Wednesday 18 April 2018

Hostelskills Conference - Travel Trends from Booking.com



Hostelskills Conference 2018 in Krakow


Thank you to the Hostelskills team for hosting another hostel focused event in Krakow, inviting speakers to share their expertise with others in the industry.






Booking.com - The Journey is the experience

Booking.com Presents 2018 Hostel Trends at Hostelskills

Thanks to Booking.com for their insightful talk on trends for 2018 and predictions for 2019. The following is data taken from their presentation by Ewelina Kondratowicz and Jakub Brzozowski.

Booking.com books over 1.55M room nights every 24 hours in over 1.7M properties. On their website they have almost 26K active hostels worldwide with over 172M guest reviews.
32% of travelers expect to research, book and organise travel this year on mobile - on top of 44% of travellers expecting to be able to book their trip on mobile.

Videos in 2019 will be 80% of internet traffic. Currently 58% on Google are for specific brands or companies. 71% of travel searches on YouTUbe are for destination names.


Millienials (1980-2000)

They want to see as many people as possible, prioritising social interactions adn shared adventures. They are spending more on experience and travel, and they are environmentally conscious. 93% book on mobile, 44% use location as a key factor, 40% use reveiws only and 60% intend to post on social media during their stay. 55% of them say free WIFI is essential. 85% check photos and videos. 88% look at attractions nearby. 80% of last-minute bookings are done on mobile.


Trends for 2018

Luxury Hotels are offering a balance of privacy, amenities and social activities. More than 70% of hostel travelers are millenials, 72% are solo travelers, often requiring more privacy. Luxury hotels are now copying hostels.

Where do your bookings come from? Booking.com uses the following channels to book your property. Affiliate partners and meta searches such as tripadvisor, Kayak, eDreams, easyjet, agoda promote bookings through Booking.com, along with paid search. There is also print marketing through Conde Nast Traveler and others, along with social media and television commercials.


What is so special about Hostels?
Guests love hostels, they love the experience and want to book a bed in a shared communal environment. It´s the second most booked item on Booking.com´s site. Discounts motivate long stays, add-ons like free breakfast encourages bookings, and lastminute deals with price cuts are available a couple of days or hours before the deadline. Loyalty offers, such as ´Genius Program´ gives frequent travelers advantages.


What can hostels learn?
Hostels can learn that being flexible is more attractive. The center of your home page is where your offers should be, your content and your photos also speak volumes. Use exterior, bedroom, bathroom and chill-out places - this helps your guest to imagine their stay. Also don´t forget details and the view!

In summary, to be bookable, make it easy to book via mobile, have flexible availability, conditions and opportunities - such as add-ons, and show everything in your photos!


Great conference in Krakow, thanks to Hostelskills and Booking.com for the valuable insights.