No matter the consequences that the pandemic had on the travel sector, business travel remains one of the most lucrative and profitable sectors. By 2028, the size of the global business travel market is predicted to exceed $2 trillion. In order to take advantage of this new rebound in corporate travel, it’s important to assess your hotel’s offerings and what positives it provides business travellers.
The needs of business travellers are no longer the same as they were pre-pandemic. But, given how much they are worth to the travel industry, it’s important to ensure that you are doing all you can to win these guests over. Let’s take a look at how you can attract business travellers to your hotel.
What Is A Modern Business Traveller?
Business travellers are made up of various genders, age groups and job positions. Not only are the demographics different, but there are also a number of reasons why they may need to travel for work, even if the main reason for their trip is business based. Some people will need to travel in order to attend a business meeting, while others travel for week-long corporate retreats or conferences.
Interestingly, millennials make up the largest demographic within the business travel industry. It is important that hotels take this into consideration, as this age group are interested in good service, with speed of the essence. They typically like to book things themselves, using an app or via their smartphone, rather than through a third party.
What Do Business Travellers Look For?
When travelling for business, there are some things that guests look for when booking their stay.
Reliable, Fast Wi-Fi
It is highly likely that, when staying with you, business travellers will need to connect to the internet and do work at some point. It’s important to offer business guests reliable and fast Wi-Fi so that they can get their work done, but also ensure that the connection is safe.
In Room Workstations
Convenience is key for business travellers. In order to help them prepare for a meeting, it’s important to ensure that rooms have an adequate workstation that is comfortable and spacious. These spaces should have ample lighting, with plenty of nearby power outlets.
Quick Check In
No one likes to be stood around waiting for their check in. With this largely millennial demographic, having a process that is quick and easy to check in and out will always be a winner. Some hotel chains have check-in screens, so guests can enter their information and receive their keycard in just a few minutes. However, one thing to consider with this is that whilst guests enjoy a quick check-in and out process, they do like to know someone from reception is easy to contact.
Relaxing and Comfortable Spaces
Many travellers who are away with work usually end up doing longer days than usual. As a result, you want to make sure that their room is as relaxing and comfortable as possible, ensuring that they get a good night’s sleep before their next busy day. A lot of hotels that have a large number of business guests consider a full hospitality fit out to ensure that their rooms and spaces are tailored to their guests. For any hotel considering a hospitality or commercial fit out, it’s important to analyse whether the demand justifies the cost with your guests.