Hotels Are Losing Travelers’ Discovery Window — And Scrambling to Get It Back
Summary
The travel discovery process is shifting, with guests increasingly researching trips on social media and AI platforms, bypassing hotel brands early on. This change requires a shift in how hospitality businesses promote their offerings. Hoteliers need to adapt their marketing strategies to meet travelers where they are actively searching and making decisions about their trips.
Key Insights
- •Travelers are increasingly deciding on trip specifics (like activities) before considering hotel brands.
Action Items
- ✓Review your OTA strategy. Research how you can align your listings with travelers' earlier search queries (diving spots in the example).Effort: lowImpact: medium
- ✓Consider investing in marketing that targets traveler searches related to experience instead of only hotel types.Effort: mediumImpact: medium
- ✓STR hosts should evaluate their online presence on social platforms and optimize listing descriptions to capture early-stage search queries related to activities or experiences near their properties.Effort: mediumImpact: medium
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