The customer profile of travel agencies is changing. So are people’s expectations from the places they visit for holiday. There is an innovative holiday approach and a new generation that asks for more interaction and communication with their friends as much as with their families.
Meeting the holiday needs of next-gen customers requires online agencies to stop promoting holiday packages as a product sooner or later. Besides, new trends not only re-shape the marketing approach: The inevitable popularity of mobile technologies bring about new trends with an environmentally-friendly and a green holiday approach.
What are the new trends in the travel industry and what do your potential guests expect from you? The answers are in our article.
Environmentally-friendly “organic” holidays
In just like all industries, an environmentally-friendly approach is increasingly focused on in consumer trends across the travel and tourism industry. Facilities in a property can be insufficient in terms of attracting the next-gen consumers when it comes to holiday travels: Being in contact with the local people and close to natural is becoming increasingly attractive, especially for young professionals who spend their life behind a desk.
The reflections of this increase in ecological sensitivity are directly noticeable in customer preferences. Using renewable energy, quality standards like ISO 14001 or environment certificates like Green Star as well as usage policy for towels and water can each be an attractive factor for your next-gen customers.
A story to tell
Of course there are other things that make a holiday interesting for customers, with marketing and promotion being primary matters of consideration. However, things are different in digital world than they used to be: Contrary to product marketing where function, quantity and price are of priority, you should turn your brand story and preposition into an experience for your customers on the Internet. Content is the best way to achieve this. Content marketing is a suitable strategy both for the tourism and travel industry and digital media. If you can manage to reflect your social and environmental sensitivity to your marketing efforts without disregarding the concepts of transparency and accountability, you will definitely win the next-gen customers’ heart.
The contribution of mobile
Just like in all industries, the recent trends that deeply affect the travel industry are mobile and mobility. As information can be accessed more easily, next-gen customers can access most of the services they should normally receive via agencies on their own. Therefore, online agencies need to know how they can provide added value for their customers especially when it comes to support.
Another effect of mobile on the travel industry is that tourists have become mobile content creators thanks to mobile devices. It is in your hands to turn these people into brand ambassadors as an online agency owner.
You can rebuild your own strategy according to the information you obtain by analyzing the industrial trends effectively. An infrastructure through which you can apply your strategy quickly and effectively will help you adapt to changes in a shorter time. Currently, thousands of properties create online content, accept online bookings and promote themselves on social media with HotelRunner. Create your free-of-charge account now, define your agency and use the services of HotelRunner immediately.
