The Year Ahead | Hotel Marketing in 2024 by 80DAYS

Welcome.

Within this report, we set the scene with a brief 2023 trends update from European hotel websites, before diving into 11 curated hotel marketing trends for the year ahead.

Saving wallets and worlds, vibing with your guests and finding ways to provide predictable surprises – there’s something here for everyone.

2024 promises to be a year of dynamic change and will undoubtedly throw us a few curveballs. Of course, long-term planning remains important, but it absolutely won’t be a straight line to achieve your goals.

So, we return to the importance of ‘agility’ and multi-scenario planning; taking a leaf out of Ross’s book and always being ready to pivot.

We hope that this report provides inspiration on how to innovate, adapt and ultimately, thrive.

EUROPEAN HOTEL WEBSITES IN 2023

TRENDS SNAPSHOT

IN SUMMARY

Website traffic to European city and rural hotels are now roughly on a par with each other, having normalised post-pandemic. Despite a good start to 2024, city and rural hotel website traffic is down year-on-year, by 6% and 18% respectively.

Overall, we see that website traffic to city hotels is trending slightly up, while rural properties are trending slightly down.

TRANSACTIONS

IN SUMMARY

Despite an even share of traffic, city hotel websites far outperformed rural in average monthly transactions during 2023. This reverses a trend from 2022 which was likely still influenced by a post-pandemic marketplace.

Moving into 2024, average website transactions were up by 120% year-on-year during January for city properties versus just 3% for rural.

CONVERSION RATE

IN SUMMARY

Website conversion rates are returning to pre-pandemic levels, with the performance of city hotels now exceeding rural. City hotels also show the largest year-on-year gains in January 2024, with conversion rates increasing by 144% versus 30% for rural.

The positive news is that overall website conversion rates are trending upwards for both city and rural properties.

DESKTOP, MOBILE & TABLET DISTRIBUTION

IN SUMMARY

Mobile accounts for the largest percentage of traffic for both city and rural hotels, highlighting the importance of making sure your website (and booking engine) offer a frictionless experience on mobile.

Transactionally, desktop still leads the way for both city and rural properties. That said, we do observe consistent transactional share gains from mobile year-on-year.

The disparity between mobile traffic and transactions could be explained by mobile devices tending to be used to browse, rather than book. This is especially true for rural property bookings that are typically more leisure focused.

11 TRENDS FOR THE YEAR AHEAD

SHAPING THE FUTURE OF TRAVEL MARKETING

1. AUTHENTIC FAKES

AUTHENTIC FAKES

Humans, we’re a complicated species.

On one hand, we value authenticity, with over 90% of us highlighting authenticity in marketing as an important factor when deciding which brands we choose to support Of course, this sits a little awkwardly with advancements in Artificial Intelligence and it’s increasing use within marketing, but we’ll get to that later!

On the other hand, while we value authenticity from the brands we trust, we’re happy to fake it ourselves, according to new research from Booking.com

62% of us enjoy the anonymity that comes with travel, with 39% of us seeing it as an opportunity to tell fictional stories about our lives – the ultimate form of escapism!

This, coupled with 72% of us admitting to photoshopping our selfies to make ourselves more attractive, would suggest that we don’t need a metaverse to live an alternate reality!

So, while our marketing must be authentic, we can certainly try to appeal to the desire of our guests to tell stories, both real and embellished, through the types of content we share and the storytelling framework we provide for our guests.

Virgin Hotels Edinburgh are a fantastic example of this in action.

Their ‘things to do’ content suggests itineraries for ‘the escapist’, ‘the foodie’, ’the stylist’, ‘the adventurer’ and more, with each introduced by an influencer example of the persona they’re describing.

This all helps to build a close affinity with their guests and the stories they’d like to tell, inevitably appealing to both their needs and wants from a stay. It will undoubtedly help to spread the word when guests share their stories on social media later too!

