Overcoming travel friction in the hospitality sector with innovative technology
Designed to deepen our understanding of the pain points travelers encounter during a journey, Amadeus’ research project Friction Removed has provided some fascinating insights into the hospitality sector.
Here I would like to examine these findings a little further, explore what stands in the way of a friction-free trip for U.S. travelers, and share some insight regarding how Amadeus technology helps deliver solutions to meet these challenges.
Where do travelers encounter friction during the hospitality experience?
Before we look at some of the tools we have been working on to simplify the hospitality experience, let’s remind ourselves of exactly what travelers told researchers about the friction they encounter.
Of the more than 1,000 U.S.-based business and leisure travelers who provided quantitative insights, 38% said finding suitable accommodation was either ‘very’ or ‘somewhat’ distressing, rising to 45% for those who are business travelers. This issue also seems to impact younger travelers more. While 46% of those aged 18-24 said they found booking ‘distressing’, this fell to 26% among those aged 65+.
These figures suggest there is room for improvement when it comes to accommodation inspiration and search.
Similarly, 32% of those questioned found booking accommodation stressful, adding a further cause for concern. Are travelers being overwhelmed by the variety of hotel options or the range of booking channels, or are prices unclear?
More encouragingly, when asked whom they held accountable for different causes of travel frustration, survey participants mentioned hotels in very low percentages. Just 5% of all respondents—including 4% leisure and 7% business travelers—pointed to hotels as a primary source of travel friction during a journey.
Can technology help us to overcome the issues raised?
So, if travelers point to finding and then booking hotels as the most significant points of friction, how can technology help?
Firstly, our digital media solutions can inspire travelers when it comes to the choice of which property to visit. The solutions are designed to increase direct bookings with omni-channel advertising strategies that deliver impactful messaging to qualified audiences across paid search, display, and social media.
This means each hotel can advertise within the Amadeus system to get travel sellers to book based on a personalized offer or discount.
To overcome concerns about finding appropriate accommodation, travel sellers must be empowered with access to the widest range of content, allowing them to build the best trips for travelers. At Amadeus, we are working to create an unmatched marketplace to achieve just this. By offering a single location which connects providers and content from across the whole travel ecosystem, we are working to guarantee exceptional choice for travelers.
The Amadeus Travel Platform is a unique marketplace where sustainable options are available simply and easily for travelers. It is designed to help every customer serve the needs of every traveler, no matter what their requirements are.
Technology can also help us simplify the booking process. Amadeus iHotelier and Amadeus Central Reservation System (ACRS), for example, transform the booking experience by delivering unmatched flexibility, with a focus on independent hoteliers and mid-sized chains. Users can facilitate direct booking on their own property websites, intuitive to the needs of a traveler.
The solution also contains personalized offers, add-ons and upsell features to enhance a stay, while the e-commerce experience meets expectations set by leading modern retailers such as Amazon.
Combined, these solutions allow hotels to create a robust distribution strategy, appearing in all the critical channels where travelers shop and book, including OTAs, GDS, metasearch and the travel agency marketplace. This allows hotels to drive profitable demand, differentiation and loyalty, while making it easier for travelers to find their ideal property, booking on the platform they are most comfortable with.
Business travelers face a range of distinct challenges
One area of hospitality friction faced exclusively by business travelers was compliance with company travel policies. The most frequently discussed issues center on the lack of clarity in such policies, with many respondents also finding processes unintuitive, making it challenging to follow the correct steps without errors.
Here, the latest tools can help reduce friction, allowing corporate policy to be embedded into the booking process, so that search results for accommodation are in alignment with company policy and supplier relationships.
Amadeus Cytric , for example, aims to provide a frictionless, intuitive and reliable experience. By seamlessly integrating its capabilities into everyday collaborative applications like Microsoft Teams, the tool is designed to make planning, booking and approvals, as well as claiming travel expenses faster, easier and more efficient. The tool also features rich content, which is comparable and reflects corporate policy, reducing friction further.
Reimagining the hospitality experience
From the moment travelers begin searching for their trip to the time they return home, Amadeus empowers hoteliers, destinations and travel providers with industry-leading technology and insights that enable exceptional experiences at every step of the journey.
Working with our partners across the travel ecosystem, we can create new solutions to reduce travel friction and build enhanced experiences for all.
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