TORONTO — People in North America are ready to get back to their normal lives and begin travelling again, says a new Oracle Hospitality survey, noting 76 per cent of consumers in North America plan to travel within the next six months, while 24 per cent of respondents in the U.S. and Canada plan to travel immediately — 31 per cent in the next one to three months, and 21 per cent by the end of the year.
“The pandemic has had a profound impact on the hospitality industry and continues to re-define how travel will look moving forward,” says Alex Alt, senior vice-president and general manager, Oracle Hospitality. “The great news is that travel is on the rise and consumers are excited to get back out in the world. However, they have new and evolving expectations of what that experience will look like. Hoteliers are rising to the challenge to not only delight customers with a great stay, but also come up with services to boost revenue and compete with the growing short-term rental market.”
Consumers and hoteliers alike were surveyed, and while last year there was plenty of uncertainty in the travel sector, this year hoteliers are focusing on the guests’ experience going beyond the standard room rate.
The majority of hotel executives surveyed (72 per cent) are exploring opportunities for non-room revenue. And consumers are all in, with 68 per cent noting they are very or somewhat interested in purchasing products or experiences from their hotel beyond the room.
The Oracle commissioned survey was conducted by Skift in May 2021. The survey interviewed 4,467 global consumers and 537 hotel executives, including 773 people and 160 hoteliers in North America.
The full report, titled Back to Hospitality Getting Smarter and More Profitable in a Post-Covid world can be found here.