All this can help create a more definitive vibe for your hotel, which leads us nicely on to…

2. VIBING

Often overlooked, a hotel’s vibe is a key consideration in the decision-making process for a guest, not to mention it’s impact on their experience once they arrive.

In fact, a 2023 TripAdvisor study found that 78% of travellers consider a hotel's overall atmosphere when making a booking decision

Need further proof?

Reviews mentioning the word ‘vibe’ were up by over 1,000% in 2023 on hotels.com

It’s clear that the vibe and feeling a hotel evokes plays a significant role in influencing guest choice.

Ultimately, your vibe can help connect ‘place with people’. It can also be a useful differentiator, helping you stand out in an already saturated marketplace.

So, what’s your vibe? Modern party? Funky chill? Retro hip? Business serious? Perhaps more importantly, how do you convey your vibe within your marketing?

3 TIPS TO CONVEY YOUR VIBE

1. Use language that captures your hotel’s vibe – e.g. if you have a relaxed, beachy vibe, use words like “serene”, “sundrenched” etc.

2. Use images that reflect your vibe –e.g. if your hotel has a modern, urban vibe, use imagery of sleek lines, vibrant cityscapes, reflections on glass etc.

3. Ensure it’s an integral part of your brand identity – right across your branding, your hotel’s website and social media too. You might even want to encourage your audiences to share stories and experiences that reflect your vibe too.

A great example of ‘vibe’ being conveyed well is The Standard; a brand that is anything but, standard. Bold, playful and perhaps even slightly rebellious, their marketing reflects what you can expect upon arriving at one of their properties.

Likely with a few added surprises too…

3. PREDICTABLE SURPRISES

PREDICTABLE SURPRISES

Remember our ‘authentic fakes’ and the somewhat contradictory behaviours of guests? Strap in, here we go again.

52% of travellers want to book trips where the destination remains a mystery until they arrive says new research from Booking.com

We’re not sure if we fully believe this as a quick poll of our team of well-seasoned travellers at 80 DAYS suggested just 5% would be up for ‘rolling the dice’ on their next trip, but…

There certainly seems to be growing desire for spontaneity in travel:

55% prefer to embark on their journeys without set plans, while two thirds opt for loose itineraries and adapting as they go.

So, while we might want to provide guests with ‘things to do’ like Virgin Hotels expertly do, we should also give them the option to just live ‘in the moment’. Or should we?

A 2020 Cornell University study highlighted the importance of predictability and ‘cognitive fluency’ in the guest experience. In plain English, they found that guests appreciate predictable layouts, intuitive technology, familiar routines and reduced cognitive effort in their pursuit of comfort during a trip.

Perhaps that’s the other 48% who would rather know where they’re going when they step on a plane, train or automobile. Or perhaps it’s the ‘intention-behaviour gap’ at work; what we say we want, isn’t always true.

Regardless, surprises can be fun and a real talking point. So, how can you appeal to your more spontaneous guests?

A good starting point is to jump onto your CRM and send them a surprise pre, during and post stay.

That could even be as simple as an out-of-theblue email/SMS invite for a complimentary drink on their first night staying with you.

4. HEALTHY HOTELS

HEALTHY HOTELS

The hustle and bustle. It gets to us all.

Probably no surprise then, that the top reason to travel in 2023 was to “relax and rejuvenate” according to a TripAdvisor study.

This varies a little by country, with the UK among the keenest to embrace downtime.

In fact, new research by PoB Hotels found that nearly three quarters of high-net-worth UK travellers are keen to adopt a ‘slow travel’ approach in 2024

Their aim here isn’t to pack an itinerary, but to visit less places, in a more fulfilling way.

So where might a ’slow traveller’ be tempted to book?

Well, good news if you’re next to some H2O; 75% of travellers find instant relaxation by the water's edge according to recent research.

Or if you’re operating a health retreat or medical spa, you’re also in luck: 20% of travellers are curious to learn more.

However, no matter where your property is located, you can cater to a guests desire to reconnect with themselves;

18% of guests are looking to deepen their connection with themselves.

