Marketing strategy for hotels in COVID-19 year

Covid-19, carrying the status of a pandemic, has led to a worldwide crisis with its effects on the hospitality and other industries. This crisis has tendention to be even heavier than the financial crisis in 2008, but maybe shorter in duration. Hotels, private accommodation, supply chains, travel markets and restaurants are experiencing dramatic economic disruption.

Decline in occupancy is so big and demand for hotel services are big and  many hotel owners and operators are faced with the difficult decision of whether to remain in operation during the ongoing pandemic. Many of them will even remain closed for the season. The next few months will be challenging for the hotel industry, restaurant businesses and private accommodation owners and they will be in need for back to market strategy for hotels.

Small family businesses such as bed & breakfast, hostels, restaurants, beach bars owners  are very likely to live the crisis much worse than others in the private sector due to being intrinsically vulnerable to change.

During the 2008 global financial crisis, Croatian tourism was not significantly affected.  Overnight stays and arrivals in Croatia fell by 1.4 percent and 2.9 percent. In the case of COVID-19, the crisis should be significant and lasting. The businesses such as accommodation facilities, private accommodations, hotels, bars and restaurants will be jeopardized until a vaccine for the coronavirus is found, and the reason is the high concentration of guests typically staying in these facilities.

What should hoteliers operating within the tourism sector focus in this situation? It is important to do targeted advertising (best for the younger population and families), monitor changes in guest habits, invest in accommodation units and IT investment (digitization, big data).

Still, right price could be the most important element in Covid-19 year – appropriate adjustments in the hotels and private accommodation pricing strategy, and especially, keeping an eye on the competitors’ reactions to the crisis (hotel chains, individual hotels, campsites, hostels,..)

• Back-to-market   strategy must cover:
• on-line reputation boost
• tracking and comparing digital communication channels
• price analysis of owned and competitors accommodation units
• knowing your competition
• boost on-line reputation
• achievement operational excellence
• maximization of your bookings
• tracking guest satisfaction
• reducing your costs

DWEM Hospitality is a unique Big Data platform for the collection, technical manipulation, integration, processing and analysis of structured and non-structured data needed by the hotel business for everyday operations. Nowadays, price sensitivity is different than it normally would be. Data analysis-based pricing approach will help maximize hotel revenue.

Dwem Hospitality brings together the following modules in the same user interface:

1. DWEM Price Comparison – a module for advanced comparison of the accommodation prices in your hotels with those of your direct competitors, on all OTA (online travel agencies) and individual hotel web pages.
   DWEM Price Comparison tracks all data from OTAs and individual hotel websites and processes it in its Big Data analytical database, presenting them through responsive web-based user application or by sending data in scheduled reports via e-mail.
2. DWEM On-line Reputation Management – a module for detailed tracking of hotel reputation online, on OTA pages, social media, review sites and individual hotel pages. Advanced intuitive analytics make available a wide spectrum of available information at first sight, so you may get to the causes of potential problems and comprehensively and effortlessly manage your reputation, with the help of a visually rich display with built-in functions
3. DWEM Opinion – a module the creation, management and detailed analysis of digital in-stay and post-stay questionnaires. The production and management of individualized campaigns which may be implemented in any sort of management structure, to a specified timescale and even brought down to the level of the room, bar, reception desk and similar.

It is highly important to also communicate with your guests and to demonstrate that you are in front of the crisis. For that reason we highlight DWEM Opinion module. As the relationship between each brand and consumer starts by building trust, regaining customer confidence will be the first step in overcoming the crisis.

For more information, we will gladly make you modules demonstration. Don’t hesitate to contact us via https://alfatec.hr/kontakt/