COVID has completely changed our working lives and as more companies switch to remote working, business travel is becoming more essential, not less. Despite the advancements in technology there is no substitute for face-to-face meetings and without it, collaboration and communication can suffer.
If remote working becomes common practice, meeting hubs or offices could end up becoming virtual anchors for maintaining company culture and success. So what does this mean for hotels and hospitality providers that depend on business tourism? And what will the next iteration of business traveller look like?
We take a look at these emerging trends and how this can be incorporated into your refurbishment strategies.
New Travel Markets emerging
As the UK’s workforce becomes more distributed, the demand for face-to-face meetings will likely increase. This could result in a rise of new travel purposes, such as trips to company headquarters or physical gatherings for team-building events.
Increasing familiarity with remote working could make traditional travel purposes obsolete. And we could end up with a hybrid between virtual and physical interaction. So, what does this mean for hotels and hospitality businesses?
Catering for these changing consumer needs is important to remaining competitive. Whilst you do not necessarily need to make drastic changes to your premises, if you are considering a refurbishment, it might be worth reviewing the facilities available for your guests.
As video conferencing increases there is an opportunity for hotel and hospitality providers to integrate this technology within their business model; offering hybrid meetings that bring people together physically and connected with a similar central set-up in another region through virtual meetings.
Bleisure
More and more employees are mixing business travel with leisure (bleisure) and this trend has accelerated since COVID. Millennial business travellers are driving this growth and are more likely to extend their stay to accommodate their leisure activities.
A typical bleisure tourist will certainly be interested in your corporate offerings, such as private meeting areas, laptop or phone charging ports and any 24-hour services you may be able to offer. However, on top of this, they may also be enticed by your leisure amenities like spas, saunas, gyms or fitness centres, yoga areas, bars and bicycle hire facilities.
Unconventional Accommodation
Another business travel trend that has been influenced by the new generation of corporate travellers is the growing popularity of unconventional accommodation. But this is not unique to business tourism.
As COVID-19 continues to change consumer behaviour, the demand for self-catering and serviced apartments has grown significantly. More people are opting to stay in accommodation that provides a home away from home feel.
Self-contained units and serviced apartments are likely to remain a hot commodity during 2022 especially whilst the pandemic still poses a threat. But before you invest into converting your property into an Aparthotel or serviced apartments, there a couple of things you need to consider. Click here to read more.
Hotel Technology – Technology
It goes without saying that corporate travellers are reliant on fast internet services, as well as facilities to support remote working or conferences. Most hotels or hospitality providers will offer these services if they cater for business travellers. However, the rate of technology adoption has increased since the COVID pandemic and it has become an increasingly important component to restoring consumer confidence.
Contactless and touchless solutions have almost become a necessity, along with increased sanitary measures such as UV lights and automation systems to limit human contact.
Ultimately, technology plays a major role in maintaining a competitive advantage, so make sure you factor this into your designs if you are undertaking a refurbishments or new build development.
Let’s chat
The shift towards remote working could be great for hotels and hospitality businesses. Whilst many companies have become reliant on virtual meetings, it has its limitations, and it cannot replace face to face interactions.
The importance of face-face connections is the very reason business travel exists, so we could see the sector recover quicker than anticipated. Although its likely your typical business travellers will be very different compared to pre-covid.
If you and considering a new build or refurbishment project, contact us today on 0117 967 5923 or email enquiries@harrisevolution.com. Alternatively, click here and check out some of our most recent hotel refurbishments.
We work with network of specialists within the industry and can take your project from concept through to completion. From hotel technology specialists, to Architects and interior designers, we can offer turnkey solutions that meet your project needs.