And, in what could be considered an unexpected twist, guests are looking for a good night sleep from hotels in 2024.

For some, it’s all they’re looking for, with 58% searching for sleep-focused retreats. And relax.

Gone are the days when luxury meant sheer indulgence and wellness equated to pampering with high-end lotions and beauty treatments.

Now, hotels and clubs are embracing “extreme wellness,” a megatrend that marries sleep, performance, recovery, nutrition, and forward-thinking wellness practices.

Colin Nagy Skift’s MegaTrends 2024

5. HUNGER GAMES

HUNGER GAMES

One of our more basic needs has become one of our biggest wants.

It’s no longer a ‘box tick’ exercise when researching a hotel to see if it simply has a restaurant; guests want more.

PoB Hotels’ research into affluent UK travellers ranked “food and drink” as the foremost point of interest for those embarking on domestic trips with 82% saying it was important to them.

In fact, 83% of global travellers consider on-site dining options when choosing their hotel according to TripAdvisor’s Hotel Trends Report 2023.

And we’re planning trips around our stomachs too. 50% of travellers are planning their trips around specific restaurants or dishes, with 61% prioritising learning about the origins of a destination’s iconic dish.

So whether it’s bacalhau, haggis or paella –play on your national dishes and the heritage of your food and drink – guests will eat it up, quite literally.

But what does this look like in action?

Exclusive Collection snapped up MasterChef: The Professionals 2023 winner, Tom Hamblet, to take residency as Head Chef of Camellia for Q1 2024, serving a delicious menu inspired by his time on the show. Their tableonly reservations sold out quickly!

And as for iconic dishes, may we present the Original Sacher-Torte. Much more than a dessert it’s become a cultural icon, even represented in movies and literature.

Our friends at Hotel Sacher in Vienna kindly sent us one this Christmas (pictured).

It didn’t last long!

Discover more (and an approximate recipe) on sacher.com. Yum.

6. SAVE THEIR WALLET

SAVE THEIR WALLET

While our previous reports (and wider industry studies) have found that the cost of living crisis has had less impact on luxury (4 and 5-star) hotel bookings, it would be naïve to say that wallet watching won’t be a trend to be mindful of in 2024.

However, it’s worth remembering the pitfalls of discounting your room stocks for short term gains. It quickly commodifies your brand, can damage brand loyalty, signal low confidence and potentially cannibalise future bookings.

A better strategy to avoid rate degradation is to try and compete on quality and value, or even differentiate your offering, while holding your line on rate.

All that said, a recent study from Booking.com highlights that 62% say the increased cost of living will play a limiting factor in their 2024 travel planning

It may well lead to a continued interest in domestic travel too, for example 73% of UK adults are reconsidering foreign holidays.

62% also plan to keep an eye out for travel hacks and deals, which could see an increase in searches for your brand + ‘deals’, ‘discounts’ and ‘offers’.

Of course, it can be disconcerting for a luxury brand to use language like this, but if your guests are searching for these terms, then there’s an opportunity to rank for them.

Consider creating a hidden landing page on your website optimised for ‘your hotel name + vouchers / deals / discount codes’ etc.

This helps to protect your brand as you control the content they see, rather than have them directed to a third party who has free reign on the language they use to sell your rooms.

Your page can then present a closed-group, value-added, offer to encourage a direct conversion.

Of course, you could make use of your loyalty programme to offer a closed-group special offer too.

With more deal shopping in the industry, we’re of course reminded of the importance of the Pword; parity, parity, parity!

Nobody wants to pay a commission for a guest who’s already convinced they want to stay at your hotel, but tempted away by a cheaper rate offered by an OTA.

The importance of parity is underlined by the record performance of metasearch advertising in 2023 – our clients achieved an average ROI of just under 20:1 during the year.

A final quick win to entice the deal hunters; searches for ”free things to do” in major destinations grew by 20% in the last year (TripAdvisor), so optimise content on your site for these terms and highlight how close your hotel is to some top free activities!

