Travel has always been about exploring new places and making memories, but as we enter 2024, travelers are more discerning than ever about how they invest their time and resources away from home. In response, hotels must grow and evolve quickly to meet their increasingly specific demands.
As the local economy struggles with inflation, one light in the darkness is South Africa’s tourism and hospitality sector (and that of Africa as a whole). The exchange rate works in favor of international travelers, making South Africa an attractive and accessible destination. The combination of affordability and an authentic African setting creates opportunities in the travel accommodation market – according to research published by StatsSA on World Tourism Day, July saw South African hotels experience an increase in occupancy rates. But how to maintain this market share?
As travel continues to evolve, hotels face the challenge of finding the right balance between competitive rates and exceptional service. Landing found that thanks to inflation and rising operating costs, hotel room rates are rising – and guests aren’t happy. As 2024 approaches, hotels will need to offer more innovative and exceptional guest experiences if they want to continue attracting guests.
Leisure travel continues to evolve
“Leisure” travel, a mix of business and leisure, is experiencing a resurgence in popularity. According to Forbes, this trend extends to families who mix business and leisure trips to reconnect; while the Global Business Travel Association predicts that spending on international business travel could double by 2024. Leisure travelers are demanding more varied offerings to meet their changing travel needs, such as accommodations or more spacious equipment.
International and domestic travelers are looking for experiences that allow them to enjoy leisure activities alongside their work commitments. Although regions like Egypt and South Africa are becoming leisure hotspots – Cape Town’s V&A Waterfront emerges as a favoriteafter experiencing an 18% increase in occupancy so far in 2023 – more hotels across Africa must adapt to meet this evolving trend.
Creating tourist circuits: a diverse odyssey
Sightseeing tours – routes that take in three or more major tourist destinations, each in a different city or town – are also changing the travel landscape. This approach is aimed at travelers looking for diverse experiences within a single trip, encompassing, for example, a mountain and beach experience in Cape Town, the social scene in Johannesburg and a safari in Hoedspruit. Sightseeing tours allow visitors to experience the best of each place without having to constantly travel. These types of packages are increasingly popular and could provide a revenue stream for hotels with innovative ideas.
Wellness tourism: a journey to self-care
More and more people are turning to hotels for a break from work and stress, which will improve their physical and mental well-being.
The phenomenon of wellness tourism is not new, but in 2024, hotels will need to step up their game to offer specialized wellness packages and amenities that meet travelers’ demands for personal care and wellness. be holistic. It goes beyond indulgent spa treatments: hotels are increasingly offering state-of-the-art fitness facilities, healthy dining options, yoga retreats, even cosmetic treatments and spiritual experiences, in the aim of meeting customer demand for trips that meet their overall health.
Microcations: discovering local attractions
A growing number of travelers are realizing that it’s not necessarily necessary to fly to a foreign destination for a few weeks to rest and recharge. Instead, you can achieve the same effect with shorter trips spread throughout the year.
For some travelers, these microcations take the form of a weekend away, a midweek stay, or a few days of vacation tacked on to the end of a business trip. This is also a trend that is taking off in South Africa. This is evident in figures revealed by the Ministry of Tourismwhich show that “domestic overnight trips from January to September 2022 reached 23.9 million… 138.6% over the same period in 2021”.
This trend is also driven by the desire for quick getaways, without the hassle of long-distance travel. Wanting to reconnect with nature, enjoy coastal retreats and visit family and friends are the most commonly cited reasons for taking a staycation. Hotels and resorts in local and regional destinations should strive to improve their offerings to meet travel needs and budgets.
In 2024, hotels cannot afford not to continue to adapt to meet the changing preferences of today’s travelers. As the travel industry continues to evolve, competitive hotels must work hard to meet travelers’ changing needs and provide the best possible experience, regardless of the purpose of their trip.
Sustainability continues to evolve
Industries around the world are under increasing pressure to operate sustainably. This is as true for the hospitality sector as it is for any other industry. According to Alliance for Sustainable Hospitalityhotels must “reduce their carbon emissions by 66% per room by 2030 and 90% per room by 2050 to ensure that projected industry growth does not lead to a corresponding increase in carbon emissions” .
In order to achieve these goals, industry players must adopt a holistic approach to sustainability. This means ensuring that guests experience fully sustainable stays and that as many hotel functions as possible are carbon neutral.
AI helps personalize and improve operations
Over the past year, tools like ChatGPT and Midjourney have catapulted artificial intelligence (AI) into the public consciousness. As impressive as these public-facing tools are, their applications in the hospitality sector will be less visible.
AI can, for example, help hotels predict guest behavior and change their market accordingly. It can also help provide more personalized experiences to customers based on their past behavior, preferences, and demographics.
Importantly, it can also help automate many time-consuming operational aspects such as revenue management and inventory control.
Adaptability is crucial
Ultimately, the changes signaled by these trends demonstrate how important it is for hotels to continue to adapt. The wants and needs of hotel guests are constantly evolving, and if hotels want to stay relevant in the minds of their most loyal guests, they must change and evolve just as quickly.
