TRENDSETTING

Trends to look for in 2021

Volker Heiden, area vice president Sub-Saharan Africa, Marriott International, offers insights into the 2021 travel trends. These are the top ones:

Mobile mindset

The pandemic has accelerated the pre-pandemic trend of digitalisation in the travel sector. Digital platforms, which have long been the preferred source of content and commerce for Millennials and Gen-Z, will increasingly become a source of both inspiration and sales embraced by all generations. For Marriott digital, transformation was already part of every aspect of our business. The rollout of digital technologies to enhance the customer experience including mobile check-in and checkout, mobile room keys, via the Marriott Bonvoy Mobile app is a focus area for Sub-Saharan Africa. Selected properties have implemented these technologies and we aim to rollout further implementation, across the market, in the future.

Thoughtful luxury

With travel and holidays being restricted for most of 2020, luxury travellers will want to focus their travel plans and funds onto more thoughtful, sustainable travel – a less flashy, low key form of affluence. We will see an interest in luxury travel experiences that are ‘special’ and offer unique experiences, privacy, well-being and the chance to reconnect with family rather than more conspicuous forms of luxury holidays. Drive-to destination travel is up significantly as people choose locations that are reachable without getting on a plane, where the journey itself becomes part of the experience. We see this trend in the region as South Africa is known as a classic big-sky country, ideal for an ultimate road trip experience. Just one day on the road in South Africa takes travellers through breathtaking mountains and valleys to world-class beaches or bushveld.

Living in the moment

These last months have taught us all that life can change unexpectedly in a very short space of time, and our freedom and ability to travel, which we all took for granted, can be restricted in ways we never imagined possible. This summer, in the brief window where people could travel again, we saw a significant increase in last minute, spontaneous travel plans. People were booking the day before a trip – and then extending their stay once at the hotel. We also saw people treating themselves to a suite or an upgrade – as why not? This is something that will continue – people are craving a sense of adventure, excitement, indulgence - and a change of scenery after being stuck at home for months.

Apartment bookings

Consumers are looking to book apartment type/self-catering room categories within hotels to provide additional freedom and independence. To cater to this demand, Homes and Villas by Marriott International launched in South Africa last year. Homes and Villas by Marriott International is a global home rental offering launched in 2019 by Marriott International with a vision to bring the company’s 90+ years of hospitality expertise to the home rental market. The initiative currently offers thousands of premium and luxury homes located across 200+ destinations throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, the Caribbean, Latin America and now Africa.

We see great opportunity for Homes and Villas by Marriott International in South Africa. Following a careful survey of the home rental market across the country, we have launched a selection of units located in Cape Town that we believe can deliver the best possible experience for our guests.

Remote working

The region is seeing a trend where customers are looking for a third space to work and be productive, especially now that remote working is becoming the new norm. Working from home while schools remain closed is a challenge, and therefore we are seeing the trend whereby customers are opting to use our hotel spaces as places to work with products such as the ‘’Work Anywhere Stay Pass” which is available across selected hotels throughout Sub-Saharan Africa.

This new offering to work anywhere with Marriott Bonvoy is as an alternative to working from home. Marriott Bonvoy’s new Stay Pass package was designed as a flexible option whether guests are seeking a one-day stay or an early-morning-intothe-evening booking. This new offering is designed to help our customers be more productive and achieve a better work/life balance by reimagining our hotel rooms as local remote workspaces. By providing flexible booking options, our loyalty members and guests have a familiar alternative when choosing where to work while earning points.

Protea Hotel by Marriott Kruger Gate.

Trust in travel

Travel brands that are trusted will thrive as consumers recover from the impact of the pandemic. In times of crisis and uncertainty, consumers buy from brands who they trust. Consumers will have higher expectations of their travel experiences – the quality of the travel experience will be more critical than ever. Our guests have a heightened awareness of hygiene and this won’t disappear. Cleanliness will remain fundamental to the customer experience. Our hotels and associates have embraced our new cleanliness protocols, understand their importance and have worked tirelessly to ensure our hotels are delivering against Marriott International’s exacting standards.

Recognition

Travel booking has become a much bigger decision – with more elements to consider and more expectations on the experience itself after a period of very limited or no travel. Consumers will be looking for the maximum value – both in monetary terms but also in terms of the experience for them – what they get out of a holiday personally. For us to give guests a sense of recognition, added value and welcome will become even more important. Existing members of our travel programme, Marriott Bonvoy, already benefit from this – in terms of upgrades, and exclusive member offers and experiences. Rewarding our most regular, most valued guests underpins everything we do – and this will become ever more important for us and for our guests as travel returns.

Business Travel

While the pandemic has sparked the rise of video calls, webinars and digital meetings, it can never replace the need for face-to-face. People crave connections and collaborate better when they are together. While large corporates may be slower to resume travel, smaller and medium-sized enterprises are desperate to get back to business. To support these businesses as they return to corporate travel, we have introduced Marriott Bonvoy Business Ready – a new programme designed to help small- and medium-sized companies get back on the road when they’re ready to travel again. Over the next five years, we will see business travel resume, but we’ll also see the evolution of business travel with hybrid events, where elements of the event take place in person, and others take place digitally. We’re prepared to adapt and embrace these changes at our hotels.

Who is Volker Heiden?

Volker Heiden, area vice president, Marriott International heads up the Protea by Marriott Brand, adding up to over ninety hotels in Africa. In addition, Mr Volker oversees the African Pride Hotels, which are now part of the Autograph collection, and the Marriott Hotel Crystal Towers in Century City.

Prior to his current role, Mr Volker served as vice president finance for Marriott’s’ Caribbean and Latin American region, based in Plantation, Florida.

A 21-year veteran with Marriott International, Mr Volker held senior finance positions in Europe, Asia and the Americas.

Volker is a graduate of the Hotel Management School in Bad Harzburg, Germany and a graduate Bilanzbuchhalter (IHK) of the Dr. Endriss Steuerfachschule Koln, Germany in 1997 (equivalent of a Chartered accountant). Volker is fluent in German, English and Spanish. In his spare time he enjoys nature, particularly hiking and skiing.