Sigona Golf Club Accommodation Suites Path to Recovery-May 2020
Preparing for Post COVID-19 Travellers
Summary
Given the COVID-19 situation, we are now witnessing one of the biggest crises and the most severe decrease in the number of bookings for Golfing, holidays, business trips, and everything in between. For NGOs, online travel agencies (OTAs), travel management companies, or other third-party booking platforms, the current situation will have severe consequences for our Golf Club.
Industry professionals have been trying to find solutions so that we can all return to business.
Path to Recovery June 2020
The losses in the Tourism Industry in Kenya so far are in excess Kes 60 Billion and we
expect that this will increase exponentially if we do not get back to normal, with about 40% of the industry shutting shop or changing their business to a different industry.
Amid these strange, uncertain and trying times, two things are becoming
clear: One, that the world will eventually travel again and Two, that travel will be
significantly different especially for the coming year.
From the booking journey to traveler behavior and the actual stay, it is safe to
assume that the industry needs to prepare for the new face of travel.
While we wait for the world to slowly shift back in gear, the only thing left to do is to
carefully assess the current situation and prepare for what is to come. Here are a
few of the most important predictions and how NGOs, Corporates, OTAs and other third-parties can anticipate them most beneficially.
FOMO – The Fear Of Missing Out
After so many canceled holidays, postponed business trips, and months of self-isolation, it is safe to assume that the majority of people will be eager to travel again sooner rather than later.
Recent studies have shown that “Travellers are eager to get back on the road” and although they will be more cautious than ever and their travel priorities might shift significantly, now more than ever, the fear of missing out will play an important role in the equation.
Travelling has always been at the top of peoples’ bucket lists and we all have places we want to
see, cultures that we want to explore, countries, and cities that we want to mark on our travel maps.
Not forgetting to mention that Golfers do a lot of competitions against their different clubs, KLGU, KLGU KGGU JGF competitions have been regular features before COVID -19 pandemic, most Golfers are missing these events.
Right now, on top of all that is added a simple psychological concept that increases the desire to travel even more: the fact that it is currently not an option. It is human nature to want the exact things that are scarce or even prohibited.
The 2020 travel bans are coming with unfulfilled desires attached and with a plan of making them happen as soon as the restrictions are lifted.
Less Competition on the Booking Front
The Fear of Missing Out is one crucial factor that will prove to be of great use to
OTAs and booking platforms. Because many travelers will be in a hurry to plan a
vacation or a trip promptly, bookings will go through regardless of the channel.
With hotels having lost so much revenue during the COVID-19 pandemic, the vast majority of them will focus on driving conversions through any available means, including Converting rooms into working space, Special day rates, OTAs, clientele wanting to venture out of their neighborhoods, etc.
The direct booking competition might be kept on standby for quite a while, at least
until travel gets back to its previous normal levels – and that can take months, if not years.
Consumers will be encouraged to travel and make a booking, any
booking and direct booking campaigns will not be a priority anymore, which is
a great opportunity for OTAs to cover more ground than before.
Recent findings are showing that the greatest disruptor in the industry, Airbnb,Booking.com, Expedia might be facing some major difficulties in the upcoming period.
As accommodations listed on Airbnb are oftentimes the host’s place or a
shared space that lacks the solid and complex management system enabled by
hotels (especially hotel chains), Travellers will be more selective and cautious
when booking a place on Airbnb.
It is crucial to keep in mind that safety and cleanliness will most definitely be
travelers’ top priorities and many Airbnb listings lack the capacity of assuring trust
in these categories.
While Airbnb falls from the chess table for a while, other booking platforms have a
good chance at the check-mate.
More Focus on Cleanliness and Safety
In a post coronavirus world, health and safety will most likely matter even more
than price. The traveler behavior will shift towards a more cautious approach and
a desire to feel as safe as possible during trips. In this case, most customers will have a great
chance of stepping up and prioritizing the exact hotels and accommodations that
have a great score in the cleanliness department and are trusted by previous
travelers.
It is important to keep in mind that reviews and recommendations from fellow
travelers and people who share similarities are oftentimes perceived as more
trustworthy than self-advertisement. 92% of consumers around the world
say they trust word-of-mouth or recommendations from friends and family, above
all other forms of advertising.
This is why reviews play an extremely important role in the booking decision and
why Sigona Golf Suites should leverage them to the fullest. Displaying
review badges that show the cleanliness score of a hotel or accommodation can
guide the booking journey and encourage travelers to make the right decision and
the more specific the rating is, the better.
In a nutshell, OTAs which enable visual and relevant review content such as
badges or categories have a higher chance of capturing bookings because they
provide the exact information that travelers now require more than ever before.
Locations Being Kept… Local
It is not only the booking behavior that will change in a post-COVID-19 world but
in the short-term, the travel preferences will also suffer some changes. While the
best holidays are often exotic and far from home ones, in the future, more
emphasis will be placed on domestic travel. This is predicted to be the first type of
travel to rise from the coronavirus outbreak and it makes a lot of sense of that
being the case.
Travelers will want to stay close to home in case anything unaccounted for
happens and unfortunately, many of them are probably taking a financial hit during
these times, meaning that they will not be able to travel too far in the nearby
future.
