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What do travelers want? Setting hotel marketing priorities in 2012

January 24, 2012 | Hotel Marketing

The Internet and social media have placed a wealth of information at the fingertips of travelers. So we should be making better decisions, right? Far from the truth says hotel marketing consultant Daniel Edward Craig, and lists five must-haves for the modern travel shopper, along with some practical advice for fulfilling them.

Travelers want helpful information: These days marketing is less about finding customers than being found by customers. The Internet is the new telephone, and travelers are calling with questions about your business and destination. You can let your competitors answer, or you can pick up and provide helpful, relevant information.

Travelers want to compare offerings: Online travel agencies have now surpassed bedbugs as the number one parasitical threat to the travel industry. They did this by engorging themselves on high commissions and spending millions on advertising to convince travelers they offer the best deals. Problem is, they often do. Hotels have been willful hosts, fattening them up with all-you-can eat inventory at juicy low rates.

Travelers want reassurance they’re making the right choices: Memo to marketing: travelers have stopped listening to the fairytales and fantasies on your website and promotional materials. Instead, they’re turning to social networks to consult the people they trust to give them the real story: other travelers.

Travelers want to share experiences: Social networks have performed abysmally as a sales channel, and don’t hold your breath for that rush of Facebook bookings in 2012. People go to Facebook to socialize; they go to TripAdvisor and online travel agencies to shop.

Oh, and they want all this on mobile devices: The use of mobile devices is proliferating at a staggering rate, and travelers are leading the charge. You don’t need an app, you need a mobile compatible site that provides basic content travelers can navigate on a small screen: pricing, descriptions, location info, photos, deals and booking capabilities. And don’t forget a click-to-call option—some people actually use them as telephones too.

Get the full story at Daniel Edward Craig's blog

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