booking channels. We’ve got a long way to go before anyone will resolve this debate, but it’s definitely one worth having. The simple fact is that most hotels need both a direct strategy and an appropriate channel strategy, based on finding valuable partners who deliver qualified guests at a reasonable cost. A “fair and balanced strategy,” as it were. Accor offers one possible solution to help hotels achieve that vision. Time will tell if it’s the right solution.
3. Returning to our opening topic, Hotelient builds on the notion of supporting the guest journey, explaining why hotels should be focusing on improving their online user experience to increase direct reservations. Because, getting guests to choose your hotel is not just about the booking. It’s about supporting those guests at each stage of their decision-making process, helping them make the right choice, welcoming them at each step in the journey. Great information, well worth your time.
4. Here on Thinks, we took a look at why Priceline believes in the death of search engine optimization that you’ll really want to read in detail. Eye-opening stuff.
5. On the mobile front, another great Tnooz article looks at how online travel is shaking out in a mobile-first country. One key insight from the piece: most bookings occur on mobile devices, primarily smartphones. In the US and Europe, we sometimes like to think that “no one books on mobile.” Instead, we ought to think “no one (staying with me) books on mobile… yet.” I highly doubt that will continue.
6. Speaking of attitudes we need to change, Revinate offers a great set of 5 lies hotel marketers need to unlearn. While I doubt you believe all 5, it’s very likely one or two will catch your attention, and will help you move in a positive direction next year.

If you’re interested in more insights and information about travel marketing and distribution, be sure to check out this list of “7 Insightful Distribution and E-Commerce Trends,” a great set of “5 Hospitality Marketing Trends You’ll Want to Keep in Mind,” and a terrific round-up of “7 Brilliant Insights into Mobile Travel E-commerce” from our hospitality marketing link digests (part of the ongoing E-commerce Link Digest series).

And if you’re looking to learn even more about how changing guest behavior shapes hospitality marketing, e-commerce, and distribution, be sure an register to receive a special report I’ve produced in conjunction with hotel marketing firm Vizergy, “Digital Hotel Marketing in a Multiscreen World.” While it’s targeted specifically at hotel and resort marketers, the lessons apply to just about any business. You can get your free copy of the report here.

You might also want to take a moment to review the slides from my recent webinar, “Digital Marketing Directions 2016: The Key Trends Driving Your Hotel Marketing Next Year” here:

Finally, you will definitely want to check out some of our past coverage of the mobile, local, social web and how to make it work for your business, including:

• 10 Key Posts about Millennials and Mobile: E-commerce Link Digest
• The Secrets Behind “It’s All E-commerce” for 2014
• Should Marketers Really Trust Google in 2014?
• The Zen of Digital Marketing Strategy
• 7 Steps to E-Commerce Heaven
• Today and Tomorrow: Mobile and The Changing Customer Journey
• Mobile Makes E-commerce Even More “Frictionless”
• Your 2014 Internet Marketing New Year’s Resolutions – Thinks Out Loud Episode 56