Thanks to Hostelskills for hosting the conference and Booking.com for this information.
There are now 1.4 billion International Tourists - this is a 6% increase on last year. The biggest group is Europe with 713 million and then Asia Pacific with 343 Million. The Americas account for 217 million with Africa at 67 million and the Middle East at 63 million. The global average growth is around 3 to 4 %.
5 in every 5 tourists are traveling within their region, which means this is mostly Europeans traveling in Europe.
Mobile Trends
Bookings on mobile have increased by 540%. There are 8 billion active devices - more than people on the planet! This is a lot of people using mobile. 60% of travelers are posting pictures on mobile of their travels. 65% of Booking.com customers prefer to use mobile.
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Innovation
76% of travelers say that smart phones are their most important asset to travel with. This enables all their search decisions. 53% of guests are likely to book on their device, but only a quarter of hostels on Booking.com have mobile friendly websites.
13 nights per year is the average holiday taken
45% of travelers are men, 55% are women, 21% of these are solo travelers with 18% being large groups. Couples are 41% with families making up the other 20%.
38% are in multiple destinations - travelers want to see more places!
Booking Methods
The trend in using travel agents has decreased, as has direct bookings with accommodation providers websites. Now bookings are made on mobile or apps, and usually through the OTAs.
Managing Guests Experience
Dividing guests stay into the pre-stay, stay and after stay. To get the guests attention you have to 10 seconds - and you have to provide quality photos - this the hot spot on screen clicks. Showcase your hostel with good well lit photos, show the chill-out communal areas, details and show the views and surroundings.
77% of users don't expect to wait more than 6 hours for a reply to their email. Make sure you have automated replies with a booking assistant.
Post Stay you need to get your feedback and reviews. Personalisation is the next developing trend. As seen with Amazon or Netflix - suggestions are made and personalised based on buyer behaviour.
