For hotel bookings in USA have significantly exceeded the level of 2019, the world received a strong indication of how vengeance journeys would develop globally.

While hotels around the world are adjusting to the pent-up travel needs, we are catching up David Chestler, Partner & Senior Managing Director – Global Sales Execution at Provision-Partners, to find out how hotels can further strengthen their position and achieve a competitive advantage in the upswing.

The US continues to lead the way in terms of recovery to pre-pandemic levels. How do you think this signal from Revenge Travel will develop around the world as more travel destinations reopen?

Here in the US we continue to see positive signs that travel is resuming with all vigor. We even started joking that the virus is now cured in most regions of North America. Certain locations such as Orlando or Las Vegas are currently very busy. Meanwhile, exclusive and remote resorts are also seeing an influx of bookings from US travelers.

In the short term, travel continues to be influenced by three critical factors – government, vaccination, and consumer confidence – not just for health, but also for wealth. The good news is that more barriers are falling every day as vaccination distribution resumes and more flights resume, which in turn builds consumer confidence.

As travel confidence rises, companies are considering which strategies to implement to capitalize on the impending wave of pent-up travel. Destination marketers take a close look at how Google attracts customers and what it takes to optimize visibility and reach the right audiences. In the meantime, the Central Reservations teams are focused on optimizing rates and availability.

After the upcoming wave of travel, do you see an influx of complaints or bad reviews due to staff shortages?

With today’s travel audience noisy sharing information on their devices, it is critical that hotels be prepared to respond in real time, not just to post-stay surveys or reviews. Many companies are developing voice-to-talk AI and chatbots that make it more efficient for hotels to guide and interact with their guests.

Relieving the burden on human resources will be a critical path to recovery. Organizations need to ensure that their teams are supported in managing and operating available technology in order to deliver more efficient experiences to the very demanding consumers. Hotels need better trained staff who are able to interact with guests at a level that suits their brand and mission – rather than low hourly wage employees.

As the industry navigates its recovery, travel will still be subject to some uncertainty. Travelers will continue to value information that will guide their purchasing decisions efficiently. Hotels – and indeed all tourism sectors – should focus on providing information to their guests as the world gradually returns to normal. Programs such as “Travel Safe” are currently doing this very well and provide information on everything from the hotel opening to the change of buffet.

As a result, hotels need to have direct conversations with guests as partners on their trip and not as simple orderers and operators of credit cards. And now, after the lockdown ends, consumer confidence is growing day by day, but guests are demanding face-to-face conversations with hotels and restaurants as they navigate the myriad details of recreation. Hotels can take advantage of this opportunity and invest in the tools and platforms that ensure interactive communication that should ultimately lead to bookings.

Throughout the economic aftermath, the direct channel has been the most resilient and is recovering faster. What should hotels do to maintain control over sales?

For many years, OTAs have pushed the boundaries to provide consumers with an informative and efficient booking experience. In recent years, Google and TripAdvisor have democratized access to consumer eyes. But whether Pay-Per-Stay, Meta, Pay-Per-Click or OTAs, they are all solutions for hotels to optimize their sales and win new customers. While I believe Drive Direct will stay, factors such as the hotel’s business mix, location, and sheer reach of OTAs will continue to be critical factors in helping hotels attract new customers.

As always, if hotels use these channels wisely and continue to attract new customers interested in experiencing their brand, the same consumers are likely to book directly with them next time around.

More than ever, hotels should offer the best direct booking experience – every time. The expansion of direct sales through several offers, prices and room types with amenities, high-quality content in the booking process – such as images, social proof and detailed descriptions – are just a few ways in which hotels can increase their visibility and achieve more direct bookings. Open communication throughout the customer journey is the key to maintaining trust and leading to tangible results in profit.

What pricing strategies should hoteliers adopt now to capitalize on demand in the coming boom?

Rather than slashing rates to stimulate demand, companies should scrutinize their competition (if any) to determine where to position themselves. By researching, hotels will be better able to make data-driven decisions about whether to hold the line and stay in the middle or become leaders in one area. Hotels need to determine in their marketplace where they have a competitive advantage in terms of supply so that they can keep prices or even increase them slightly.

Given the prevailing uncertainty, how can hotels reassure travelers and really give them the confidence to travel?

Throughout the pandemic, most brands did an excellent job demonstrating safety and cleanliness. As just one example, the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) has rallied US hotels to maintain and clearly communicate cleanliness and its changes in safety protocols. Programs like Travel Safe continue to provide businesses and consumers with more real-time travel information, which in turn increases confidence in travel.

The market is opening again and all tourism sectors need to coordinate their efforts to educate consumers and build confidence in travel. The industry must continue to communicate real-time data that informs travelers, be it information about which flights are available and when or the different entry regulations for each destination.

Do you think we will see more direct bookings from travel agents in the near future? Will travelers again value their personal and direct input and opinion on their choice of hotel?

In this day and age, influencers have become travel agencies. We also see many publishing brands heavily influencing purchasing decisions by providing purchase recommendations and what people should like as consumers. Influencer marketing and the introduction of more data into the purchase decision can only grow from here.

Beyond the buzzword, personalization is now coming to fruition in the current climate. More and more hotels are building CRM and data lakes to better understand who their customers are and what they want. This will be important as e-commerce, sales and marketing continue to grow together, and hotels seek to support real-time decisions.

We’ll likely see more hotels working with local influencers (agents) to offer advice on where to go and where to stay. It’s exciting to see how these partnerships can redefine sales in the future. Experience and knowledge of travel rules, restrictions and safety precautions make the agent an informed partner for many transactions. Agents will play a role as they too adopt the technology and assist the complex traveler in their needs and support the aspiring adventure enthusiast.

About David Chestler

David Chestler is an iconic personality in the hospitality and travel industry with a passion for hotel technology that has enabled him to enjoy a rich career with over 30 years in the industry. Known as “The Revenue Catalyst”, he is currently Partner and Senior Managing Director – Global Sales Execution at Provision-Partners.

Before working as a consultant, Chestler held senior positions at Kognitiv, SiteMinder, Scepter Hospitality Resources (SHR), RateGain, Pegasus Solutions, Birch Street Systems, Visual Data Corp / Onstream Media and most recently as an Allied Board Member at Hedna.org. Today, David is strategically focused on new opportunities in the travel and sales space while remaining a strategic investor in SaaS companies. In addition to HEDNA, David is active with HTNG, HFTP, HSMAI and Skål.

As a dedicated leader of sales strategy, sales operations and the people management process, David is able to establish a strategic focus, clear goals, transformation and high performing teams.

About GuestCentric

GuestCentric is a leading provider of cloud-based digital marketing software and services that help exceptional hoteliers promote their brands, drive direct bookings and connect with customers on all digital platforms. GuestCentric’s all-in-one platform gives hotels the only one-stop solution for managing their guests’ online travel: award-winning, high-impact websites; an integrated, user-friendly booking engine; Social media marketing and publishing tools; a GDS chain code and channel manager to advertise rooms on Amadeus, Booking.com, Expedia, Galileo, Google, Saber, TripAdvisor and hundreds of other channels. GuestCentric is a proud provider of solutions that maximize direct bookings to hotel groups and independent hotels from collections such as Design Hotels, Great Hotels of the World, Leading Hotels of the World, Relais & Chateaux, Small Luxury Hotels and Small Danish Hotels. GuestCentric is featured on Skift Travel Tech 250, a list of the top 250 travel technology companies shaping the modern travel experience.