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Santa
Fe, NM – May 2021 / Newsmaker Alert / In March 2020, the travel industry
effectively hit pause in response to the COVID-19 pandemic spreading quickly
across the globe. After a brief hibernation that may have felt like an
eternity to travelers and those in the travel industry, travel is back
on track.
As
normal slowly starts to appear on the horizon, many around the world are
eager to get back out on the road. Domestic travel has already seen substantial
growth since travel restrictions began relaxing in the late months of 2020,
and as the Covid-19 vaccine rollout continues international travel is sure
to follow. In fact, many travelers have already begun planning for the
second half of 2021, the beginning of 2022, and beyond.
As
hoteliers, there are certain measured steps you can take to anticipate
the inevitable uptick in calls and resulting travel boom. Continue reading
for some insights on how to handle the inevitable spike in summer travel,
and beyond.
Understanding
the surge
To
most in the travel industry, the increase in tourism were—without a doubt—expected
once the vaccine rollout began. To fully prepare for travel’s big return,
one must understand the causes and motivations behind the sudden wave of
new calls and bookings.
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Travelers
will check off big-ticket items on their bucket lists in 2021 and 2022.
For
over a year, solo travelers, families, couples, and friends have been kept
at home, unable to experience the richness of travel. As more intrinsic
and monetary value is placed on experiences, travel is now seen as
an essential commodity, and consumers will likely want to make up for the
lost time by traveling even more than normal in 2021 and 2022.
Dissecting the
trends
Travelers
are eager to check off big-ticket items on their bucket lists, so we can
expect to see a sharp uptick in luxury travel once vaccine rollout is complete
and borders fully open.
According
to Tripadvisor,
47% of travelers surveyed globally are planning to travel internationally
in 2021, with 45% of US travelers planning to participate in international
travel this year. After a year locked inside, it’s easy to justify big
spending on travel, and that’s exactly what’s happening.
For
example, Oceana’s famed Around the World for 2023 Cruise sold out in a
matter of hours. In addition, 2021 and 2022 will continue the exponential
growth of domestic travel that began in the later months of last year.
Divide and conquer
With
the expected return of travel on the way, phones in reservation departments
all over the world will begin ringing non-stop. So, how do you prepare
for the upcoming travel and call rises?
With
such a sharp expansion in business after a relatively dormant period, hoteliers
will have to decide where to focus their attention. In some cases—especially
where staff levels are low—they will be forced to choose between focusing
on making future reservations and answering calls or paying attention to
current guests.
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According
to Travel Outlook President, John Smallwood, “a major issue for hotels
that are starting to reopen is having enough on-property staff to field
incoming calls. A lot of hotels still have employees on furlough, and many
have sadly had to let people go. In these situations, a limited number
of front desk agents are being asked to attend to a queue of guests and
answer booking inquiries over the phone. This is a serious burden that
needs a viable solution.”
Rather
than sacrificing your guests’ experience, outsource
your reservation department to an independent
hospitality call center with expertly trained agents that will maximize
your reservations and upsell clients on the unique features of your property.
Trust the experts
A trained
call center with agents who know the inner workings of your business will
not only help you deal with the amplified call volume and free up your
staff to focus on your guest, but it will also increase your total reservations.
A properly
trained call center agent will convert calls to reservations through their
in-depth knowledge of your current offerings. Well-trained hospitality
call center agents speak the language of hotels, and they know exactly
how to sell a property’s unique benefits and features.
As
you prepare for our new normal to begin to look a little bit like the old
normal, make sure your hotel is well-positioned for the incoming influx
of calls and guests in 2021 and 2022. A professionally trained hospitality
call center will help your hotel deal with the steady increase of calls
and travelers during the upcoming travel season.
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About
Travel Outlook
Given
its progressive approach to the voice channel – in terms of performance,
training, transparency, testing and the tools used to measure performance
– Travel Outlook Premium Hotel
Call Center has become the premier voice reservations team in hospitality.
Travel Outlook’s valued client list includes Catalina Island, Columbia
Hospitality, Highgate Hotels, KSL Resorts, Outrigger, Pacific Hospitality
Group, Proper Hospitality Group, The Irvine Company, Viceroy Hotel Group
and many others. Travel Outlook’s team and approach increases sales conversion
and helps to create more effective voice communication between hotels and
their guests, resulting in improved social scores in addition to increased
voice channel revenue. For more information, visit www.TravelOutlook.com.
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For
More Information:
John
Smallwood, President
Travel
Outlook Premium Hotel Call Center
Mobile:
505-470-3241
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Media
Contact:
Raul
Vega
LEVEL
5 Hospitality
www.LEVEL5hospitality.com
Mobile:
954-817-6371
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Previous Release: Travel
Outlook Selected as Preferred Call Center Partner for Curator Hotel &
Resort Collection (05/04/21) |