As every year, the year 2020 will bring with it its share of technological innovations to the hotel industry. Whether at the distribution, marketing or customer service levels, these technological innovations will contribute to the improvement of the industry’s processes and will have a significant impact on the daily lives of professionals in the sector, as well as consumers who will be able to benefit from better experiences during their stay in the hotel establishments.
An increasingly mobile-oriented distribution
For some years, mobile application distribution has been growing exponentially. Indeed, whether at the level of research or the realization of reservations, mobile devices are emerging as the tool of choice of consumers for the preparation of their trip. According to statistics provided by Criteo Travel Insights , mobile bookings accounted for one-quarter of total online bookings in 2017 in Europe and North America. This rate reaches up to 80% for last-minute bookings. And with the deployment of 5G mobile technologyexpected in many countries in 2021, these rates are expected to grow further, and will drive industry professionals to focus more on the mobile and deploying more and more suitable sites for this device. Because with download speeds up to 20 times better than current technology, 5G should provide users with a better experience, and even more incentive to make their reservation via mobile device, which should unsurprisingly become the first provider of industry bookings in the very short term.
Improvement of multimedia content
Thanks to 5G, industry professionals will be able to share more and more sophisticated content on their website. Thus, high definition video should become commonplace on hotel websites to promote the facilities and services offered. Now accessible via mobile, this content will give consumers a better overview of products and encourage them to book their stay. The choice to bet on this type of content is part of the current trend that prevails and is confirmed by the biggest players on the web, such as Google and Youtube , who estimate that videos will account for 80% of the content consumed here 2021.
Chatbot, or artificial intelligence at the service of consumers
This new player in the industry which shows up in 2018 at the hotel websites level, should consolidate natively during the booking processes. In addition to the enhancement of resources, optimization, and unlimited availability for consumers, its technological development should make it even more attractive for hoteliers who should gradually consider it as an essential part of their ecosystem, such as hotel websites 20 years ago or reviews platforms like TRIPADVISOR 15 years ago. Indeed, the fast-growing industry of the chatbot, in particular thanks to its vocal version, makes it possible to transform this tool into a human being intelligence. In addition, its perpetual evolutionary aspect nourished by exchanges with consumers will certainly make it a tool fully integrated into the global hotel industry, which will profoundly transform the customs user experience.
The future is here: Recognition technology for the hospitality industry
Hoteliers have always been eager for new technologies to improve their processes both at the global and retail levels. In this sense, the democratization of recognition technologies (facial, biometric …) will obviously affect the hospitality industry. Whether for the registration of customers on arrival, access to their room or when paying their stay. This recognition technology will allow a better experience, dematerialized, but will also allow hoteliers a total control of their booking and overall guests experience.
The year 2021 will therefore be synonymous to technological innovations that will have a significant impact on the entire industry. Whether for hoteliers, consumers or the various players in the field, these new trends will improve and optimize relationships to this environment. Hotel Intelligence, which is constantly improving these products, should also offer these partners even more efficient and sophisticated products to further increase the use of Direct Booking, which is the leitmotif of its activity.
