Photo by Ana Azevedo
One of the more credible reports estimates that there are more than 700,000 hotels and resorts around the world – and approximately 15.5 million rooms. That same research reports that the global hotel market produces roughly $830 billion a year in revenue. Aside from the economic weight of the industry, hospitality, by its nature, is on the very leading edge of customer engagement.
If you pay attention to these kinds of things (we try to) you’ll notice that some of the most interesting and inventive developments in customer loyalty are coming out of the hospitality world. Think about it - the touchpoints in the hospitality customer journey are very human, very tangible, and very, very dynamic. So we decided to take this month and focus-in on some of the technologies, the strategies and the personalities who are driving the hospitality industry forward.
Need further evidence that customer loyalty in hospitality is worth your attention? Here is a small sampling of stories that we’re following and covering this month:
- Hyatt’s new alliance and its effects on broader hotel loyalty.
- Are larger loyalty programs actually working? When does hospitality loyalty reach the point of diminishing returns?
- Amex & Starwood are tweaking their benefits package – is that incrementality significant enough to move the dial?
- Fear as a motivating factor among Starwood members.
- Can smart speakers “reinvent” the travel industry?
- Trends in guest loyalty and how to address them.
- How are millennials responding to hotel loyalty?
- What are the mega-trends in travel loyalty?
- Facial recognition hits the hotel world.
- Blockchaining hotel loyalty – beyond the hype.
- to name a few …
We’re also approaching this month’s topic a little differently than we have in the past. Rather than present news, findings and analysis as we normally do, we’ll also be producing a series of podcasts and video interviews & discussions with people who have a view to, or an opinion on customer loyalty within the hospitality industry.
Do you have something to say? Do you know someone who does? Let’s connect and chat.
Mike Giambattista is Editor in Chief at The Wise Marketer and is a Certified Loyalty Marketing Professional (CLMP).
