Learn how CX is evolving with travel and hospitality
Customer experience continues to be a major differentiator for businesses in all sectors. However, for some industries, the ability to offer excellent interactions could be the key to survival.
During the last couple of years, the pandemic and its accompanying restrictions have had a disastrous impact on the travel and hospitality sector. Though consumers are willing to return to the industry when lockdowns and rules soften, companies will need to work harder to regain trust.
Currently, while 2021 performance in the travel sector was an improvement over 2020, it’s still 35% lower than pre-pandemic levels.
To revive a sense of excitement and opportunity in the “experience” industry, brands will need to rethink everything they thought they knew about CX strategies.
Travel and hospitality companies are responding to unprecedented change on a global scale. Over 2020 and 2021, everything from the way we book trips, to the countries available for travel began to turn upside down. Consumer trust dwindled to practically nothing, and endless flights, train trips and busses were cancelled.
Now, we’re heading into a future where the travel and hospitality industry may be able to start a slow yet steady path to recovery. However, industry experts like McKinsey believe this revival will only be possible if built on a strong foundation of customer experience.
Brands of all sizes will need to think about how they can tailor their services and products to suit a new series of priorities and demands from their target audience. Just some of the major challenges facing travel and hospitality groups today include:
As ever, travel and hospitality companies will be reliant on CX technology as they search for ways to consistently improve the customer experience. Whether it’s a hotel providing a safe and welcoming stay to travellers, or an airline keeping customers up-to-date about delays, the right technology can make a world of difference.
Although there are many examples in the current landscape of how technology is influencing the way we travel, the following represent some of the most significant trends in the CX space.
There are challenges to overcome in any industry in the search for exceptional customer experience. For instance, the biggest concern for many companies in this era will be figuring out how to earn the loyalty and emotional commitment of customers, while reducing face-to-face interactions.
Providing more engaging customer service experiences may be an important step in overcoming this challenge. For instance, rather than just messaging with a client about their upcoming vacation, hotel leaders could give these customers a chance to visit the hotel in VR and discuss any concerns they might have over video conferencing.
All the while, we’ll be relying on technology to make life safer for both consumers and employees. Biometric scanners may be the key to self-service check-ins in the future, improving opportunities for contactless travel and tourism. Cameras and sensors will need to be used to track things like temperature and capacity in aeroplanes and restaurants. The more we innovate, the safer we can be.
The hospitality and travel spaces are going through an uncertain period of transformation. The only way for this landscape to survive going forward is with an investment in customer experience. With the right CX strategy, we can re-ignite the love consumers have for amazing experiences. It all starts with finding the correct technology.