Asian consumer trends offer opportunities for hoteliers

A series of behavioural trends among Asian consumers will present opportunities for hoteliers in 2017, a new report has asserted.

The study, jointly released by Sabre and TrendWatching, identifies three traits of Asian consumers that the hotel industry can potentially capitalise on in 2017.

These are: ‘Betterment’, a growing consumer desire for self-improvement; ‘Local Love’, embracing local products and services; and ‘Infolust’, the appetite for timely and relevant information to improve purchase decisions.

“Competition amongst hotels is high in many Asia Pacific markets, despite a positive outlook into 2017 and beyond. Rapid disruption in the range of accommodation options available and an evolution in consumer preferences is putting hotels under pressure to keep innovating,” said Sarah Kennedy Ellis, vice president of marketing & strategic development for Sabre Hospitality Solutions.

“One key way to maintain an edge in a fiercely competitive industry is to identify emerging consumer behaviours that present new opportunities to differentiate the travel experience.”

According to STR’s data, Asia Pacific’s average daily rate decreased 1.9% to US$97 in 2017, demonstrating the difficult market conditions facing the region’s hoteliers. To gain a competitive edge however, Sabre says that hoteliers can focus on satisfying its three Asian behavioural trends.

In terms of ‘Betterment’, hotels are being advised to hotels introduce self-improvement elements into the stay, such as the ability for guests to join local community programmes, dine healthily or improve their health and fitness.

To tap the ‘Local Love’ trend, hoteliers should increase their selection of local experiences, including partnerships with neighbourhood companies.

And finally, to satisfy their guests’ ‘Infolust’, hotels should look at harnessing messaging apps to share travel information and offer personalised services.