7. SAVE THEIR WORLD

SAVE THEIR WORLD

Would this even be a 2024 trends report if we didn’t mention the S word?

The continued importance of sustainability is both expected and welcomed, as we collectively seek to find a more responsible way to inhabit (and travel) the planet.

With the tourism industry accounting for 8% of global carbon emissions (World Travel and Tourism Council 2023), our responsibility is clear.

Not to blow our own trumpet (toot!) but this is an area we’re particularly passionate about as we work towards becoming B-Corp certified.

And we were thrilled to introduce sustainability coaching services for our hospitality clients in 2023, in partnership with Dominique King.

So, the industry is abuzz with great initiatives and ideas to solve the problem, but do guests actually care?

Yes.

In fact, searches for “sustainable travel” have grown by 120% in the past year alone according to Google and as the trend graph pictured shows, it’s rising pretty consistently.

Over half (53%) of travellers are seeking accommodation that blends comfort with innovative sustainability features.

So it’s vital (and commercially smart) to look at initiatives to become a more responsible business and stay ahead of the game – be that reducing your hotel’s energy usage, or using AI to monitor food wastage – kudos to Red Carnation Hotels, who are pioneers in delivering luxury, sustainably.

As Michelle Devlin (General Manager at The Egerton House Hotel and Global Sustainability Officer) at Red Carnation Hotels notes;

“From the luxury perspective, you always want it to be ‘better than home’ and that ethos applies to our approach to sustainability too.”

8. IMAGE IS EVERYTHING

IMAGE IS EVERYTHING

And now for perhaps the most obvious statistic within this report:

95% of hotel guests report that images and videos are the most important factors in their decision-making process when booking a hotel.

Imagine that, a guest wants to actually see what they’re booking!

More valuable insight is that hotels that use video content receive 37% more bookings than those without

It’s no longer enough to rely on beautiful hotel and resort imagery alone.

This applies to both your website and social media too. On average, videos generate 56% more likes and comments on social media than static posts.

The good news? You probably already have everything you need to improve your hotel’s photography and videography.

Enthusiasm, a good smartphone and a little creative direction is all it takes to elevate your social media photography and videography to become industry leading.

And it can yield strong results too.

Through careful social media management, we grew a client’s Instagram following by over 400% last year, making the most of their existing content library and supplementing it with new imagery and video that we created.

Want to learn some of the secrets behind our success?

Sign up for our HOTEL SOCIAL modules in photography, videography and copywriting for social media and bring your hotel’s content to life.

On the subject of social media…

9. SOCIAL BOOM

SOCIAL BOOM

Social media was the fastest growing traffic contributor for a hotel website in 2023, accounting for up to 6.2% of overall traffic on average

And in January 2024, global social media users topped 5 billion for the first time – with a staggering 62% of the world’s population now active on social media

And they’re not just window shopping.

Nearly 1/3 of travellers booked a hotel directly through social media platforms in 2023

Your social media profiles provide a genuine opportunity to help drive direct conversions on your website.

Studies have shown that 76% of travellers visit a hotel’s social media page before making a reservation

So, there’s money to be made from social media. Quite a lot in fact. The volume of revenue driven through social media is expected to top $1 trillion globally this year

Significant growth in Asia is driving this, with over $500 billion of social commerce sales predicted in China alone.

Social media is well and truly booming.

The nuts and bolts of it is that ecommerce capabilities are being woven more deeply into social media so that your channels are far more than just awareness tools now.

In fact, some 80 DAYS clients observed ROI’s of up to 150:1 from paid social media campaigns in 2023.

As we already mentioned in this report, social media is a very visual medium so investment in your photography and videography is a great starting point to improving your feeds!

HOTEL SOCIAL

BY 80 DAYS

THE DIGITAL ACADEMY FOR THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY

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• Effective and efficient – train your entire team at the same time

• Wide ranging subjects – new courses being added all the time

For more information or to start learning, visit hotelsocial.academy

HOTEL SOCIAL

BY 80 DAYS

WHAT CAN YOU LEARN?

