Hoteliers expect to increase their investment in technology by an average of 16% in the coming 12 months, with one in five planning to invest over 20% more than they did last year, according to the Travel Technology Investment Trends 2024 report from Amadeus.
The findings are the result of a survey of global senior hospitality leaders representing a diverse range of properties and management groups. Several key themes emerged from the research, including a primary focus of investment on “improving operational efficiencies during times of high occupancy (43%).”
Using tech to diversify offerings and enhance the guest experience
The study reveals predictions as leaders consider the criticality of offering guest personalization. Expectations are high across the sector, particularly at the property level, as hoteliers feel it will enhance their offering and better meet guest expectations. Eighty-five percent of respondents felt that personalization could help them deliver in excess of 5% in incremental revenue.
In general, respondents said they are keen to find ways to broaden and improve the services they offer to guests, including providing:
- Specific room attributes – 43 %
- Upselling of room types and value-add amenities – 40%
- Personalized onsite experiences – 39 %
- Personalized offers for returning guests – 34%
- Last-minute promotions on rooms – 34%
- Experiential stays – 33%
Virtually all hoteliers surveyed (98%) recognize that artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to bring significant benefits to their businesses. Nearly half of all those surveyed (49%) said they hope AI will be able to help them to identify and offer upsell opportunities to travelers at all stages of the booking process. They are also looking to AI to help manage data effectively and generate automatic content for their websites, suggesting that AI is being considered across a wide range of hotel functions.
“The level of investment planned across the sector reveals the strong desire for evolution and the important role technology will play in helping to achieve the ambitions of today’s hospitality leaders,” said Francisco Pérez-Lozao Rüter, president, hospitality, Amadeus. “As well as increasing revenue and driving efficiencies, hoteliers strive to be able to deliver the end-to-end experiences guests expect. The ability to create personalized itineraries is the ultimate goal for the hospitality sector, and we are proud to be at the forefront of the technology development that will allow hoteliers to offer truly unique and tailored experiences to their guests.”