In this new landscape, OTAs are encouraged to highlight local destinations in
order to meet the travelers’ demands and expectations, along with additional
recommendations for activities and outdoor experiences.
Another factor to consider is that after such a long time of staying indoors, it is only
natural that travelers will want to also experience nature and activities outside of
the hotel space and every accommodation that can provide that should be actively
promoted during this time.
Also, we will notice a shift in transportation methods and preferences since the
post-COVID-19 traveler might want to avoid airports, airplanes, or even trains. In
his case, OTAs should include car rentals in their offerings or dynamic
packages.
Rebuilding the Tourism Industry
Rebuilding will take time and sacrifice by all segments including aviation, Golf Clubs, NGOs, Corporates, Government institutions along Technology companies to support the Online road to get there.
Today’s Reality, Expectations,
- The Tourism Industry is at a standstill mode.
- About Kes 100 Billion losses.
- No clear path to recovery.
- Massive job losses
Expectations
- Expect a slow increase in domestic travel first regional followed by Inter-Continent and International travel.
- Prepare for a new wave of bookings starting with OTAs and Wholesalers after the direct booking campaigns will be placed on hold Our Suggestions.
- Provide travelers with valuable information extracted from verified, impactful, and trustworthy user-generated review content.
- Leverage badges and other marketing widgets to highlight the exact accommodations that excel in the following categories: cleanliness,
- location, great for small groups (solo, couple, or family travel), activities, and outdoor experiences.
- Stress in marketing campaigns our adaptation in Social distancing and cleanliness to get the travelers to feel safe to travel. Get ready to introduce advanced promotions through Instagram, Facebook, Whatsapp, etc
- Have revamped Air BnB, Hotel Beds, Booking.com, Trip Advisor
- Have engaged guests who have stayed with us in the past, shared a flier with a special rate, encouraging them to come to make spend at our accommodation suites as a way of unwinding
- Have shared the flier with some members who have the potential and those who have been supportive in the past.
Path to Recovery Jul-Dec 2020
What have we been working on?
- Stress in marketing campaigns our adaptation in Social distancing and cleanliness to get the travelers to feel safe to travel.
- Introducing advanced promotions through Instagram, Facebook, Whatsapp, etc
- Have revamped Air BnB, Hotel Beds, Booking.com, Trip Advisor, etc
- Have engaged guests who have stayed with us in the past, shared a flier with a special rate, encouraging them to come to make spend at our accommodation suites as a way of unwinding
- Have shared the flier with some members who have the potential and those who have been supportive in the past.
- Market intelligence.
- Creating more Awareness by loading the hotel on new OTAs.
- Working on Content Management in all connected booking portals.
- Have networked with over 2500 hotel marketers, this is helping in market intelligence on business trends.
Path to Recovery July-Dec 2020- Safety Measures
Here below are some of the measures that we need to
consider adopting in our premises:
- Plexiglass Screens at the Reception when a client checks in or out
- Sanitiser provided in Key public areas (front desk, lifts, restaurants, etc)
- Leaflets to be placed in each room that the room has been cleaned and
duly sanitized.
- Some hotels require a Covid-19 negative test to allow guests to check-in
- The luggage is to be carried directly from the car to the room
- If the hotel has a Swimming Pool area or sun loungers on the pool the
distance between the sun loungers is 2 meters and the umbrellas 3
meters.
- Restaurants operate at half the capacity to leave more space between
the tables.
- Reinforced food safety standards & new buffet procedures.
- Guests provided with individual sanitizers, wipes, and masks.
- Guest access to medical professionals & telemedical support
- Reinforced cleaning program in public areas with frequent disinfection at
all high touch areas
- Strengthened room cleaning protocols including extra disinfection of high
touch room & bathroom areas.
- Social distancing enforced in all common areas
- Safe Room Service provided at no extra charge in case of restaurant
closures
- Contactless check-in, check-out and payments carried out whenever
possible
- Dedicated Guest hotline to answer questions and to best prepare their
stay
- Employees given comprehensive safety & hygiene training (see below)
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Path to Recovery July-Dec 2020-Safety Measures
Regularly disinfect Switches & Electronic Controls: Lights,
lamps, switches, and electronic controls
Handles & Knobs: Doors, wardrobes,
drawers, furniture knobs, and curtain pull
handles
Climate Control Panels
Telephones, Remote Controls and
Clocks: Handsets, dial pads, and function
buttons
Bed & Bedding: All bed linen including
duvet covers, pillowcases, and sheets
Hard Surfaces: Tables, Desks and
Nightstands
Wardrobe Goods: Iron, Safe handle and
keypad
In-Room Food & Beverage: Cutlery,
glassware, ice buckets, minibars, kettle
and Coffeemaker
High-Touch, Deep Clean
Areas in the Guest Room
Bath Amenities: Bulk dispensers,
individual amenities, tissue boxes, soap
dishes, amenity trays, and hair dryers.
Major Bathroom Surfaces: Toilet handles
and seats, splash walls, shower/bathtub,
controls and sink taps.
High-Touch, Deep Clean
Areas in the Guest Bathroom.