Alex Tan, Managing Director APAC, TrustYou shares his thoughts on the changing hotel and travel industry, especially around the concept of “relationship innovation”.
Travellers, now, make more cautious choices as they are still unsure of which regulations apply when travelling or booking a hotel. The responsibility lies on the industry to reinforce that trust by providing clear information, transparency and reassuring travellers that they are making a good choice when travelling or staying in a hotel. We look back on what has changed over the last couple of years and see how hotel tech providers need to reevaluate the entire travel industry and focus on what matters most: the human experience.
In an industry where the human connection matters most, relying on technology has proven to be a safe way to move forward. But not all hotels and guests are equally open to the idea that innovation is the key to success.
READ MORE: How to open up travel in Southeast Asia
The World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) reports in 2020 that international tourist numbers can fall over 60-80%. In reality, that seems to be the actual case with the rising scores of COVID-19 cases. In a recent survey by Deloitte, it was also found that more than 80% of travellers embrace digital acceleration to reduce customer-facing touchpoints.
What is relationship innovation?
Recognizing the need to evolve, TrustYou, a traveltech Big Data company that helps companies win through the power of listening and provides a Guest Experience (GX) Platform held a customer-centric approach where they call it “relationship innovation” which encourages their team to create tailored solutions that meet the hotelier’s individual needs.
Alison Broussy, VP Global Customer Experience of Accor, a customer of TrustYou said, “Using the Live Chat functionality to collect on-site feedback during a guest’s stay helps to continuously improve our ALLSAFE standards, anticipate the post-stay feedback, and allows for taking immediate action if needed. It is an easy, user-friendly tool that enables an instant guest response and a fast hotel reaction. We are delighted with the first results.”
The ALLSAFE label of the Accor group is verified by Clifton which represents their new elevated cleanliness protocols and standards and provides assurance that these standards have been met in their hotels. With the heightened alert on cleanliness standards across all hotels in the world, it is becoming increasingly important to take measured steps and immediate actions where possible to provide ease of mind to guests.
Taj Mahal Palace Mumbai, another renowned customer of TrustYou, remarked that “consistency and continuous learning and development are key in being able to recognise and inspire every guest throughout the full hotel experience, as well as a hotel team with an extraordinary focus.” While it is becoming clear that in a still challenging travel and tourism industry, it is only apt that we talk to the people to truly understand what is valuable in the hotel tech industry.
In the recent TrustYou’s 2022 Global Review Insight Report, it was revealed that there was a rise in positive feedback, from 80% in 2019 to 91% in 2021. This shows that the experiences created by the hospitality industry, despite a difficult travel environment, met and surpassed the expectations of recent travellers. Other than that, globally, the 13.3% increase in review volume from 2021 compared to 2020 emphasises that the industry is on a steady path to recovery and we can expect a huge potential for growth in the travel industry for the Asia Pacific region.
Can tech help solve some problems?
The investment in new technology and contactless communication methods assured safe stays in a time of social distancing, allowing hoteliers to provide great guest experiences. As a result, hoteliers can look to serve their guest’s needs immediately, preventing neutral or even negative reviews.
The hotelier and travel industry are on the boom as borders continue to reopen worldwide. To stay ahead of the game, hoteliers should look to implement more preventative measures and lines of fast-access communication that gives guests a worry-free stay at hotels. Having software and technology that serves this purpose continues to be the core of change when hotels are looking to get guests in the door.
TrustYou also recently introduced a campaign titled “The New Era of Trust”, meant to instil confidence and build stronger relationships. They visually implemented this change with an adapted logo and brand colour palette to reinforce our core values in an evolving industry: trust, relationships, quality, technology, and innovation.
Likewise, hoteliers should embark on the same journey of navigating the balance between physical distance, technology, and customer service. That’s why many hotels have introduced live messaging and survey tools to enable contactless communications and real-time feedback. These solutions, found within TrustYou Live Experience, brings hoteliers closer to the guests while keeping both parties as safe as possible.
Innovation only has meaning when it makes life better for guests. As we look to see how the industry is still grappling towards becoming more stable, a shift of the mindset towards tech innovation needs to happen. Hoteliers need to know what it means to have “relationship innovation” instilled in the cornerstone of all communication to their guests to make their experiences better and safer.
Contributed by Alex Tan, Managing Director APAC, TrustYou with the title “Relationship Innovation” is the new core of change for the hotel and travel industry
