ADVERTISEMENTAfter a battering during the pandemic, hotels and tourist accommodation have finally found guest numbers and income are taking an upward turn.
An annual report by booking website Booking.com found that European hoteliers consider the summer of 2023 a success. They also expect their economic situation to develop positively over the next 6 months.
The report looked at topics including sustainability, regionally-sourced food and the use of AI.
As the hospitality industry looks to invest more in services and opportunities, here’s how your hotel stay in Europe might look in 2024.
Austrian and German hotels invest in sustainability
From a boom in sleeper trains to tourist taxes to protect the environment, the travel industry is pushing to become more green.
Booking.com’s survey found that the environment is also a priority for hotels in Austria and Germany.
Just over 75 per cent of Austrian hotels and 63 per cent in Germany expressed an interest in sustainable products and services.
However, the interest wasn’t shared by other nations bringing the EU average down to under 50 per cent.
In general, European hotels were more interested in investing in energy efficiency and waste reduction, particularly given the rising energy costs this year.
Greece and France seek to attract Gen Z travellers
Gen Z travellers might want to look at accommodation in Greece, France and Austria next year, where hotels are consciously hoping to attract younger guests.
Interest was lower in the Nordic nations, Italy and Spain.
In Germany, the biggest emphasis was on attracting domestic travellers.
Across the continent, hotels are looking to welcome more families, with the EU average at 56 per cent.
Hotels will offer more vegan and vegetarian food options
Going into 2024, hotels are focusing on aligning their food offerings with consumer trends.
According to the report, hoteliers have noticed a rise in customers wanting sustainably and regionally sourced food options.
Nearly two-thirds of those surveyed said having vegetarian and vegan options was important with 54 per cent offering both options at their properties.
Two-thirds also plan to move to plastic-free packaging.
Hoteliers’ interest in AI is waning
Artificial Intelligence has been a hot topic in travel this year, with travellers trying out ChatGPT to plan their trips and compare flight prices.
ADVERTISEMENTBut the hype around AI for hoteliers is waning. The number of hotels using AI has only increased marginally from last year and 7 out of 10 hoteliers say they are not planning on using it in the future.
For those who did express interest in using AI, customer chatbots and dynamic pricing were the most popular tools that they plan to implement.
Hotels seek to offer more local experiences
The survey found the highest interest in the next six months was in providing more local experiences for guests.
Over 60 per cent of hoteliers in Austria, the Nordic countries, Italy, Portugal, Greece and France marked it as a priority.