Amadeus has officially published the results from its latest survey, which explores what travelers are looking for from a trip and how technology can make those ambitions come true.
Going by the available details, this particular exercise took into account the opinion of more than 6,000 travelers from US, China, India, UK, France, and Germany to understand how they choose their travel destination, how they want to book, and what factors most impact a trip once they are on the road.
Upon doing so, the study discovered that almost two-thirds of hotel guests (63%) are willing to pay extra for features such as a specific view or floor, to have an Xbox in their room, or to have local attractions added to their package.
Furthermore, the research shows how these features could add around 12% to the average daily rate (ADR) charged by the hotel, increasing revenues by over $5,300 per room per year for an average mid-range hotel chain looking to sell these extra features.
Next up, the report digs into how channels that influence travel have also seen a shift. We get to say so because social media ads and travel influencers have evidently taken up bigger influence in the last five years, with the relevance of newspapers, in-person travel agents, and TV ads taking a big hit.
Another detail worth a mention here is rooted in 50% of travelers saying that a personalized service and welcome is a top factor when it comes to achieving their ideal hotel experience. Joining that would be a contingent of 52% respondents who said they would be willing to share personal data in return for tailored deals (with fewer people, 40%, open to doing so for a reduced price).
Nearly half (48%) of all leisure guests also shared their preference for a traditional check-in desk, with a person to talk them through the hotel amenities.
Apart from that, Amadeus’ research discovered that business travellers, in particular, are looking for more technology in their pursuit of efficiency, with 71% of them interested in a form of online or self-service check-in. Nearly a quarter (22%) of business travelers also said they want the option of paying with crypto currency or a digital wallet in the future, suggesting the payments landscape may also be shifting.
Hold on, we still have a few bits left to unpack, considering we haven’t yet touched upon a piece of data claiming that not having an insurance is costing travelers real money. The global travelers revealed how the average amount they have lost, due to not having travel insurance, stands at an average of $1,210 per person.
Rounding up highlights would the fact that more and more travellers now want to leverage virtual reality and artificial intelligence in the context of their travel. This translates to how over 82% business travelers and 66% leisure travelers said they would like to explore a destination before arrival with a virtual tour.
Half of all travelers also said they would now turn to AI to tell them about the best places for dinner at their destination. 18% said they would even ask an AI assistant to write a review on their behalf about a hotel or dinner they had experienced on their trip.
Among other things, we ought to mention how Amadeus conducted this research in collaboration with Opinium Research. Investigators from both the companies questioned executives from Flemings Hotels, Lexis Hotels, The Trans Hotel Group, Marcus Hotels, Geronimo Hospitality Group, Core Hospitality, Hegg Companies, Europcar, ProColombia, and AXA Partners.
“From the moment travelers begin thinking about their trip to the time they return home, our mission is to empower the industry to be able to provide exceptional experiences at every step of the journey. Projects of this kind show how diverse people’s needs are, depending on key factors such as the purpose of their trip, their age or where they are from. By combining this knowledge with innovative new technology, hoteliers, destinations, mobility and travel protection providers have real opportunities to drive profitable demand, create personalized trips for guests,” said Francisco Pérez-Lozao Rüter, President, Hospitality, Amadeus.
