Tourism

Co-branding in the hospitality industry has existed in one form or other for a while, not only as a competitive differentiator, but to also benefit from the other brands overall image or “luxury halo” as we like to call it. More recently, co-branding with gyms is yet another way for hotels to differentiate. Hotels are seeing more and more travelers, especially business travelers, where the gym is often the deciding factor.

Traditionally (or historically) women have had a strong influence on family travel decisions. Move over moms – now it’s the kids who are becoming influencers according to a recent Ipsos Mendelsohn 2011 Annual Affluent Survey. Purchasing decisions – especially for vacation locations, new houses or renovations – are no longer made by the head of house, but are largely discussed and influenced by the children.

Because they can (and should), boutique hotels are taking advantage of their flexibility to offer a more distinctive experience. Here are some important trends in the industry that appeal to travelers:

So how can hoteliers make the most of QR codes? With some creativity and careful planning, hotels can create a QR campaign that could enhance the guest experience, improve search engine rankings and make you stand out above the competition.

Designer hotels and products are bound to perform better than their conventional peers as more and more people are looking for niche and exclusive products and services. Together, they create an experience that finds resonance among luxury travelers.

Today’s real marketing challenge is to keep luxury experiences new and fresh; and this imperative permeates all industries – from luxury goods and travel, to beauty and food. One of the key future trends for high-end travelers is new and emerging destinations …and there’s nothing more far flung than space.

We see firsthand how the luxury traveler is constantly evolving and the industry needs to constantly adapt. And we have seen these trends in action for some time. Our experience has been confirmed by recent research – according to Horwath HTL, the world’s largest hospitality consulting firm, buyers and suppliers of luxury travel will face 3 main challenges in the next couple of years:

Remember the old adage that every reaction has a counter reaction? As marketers struggle with exponential growth of Internet advertising, luxury advertisers are once again focusing their attention back to print. Print has always been a cornerstone marketing channel of the luxury industry. Today’s focus is on quality versus quantity, meaning that brands would rather get a targeted message out to the right people than use a ‘spray and pray’ approach. Print media campaigns can be highly targeted to consumer demographics and psychographics.

Not much has happened with drugstores since the famed Le Drugstore atop the Champs-Elysées in Paris (now Publicis Drugstore) opened in 1958 when founder, Marcel Bleustein-Blanchet, created a new concept for Paris that became a legend.

The Pink Dollar, an expression used to signify the above-average earnings of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community has long been the object of attention for luxury marketers. Travel operators trying to shrug off hard times are waking up to the vast potential of gay and lesbian tourism, including the new and burgeoning market for same-sex weddings and honeymoons as more states/countries allow gay marriage.