ARAMA Report

The new era for accommodation providers

With planes grounded, passengers reluctant to fl y and international restrictions still in place, accommodation providers are directing their eff orts towards the drive market to att ract Australians looking to the open road for their next getaway.

The June 2020 quarter revealed just how much COVID-19 impacted domestic tourism with Tourism Research Australia reporting overnight spend 80 percent down on last year while overnight trips fell 67 percent.

However, in recent months we have seen a resurgence in people keen to pack up the car and splash some cash in their own

Trevor Rawnsley,

CEO, ARAMA

backyard - and it’s something they’ll be looking to do for some time - until people are confi dent with travelling overseas.

As accommodation providers capitalise on this opportunity, there has never been a more important time to listen to customers.

There are so many different moving parts to Management Rights ownership.

Liam Kennedy Consultancy Services specialise in ensuring all of those moving parts are optimised and functioning correctly. Whether you are new to the industry, looking to set the business up for sale, or needing assistance in day-to-day operations, LKCS can help you.

Our services include:

- Caretaking agreement top ups/new agreements - Understanding caretaker responsibilities - Repairing and mediating Body Corporate relationships - Strengthening and maintaining owner relationships - Strategic planning to protect and grow your letting pool - Optimisation of marketing opportunities - Front and back of house advice

The convenience of electronic body corporate processes is expected to assist in encouraging greater participation

The pandemic has not only changed the logistics of how we travel, but it has also shift ed our priorities and approach to taking trips and where we choose to stay.

As operators, we have to rethink what accommodation means in the context of social distancing and hygiene - and do everything we can to give guests confi dence in booking with us.

The once hidden task of cleaning has quickly become a key selling theme, with messages reaching every guest touchpoint from the website at time of booking to the confi rmation email received to the native displays when they check in.

In this regard, people are also looking for smarter accommodation options - remote check-in and other services through mobile phones that limits the amount of contact needed. It is set a new standard for both customer experience and expectation. We may also start to see people taking longer trips, adding and extra week or two to their itinerary to stay and work remotely. This means they will be searching for places with high-speed wifi , an appropriate place to work and perhaps even pet-friendly options.

And this extra fl exibility may come with the need to change their plans. People are searching for more fl exibility in their booking terms and conditions, which means being transparent about cancellation policies, refunds and amending booking dates.

Even as fl ight activity returns to near pre-COVID levels, it is clear that some of these trends are here to stay – and leading operators are innovating change to future-proof their business.

We have all had the opportunity at some stage this year to stop and think about what is really important in life – and COVID-19 certainly hasn’t dampened our innate human desire to travel.

QLD - NSW - VIC - WA

Please contact Liam Kennedy m 0412 365 251 | e liam@lkcs.com.au | w lkcs.com.au