Raise your hotel team’s digital IQ in one of the following modules

• An Introduction to Google Analytics 4

• Google Analytics 4 Essentials

• Photography for Social Media

• Videography for Social Media

• Copywriting for Social Media

• TikTok for Hotels – coming soon

• Paid Social Advertising for Hotels – coming soon

• Bespoke training – tailor any of our Hotel Social training to your team’s individual needs and objectives.

For more information or to start learning, visit hotelsocial.academy

10. THE SHAPE OF SEARCH

THE SHAPE OF SEARCH

Occasionally, you’ll read a click-bait headline that boldly claims “SEO is dead”.

Except it isn’t.

In 2023 organic search traffic accounted for 34% of a hotel website’s revenue.

Over 1/3 of all your online revenue still originates from good ‘ol search engines.

Not to mention local search. An amazing 46% of all online searches now contain a location and “near me” searches have grown 500% in the last 2 years alone.

They’re not just browsing either with local search accounting for over 10% of a hotel website’s total online revenue during 2023.

We think it’s fair to say that SEO isn’t dead. It’s just evolving.

It’s predicted that by the end of 2024 there will be 8.4 billion voice assistants in use worldwide.

As further integration with AI helps these tools get smarter, their reliability and value to consumers will only increase. Over time it’s expected that voice search will cannibalise the more traditional ‘search box’ searches we’ve become accustomed to.

Consider how your guests search for travel (and your brand) today.

From the initial ’top 5 holiday destinations in 2024’ search, to the ‘Hey Google, what are the best luxury hotels in Madrid’, to the Google Maps search for directions from the airport

It’s vital that you have a cohesive SEO strategy to ensure every element works in synergy, maximising your online visibility.

Source: Hotel Benchmark

NAVIGATING AI RESPONSIBLY

We nearly made it to the end without mentioning it, but the truth is that AI is likely to be in every trends report this year, next year and probably the next decade after that.

It’s not new, but the pace at which it’s evolving is. Of course, it brings with it incredible opportunities for hospitality and marketing. However, Spiderman was right; “with great power, there must also come great responsibility”. Perhaps a sager quote comes from Google’s Director of Growth Marketing for EMEA, Edina Baur who sums up AI’s usage in 2024 quite succinctly:

“In 2024, AI marketing needs to be bold, collaborative, and responsible.”

We agree and that’s why we’re excited to be partnering with The University of Edinburgh in 2024 (and beyond) to research the use of responsible and trustworthy AI, in the field of Natural Language Processing (NLP), within the hospitality and travel industry.

We’re not going to spend much time waxing lyrical about how great AI is. You know this already.

But perhaps the most significant stat we’ve seen is that around 50% of travellers both trust AI and are curious to try it when planning their trips. It’s moved beyond gimmick and is now becoming mainstream

To end this report, we’ve focused on 3 tips to make the most of AI, in a brand-safe way.

1. Use AI where it can provide genuine advantage - for example, creating ‘impossible’ ads like Mabelline’s Sky High Mascara campaign, which would have been a logistical nightmare to create in ‘reality’ and enjoyed viral success.

2. Beware the quick wins and lazy creatives - if everyone is using AI to ideate and create campaign assets then most will be lost in the noise. Authentic, high-quality creative has an opportunity to really stand out.

3. Don’t forget your brand voice – your hard-earned brand equity can be tarnished if you share AI-generated content that’s not authentic, written in your brand’s tone-ofvoice or factually correct.

Take care with AI-powered ad placements too. Nobody wants their brand appearing beside defamatory content. If you’re trialling new tools, ensure you quiz your agency and new partners on how the brand is considered within their algorithms.

To conclude, we believe that hospitality's future lies not in replacing the irreplaceable, but in weaving AI into our marketing activity, creating a richer, more personalised experience for every guest.

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