Company insight
Capitalising on the forecasted travel rebound in 2022
With the appetite for travel in 2022 expected to surpass pre-pandemic levels, Matthew Prosser, senior sales director for EMEA at Agilysys, breaks down what’s fuelling our desire to travel and how resort venues can capitalise on the rebound.
he coronavirus pandemic has created the perfect storm for those wanting to get away and enjoy a relaxing, effortless holiday this summer, whether that be overseas or domestic. There are two key drivers for this. One is the lowering, lifting, or in some cases, the complete removal of Covid-19 restrictions, with many countries reaching or having already passed the peak of the Omicron wave, providing hope for the travel and hospitality sector.
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The latter combines the reopening of borders with the logistics around travel becoming much clearer and smoother as we approach spring. There is a genuine demand to get out there and enjoy a much-needed break after what has been, quite frankly, a challenging time. When you consider that the pandemic has been ongoing for over two years now, and that most people wouldn’t have risked holidaying during that time (or simply couldn’t), there is a pent-up desire to splash out and treat themselves to a memorable all-inclusive break. Ultimately, couples, families and solo travellers are yearning to elevate their previous expectations. For instance, a family who holidayed in a self-catering apartment in Spain two years ago, and a camping holiday in Cornwall last year, may now be interested in a five star resort in the Middle East. Dubai is a key destination currently, particularly during the winter and spring period. So the appetite is there. TripAdvisor’s ‘Travel in 2022 – A Look Ahead’ study, which surveyed more than 10,000 people in January, found that 85% of respondents are likely to travel this year, whether domestically or abroad. While a 2022 trends survey carried out by Booking. com revealed 79% of people are now more
Hotel Management International /
www.hmi-online.com
guests, while empowering all departments through a unified common profile across the entire resort.
The rGuest Book app allows the resort or hotel to build a relationship with the guest before arrival.
open to different types of vacations. Furthermore, 80% of people agreed that technology would be more important than ever during their vacation. That’s where Agilysys comes in.
Relationships are key
But how can resorts build relationships with guests before they have even arrived? Today’s guest wants three things when booking a holiday: flexibility, choice, and a seamless booking experience. At Agilysys, the company’s focus on the hospitality industry is demonstrated by the most compelling technology solutions currently serving the resort market, underlining its intent on becoming a global market leader. Its customers now have access to next- generation, cloud-native technology-based products and the opportunity to offer a fully integrated contactless solution for their
So, when a customer books directly through the booking engine, rGuest Book, it provides access to other on-property amenities in a single reservation. For example, if a guest wants to book golf, spa, or other resort activities on top of their initial booking, they can do so effortlessly. Again, it’s all about supporting choice by providing the guest with the opportunity to build and adapt their itinerary ahead of visiting the resort. Essentially, that becomes the baseline for their holiday experience. This is where the potential of the guest experience is realised as you’re providing them with a platform to continually interact with their booking, even after reservations are made. In addition, through a mobile app, resorts can interact with the guest through emails and messages, prompting them with discounts, bolt-on experiences, and special offers ahead of their stay. Ultimately, it doesn’t matter if they booked their holiday six months ago – as soon as that booking is made, the relationship between the resort and guest begins and evolves right up until the point of arrival.
Safe, speedy, seamless
It is important to ensure that the seamless digital guest experience continues on arrival. Agilysys is enabling the digital guest journey with enhanced solutions to help implement a contactless environment that supports guest self-service, mobile check in/check out, digital keys, guest two-way communication, contactless payment, and mobile ordering. Digital check-in, room keys, and check- out allow guests to “pre-check-in” as much
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