Katherine Cole, regional director at Hotels.com, shares her views on what were the defining changes last year and what’s in store for the year ahead.
1. Tell us the thing you personally will remember most about 2014.
Katherine Cole
One of the most prominent events of 2014 was certainly the shift in booking behaviour from the desktop to mobile. Indeed, high mobile penetration rates in Singapore and across the Asia Pacific region has inadvertently resulted in the rising demand for the mobile and cross-device experience. The time we spend on our phone has now surpassed the desktop, with studies indicating that the majority of time spent viewing digital content is either via a smartphone or tablet device.
Naturally, those numbers have also caused a shift in how consumers engage with brands. In fact, we are seeing consumers interact with us equally via mobile and desktop – shifting across different devices at different parts of the day. Overall at Hotels.com, more than one in four transactions are booked via a mobile device, with over 40% of traffic coming through mobile as well.
Moving into 2015, we expect to see the continued rise of mobile in the travel sector. At Hotels.com, we are focused on growth in this area and have also taken a foray into the wearable device space with the launch of our Andriod app for wearables.
2. What are the news headlines/developments that defined travel in 2014?
• 2014 has certainly been an eventful year, with various events impacting the travel sector in differing ways. From the political unrest in Thailand to the Japanese yen recording a six-year low, these events have all sparked a shift in travel habits within the region. For one, the depreciating yen has only provided more reasons for travellers to visit, in turn boosting tourism receipts. As a result, the country is already showing moderate signs of recovery as travellers look to get more bang for their buck.
• Not surprisingly, the increasing popularity of Japan as a destination was also reflected in latest data from Hotels.com. The findings showed that Tokyo emerged as the second most popular destination worldwide for Singapore travellers during the 2014 year-end festive period.
• On the other hand, in 2014 we also saw the rapid rise of boutique hotels in Singapore and across the region, as millennial travellers increasingly sought out unique experiences every step of the way. One of the primary factors that fuelled that trend was the rise of next generation travellers – these are essentially younger, more well-educated and well-travelled consumers, who prefer accommodation that provides a distinct touch to their travel experiences.
3. What are three predictions for travel for 2015?
• Increased eco-friendly holidays: We have witnessed significant momentum in sustainable tourism in recent years. With rising consumer interest in eco-friendly travel, industry players are also increasingly seeing the need to go green to cater to these new-age travellers – and benefit from reduced energy costs while at that.
In fact, at Hotels.com, we have seen an increase in travellers opting for eco-friendly choices when booking hotels. For instance, latest data from Hotels.com showed that majority of hotels that were awarded the Singapore Green Hotel Award by the Singapore Hotel Association in 2013 recorded an increase in searches from last year. Those 26 properties recorded an average year-on-year growth of 10 per cent, with some hotels even generating as much as a 40-60 per cent spike in searches.
As 2015 unfolds, we expect even more accommodations to integrate green practices into their offerings to gain a competitive edge.
• More children-friendly accommodation: As family travel continues to grow in popularity, hotels are also increasingly seeing children-friendly amenities as a unique service offering. While hotels first began riding on this trend by providing the basic amenities like cots and high chairs, we are seeing the gradual move to more dedicated facilities such as playrooms, children swimming pools, adjoining bedrooms and uniquely themed accommodation options for kids.
In fact, a significant number of hotels in Singapore have already started to tailor their set-up to children via service offerings such as the provision of the latest toys, themed furniture, as well as animated linen, amongst others.
With children increasingly becoming key decision makers in family travel, they are no longer just an afterthought in hotels. Moving into 2015, we expect more hotels to start catering to the demands of multigenerational travellers by offering more unique service offerings for kids.
• Rise of high-tech hotels: In 2015 and beyond, innovation will continue to be a point of differentiation for new and existing hotels. While many properties won’t go the way of a robot concierge or drone delivery service, smart innovations such as keyless mobile entry and automated check-in kiosks will begin to become standardised.
This trend is further fuelled by the rise of wearable technologies, which has provided travellers with high connectivity and easy access to the Internet via various mobile devices. In fact, with wearable devices forecasted to go mainstream and experience sharp growth over the next two years, we expect more hotels to increasingly turn smartphones and smart gadgets into room keys.
• Featured image (green technology): AndreyPopov/iStock
