Hotels will increasingly categorise guests by needs and occasions instead of a hierarchal structure, the chief executive at InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has said.
Speaking at the launch of a new report on Friday (8 March), Richard Solomons from IHG said hotel companies must shift to look at why people are travelling and rethink the current segmentation model.
“Lives are different and dispersed, and using business and leisure is old terminology,” said Solomons. “Travel is about people’s interests and human inquisitiveness. Life is more fluid so travellers adopt more than one persona on a trip.”
The hotel group’s new consumer analysis report with The Futures Company has identified new travelling markets as extended family groups, young Generation Y workers and the adventurous over-60s, as well as the emerging markets such as China.
Dr Miguel Moital, senior lecturer at Bournemouth University’s School of Tourism also noted a need to consider single parent families after ONS statistics found there is now triple the number of single parent families now than 40 years ago, as well as double the number of people living alone.
The report identified the need for a deeper relationship between people and brands facilitating a ‘kinship economy’ by helping people to connect.
Sarah King from The Futures Company added that the “pursuit of happiness” and well-being were continuously noted as an important factor amongst people and could be reflected in their travel choices.
“The role of a brand seems more subtle now in that it needs to facilitate the needs of that group or act their [business to consumer] relationship in that space,” King added. “Brand is still important because it is an indicator of quality and trust and allows people to build that relationship.”
For hotels Solomons said this will see new brands launched and others adapted to appeal to different needs, while hotels will be expected to be part of their local community and know more about the area.
