Increasing bookings and sales of my tourist accommodation business

Whether your tourist establishment operates year-round or seasonally, your primary goal is to ensure its economic viability by creating value.

Commercialization and distribution channels

The economic value you create is the result of an effective sales strategy for your tourist accommodation establishment, be it a hotel, campground or resort, whether online or through various distribution channels.  

The various sales channels, whether online or physical, direct or indirect, are all essential and represent touchpoints with clients that serve specific purposes in their booking process. Opting for a single marketing channel is a risky strategy that limits your visibility to only a portion of your audience and market. Having multiple distribution points ensures a broader presence for all your potential clients.

Did you know that... in 2023, 79%* of U.S. travelers consulted an online travel agency before booking their vacation trip? Why? Because consumers often seek inspiration for their next vacation destination. In fact, 55%* still don't know where they want to go when they begin their search.

65% of travelers will consult the results of a search engine to guide their search for vacations and hotels, while 75%* will consult social networks or travel meta-search engines such as Tripadvisor, Kayak, etc. (Source: Expedia 2023).  

To increase sales before and during the season, it is essential to expand the distribution channels of your tourism establishment. Here’s how:

• Implementing a booking engine tailored to your establishment or group of establishments, seamlessly integrated into your website.
• The booking engine is the perfect solution to increase direct bookings, decrease reliance on online travel agencies and other third-party platforms, and ultimately regain control over distribution and profitability.
• Employing a channel manager to automate the distribution of your inventory, availability and pricing across various distribution channels: online travel agencies, metasearch engines, travel agencies and Global Distribution System (GDS) software, in U.S. and worldwide.

Boosting sales of your activities and revenue sources

Boosting sales of your activities and revenue sources is essential, especially considering the accelerated transformation of tourism establishments, hotels, campsites, and resorts post-COVID. This transformation is driven by several factors:

Regarding travelers:

• Diverse experience: Travelers seek multiple and tailored experiences according to their profiles, whether it's for leisure or business, with their partner or family, focused on gastronomy or cultural exploration, among other preferences.
• Seamless experience: Travelers want their stay to be seamless and hassle-free. Simplifying both the purchasing process and on-site experiences is essential for guest satisfaction.
• Instantaneous and personalized: The instantaneous nature of online shopping and the desire for personalization influences travelers’ expectations. They expect quick and personalized service that caters to their individual preferences and needs.  
• Quest for novelty: Travelers are constantly looking for new and enriching experiences to enhance their stay. They view the establishment as an integral part of the destination and expect unique and memorable experiences that contribute to their overall travel experience.

Regarding tourist establishments:  

In the face of increasing competition, it's imperative to diversify in order to gain competitive advantages that will differentiate your tourist establishment from others. This can be achieved through various means: quality customer reviews, new service offerings (bar or restaurant facilities, catering services, yoga classes or specialized dietary menus), new accommodations (cabins, rooms with themed ambiances and additional amenities).

While diversification presents significant opportunities in 2024, it also brings new challenges and requirements: centralization and transversality of management and operating data across multiple profit centers within the establishment; availability of inventory and resources (equipment, resources, products, reservation system, stock, client data and preferences); centralization of payments and invoices; revenue analysis reporting (analyzing revenue breakdown by source and implementing robust reporting and business intelligence tools to optimize revenue streams)

Optimizing sales and occupancy

Optimizing sales and occupancy requires more than just effective marketing. It also involves implementing a revenue management strategy to ensure consistent pricing flexibility across all revenue streams, taking into account factors such as scalability, occupancy rates, and competitive pricing in relation to direct competition and online travel agencies.

A robust revenue management strategy allows you to dynamically adjust pricing based on demand fluctuations, market trends, and competitor pricing, maximizing revenue potential while maintaining competitiveness.