Green Pass, security measures for travelers
Security measures for travelers serve and will probably continue to serve until 2023 and beyond. But the Green Pass to stay in the accommodation facilities, as well as other possible limitations, does not necessarily have to stop the tourism, rather. The sector is called to a great change that can and must be faced, in order to return to growth, step by step: starting with the daily actions of hospitality professionals.
Tourism, the future for OECD and OMT
Just two months ago Armando Peres, vice president of the Tourism Committee ofOECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development), spoke of a 2022, for Italy, with tourist flows at pre-Covid. The latest report fromOMT (World Tourism Organization) cooled the spirits. Although there were improvements in the third quarter of 2021, with Europe recording the best tourism performance globally also thanks to the green certificate, the pandemic situation, today, it is too unpredictable to make certain predictions, due to the increasing cases and new variants. However, many industry insiders remain optimistic.
Travel and tourism: beyond optimism or pessimism, concrete actions
“There is great uncertainty about what could happen in 2022, because we don’t know to what extent the fourth wave will put the national health systems – points out Paolo Zennaro, CEO of Welcomeasy. However, we know that we have many more weapons than in the past against the disease from COVID-19. Thanks to vaccines, at medicines and to green card, the tourist market, albeit with limitations and controls, it can continue its journey towards recovery. Will we return to managing tourist flows at levels comparable to 2019 already next year? Difficult to say, but one thing is certain: if they want to ride the recovery, the managers of the accommodation facilities must implement new strategies to intercept and welcome customers “.
Green Pass and tourism: 5 tips from Welcomeasy for active resilience
1) Customize the offer based on the target. Being able to have rooms and apartments always full is possible. The question to start from is one: what are the needs of the different types of tourists who stay in the structure? Taking advantage of the network built up with other tour operators and operators in the area, hospitality professionals can formulate packages of extra and plus services tailored to each target. Guided tours in the city center, horseback riding, bicycle rental. The host can and must become a reference figure for the tourist. Without forgetting that guests can also be won over thanks to small kindnesses, such as games for children available to families or a welcome drink for couples and groups of friends.
2) Turn obstacles into advantages. From 6 December until 15 January 2022, to stay in hotel, B&B, short-term rental apartments etc., guests must be in possession of the green pass “Base”. And this measure could be extended in the future. This is why it is important to organize yourself for a super fast welcome, so as to carry out all the paperwork in a short time. “The green pass you can control it from your smartphone, so why not also check-in from the same device? With a tool like Welcomeasy, 30 seconds are enough – emphasizes Zennaro. In general, I think it is important to turn every obstacle that covid can put in our way into a point in favor. If the tourists understand that the operators of the Italian sector are ready to face any security measure in the best possible way, they will book with a light heart and will not cancel for fear of problems or hassles ».
3) Activate loyalty programs. In a time of uncertainty like this, retain customers it’s a winning move. A guest who has found himself well may decide to return to the structure and perhaps to book for a longer period. Hosts can think of offering discounts, especially out of season, to those who come back a second time or choose to stay for more than a week. Obviously, since we are talking about a special offer, without the possibility of canceling the reservation. If you do not want to make discounts, the incentives can be, for example, a typical product for free or, again, an experience to be lived in the area.
4) Decrease dependence on OTA. OTAs are an indispensable tool for making yourself known and intercepting customers, but they represent a cost. To ride the recovery it is useful to decrease one’s dependence on Online Travel Agency, increasing direct bookings. To do this, first of all, it is necessary to be found by customers, then to optimize the website, which must be well designed, updated and responsive. And then increase the presence on social channels, especially Instagram, where you can tell the activity and the structure through images and short videos.
5) Manage the reputation of the structure. Encouraging guests to leave a review about their stay experience is important. And so is responding to reviews, both positive and negative, whenever possible. Reputation management helps to grow because reviews (and the responses they give) turn into free advertising for the holiday home, the B&B, L’hotel, L’farmhouse and so on. «When replying to a review, for example on Google, in addition to thanking the guest, it is important to take the opportunity to tell something more about your work and your offer. Perhaps pointing out that check-in is super fast, that the structure is sanitized, that additional services are offered and so on. If the future is uncertain, the best thing to do is to prepare and invest, to work better »concludes Paolo Zennaro.
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