Travellers will either go big or stay closer home this year, with unique experiences and city travel is high on the agenda, CEOs of some of the world’s leading hotel groups predict.

 

Dubai and London are the most popular cities this year, according to the CEOs, all members of Global Hotel Alliance (GHA) who have made five bold travel predictions for 2022.

 

Supersized holidays to ultra-luxury resorts and trips to major global cities are high on the agenda, as well as serial staycations, daycations and work-from-hotel scenarios and a preference for sustainable travel, say hospitality chiefs surveyed by GHA, the largest alliance of independent hotel brands.

 

GHA encompasses more than 500 hotels across 35 brands in 85 countries. It will expand its reach further when NH Hotel Group joins this summer, adding another 360 hotels.

 

More flexible travel payment options and convenient contactless services will become a priority, significantly influencing the purchasing behaviours of travellers, according to the hotel leaders.

 

“The collective expertise and knowledge of our CEOs provides a barometer of global consumer

sentiment. Our survey has confirmed that today’s travellers, influenced by the circumstances of

the last few years, are booking supersized holidays to bucket-list destinations, opting for

multiple daycations discovering close-to-home hotel experiences, and demanding more flexible

and convenient ways to book and pay for travel,” said GHA CEO Chris Hartley.

 

“With our collection of world-leading independent hotel brands, spanning an eclectic mix of

properties and locations, and supported by GHA Discovery with the first of its kind digital

rewards currency, we are ticking all these must-have boxes for modern travellers”, he adds.

 

Suspersize, but sustainably

Bucket-list travel and unique experiences are top consumer travel trends for 2022, with

almost 73% of survey respondents revealing they were targeting this sector trend with

substantial sales and marketing activity above all others. They also flagged up a surge in

bookings for villas and suites, dominated by family group travel, indicating that guests were

making up for lost time during the pandemic and prioritising reunions and vacations with loved

ones by supersizing their holiday. 

 

Some guests are taking it a step further, opting for a resort buyout to celebrate weddings and special occasions, with the Indian Ocean region a definite hotspot. This rise in spend and preference for larger accommodation is reflected in a predicted boost in 2022 room revenue across all markets, according to GHA hotel brands CEOs, with properties in many regions, including Europe, South-East Asia, China, and India, anticipating more of a return to 2019 levels by Q3 or Q4. 

 

It’s also clear that travellers will continue to prioritise responsible travel options this year, with 59% of CEOs surveyed dedicating sales and marketing efforts to promoting hotel sustainability credentials to planet and community conscious guests.

 

City slickers return

City travel will make a comeback in 2022, according to most GHA brands CEOs (80%) who

anticipate guest numbers at urban properties will return to around 75% of 2019 levels this year.

According to GHA forward-booking data, the most popular cities for 2022 are Dubai and

London, while Rome and Lisbon are rising in prominence again. CEOs noted destinations with

minimal pandemic-related restrictions were capitalising on pent-up demand for travel. 

 

Dubai, one of the first destinations globally to reopen its borders to international travel in 2020 and part

of the UAE, which is consistently rated as the most-vaccinated nation in the world by

Bloomberg’s vaccine tracker, was recently named the most popular destination for 2022 in

Tripadvisor’s first Travellers’ Choice Award for Destinations. London ranked second, with

traveller reviews and ratings of destinations over a 12-month period used to determine the

winners.

 

Domestic bliss

Experience-hungry travellers will continue to explore hotels and destinations on their

doorstep in 2022, with 46% of GHA CEOs indicating the daycation market was a sales and

marketing priority this year. The ongoing ‘bleisure’ and ‘work-from-anywhere’ trends remain

dominant, with 41% of CEOs targeting the remote work and work-from-hotel markets. 

 

Drive-to destinations are in strong demand, while extended stays are on the rise, and hotels are

responding with attractive packages ranging from day visits for work or play, to longer stints for

executives and their families. Tapping into the staycation trend, the reimagined GHA

Discovery programme launched Live Local, giving members access to GHA properties in

their hometown through Stay Offers for well-deserved breaks; Local Offers for short bursts of

enjoyment without a stay, such as access to the beach, gym or pool, or special deals on dining

and wellness; plus Experiences – bespoke member-only activities that immerse them in their

local culture or community, from tours and classes to events and nature-bound expeditions.

 

Hassle-free payments 

Traveller desire for ease of payment will reach an all-time high this year, according to GHA

CEOs, with more than 68% investing in systems upgrades this year to provide guests with a

seamless experience, particularly at point of sale. At the same time, GHA’s new digital rewards

currency, Discovery Dollars  (D$) – with one D$ valued at the equivalent of US$1 –

enables members to earn D$ at any property in the GHA Discovery collection for use on

future stays. At check-out, D$ earned on previous stays can be used towards the hotel room,

room upgrades, dining, spa treatments, or other extras. Members can earn D$ from day one,

and the percentage earned on eligible spend increases with membership status, starting at 4%

and rising to 7%. D$, part of the 2022 ‘financialisaton of travel’ movement, makes purchasing easier and gives members choice and value, addressing and alleviating customer pain points.

 

Contactless convenience

Tech-savvy and health-conscious travellers, weary of pandemic-related red tape, will

value convenience more than ever in 2022, said GHA CEOs, who are investing in technology

to make their guests’ lives easier. The survey revealed more than 68% intended to look at

introducing keyless room entry/room keys in 2022, while 46% were prioritising online check-in

and room choices, and 23% were researching opportunities for in-room AI, such as Amazon’s

Alexa or similar. 

 

Forward-looking CEOs are considering the benefits of the metaverse and virtual reality as part of it – one of the biggest emerging trends set to disrupt the business world in the future – with 50% surveyed keen to use VR for hotel tours. 

 

“Given the potential for VR to digitally transport potential customers to a hotel or travel destination, fully immersing their senses in this environment, it’s a powerful sales and marketing tool,” said Chris Hartley. 

 

“Our CEOs represent some of the world’s most visually appealing properties in stunning destinations

globally, so VR guest experiences could be a real game-changer.”

 

GHA properties are already ahead of the curve, with the recent reimagination of GHA

Discovery, the loyalty programme that is shared by all of the brands within GHA, pre-empting

these trends with concepts that meet the needs of travellers today, including a digital rewards

currency, Discovery Dollars (D$), along with a new Live Local concept, inviting members into their local hotels, with or without a stay, through offers and experiences ranging from pool access to spa days to dining offers and more.

 

The GHA hotel brand CEO survey was conducted in October 2021 and January 2022 and

reflects the predictions and sentiments of a selection of hospitality leaders in the GHA portfolio.

Brands represented include Anantara, Araiya, Avani, Campbell Gray, Capella, Corinthia,

Discovery Destinations, Divani, Doyle, Elewana, Fauchon, GLO, JA Resorts, Kempinski, Leela,

Lungarno, Marco Polo, Mysk, Niccolo, Nikki Beach, NUO, Oaks, Outrigger, Pan Pacific,

Parkroyal Collection, Parkroyal, Patina, The Residence by Cenizaro, Shaza, Sukhothai, Sun International, Tivoli, Ultratravel Collection and Viceroy. - TradeArabia News Service