Things are looking up. Having survived some of the most challenging years in the history of hospitality, hoteliers around the world are seeing a robust global travel recovery this year.
According to Amadeus’ Demand360 data, global hotel occupancy reached 67% in H1 2023, just 3 percentage points below the 70% figure from the same time in 2019. Furthermore, occupancy is now exceeding 2019 levels in major European destinations like Milan, Athens, Rome, and Paris this July.
Consumers are showing a renewed passion for travel, and this seems like a perfect time for the industry to take stock of how the travel landscape has shifted, to see where it’s going, and to find new opportunities to put travelers first with innovation, progress, and growth. If there’s anything we’ve learned from the last few years, it’s that a technology ecosystem approach that values community and collaboration delivers the best results. By working together, the hospitality industry can ride this positive wave well into the future.
To stay ahead of the curve, hoteliers need to understand how traveler expectations are changing. The world has undergone a massive shift, and travelers are no different. This is why we have recently published a thought leadership paper, Catalysts for Change: Building the Hospitality Ecosystem of the Future, which explores new traveler expectations, backed by data and interviews with industry experts.
Our research has found that there are five driving forces for change behind what travelers want. These include more sustainable travel options to reduce environmental impact, digital solutions and touchpoints to improve hotel stays, personalized experiences tailored to individual wants and needs, peace of mind with more flexible travel insurance options, and seamless journeys organized through one booking process.
It’s clear that no two people are alike, and our task is to tailor to their needs, while inspiring and encouraging more environmentally and socially conscious options.
To address this changing landscape, the most innovative travel sellers and hospitality providers are collaborating with an ecosystem approach that takes the best technology to put travelers first. When we work together, we can move more quickly, with better results for travelers everywhere. An ecosystem approach makes sure that everyone is connected—from travel sellers and payment providers, to hotels, and insurance and mobility providers. When we all work together, everyone wins: travelers benefit from smoother and more integrated experiences, while travel providers can benefit from improved data and customer loyalty.
Catalysts for Change draws on our latest business intelligence data, combined with interviews from some of the top hoteliers, travel sellers, mobility providers, travel insurance providers and Amadeus executives working to bring the experiences of tomorrow to life.
With this paper, our goal is to give you the insight you need to anticipate the needs of travelers and accelerate the pace of evolution in hospitality. Click here to download the paper.
Francisco Pérez-Lozao Rüter is the President, Hospitality, Amadeus. Connect with Francisco on LinkedIn.