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Automatic

2871 posts

Decoding the 2025 traveler

🗺️ Aug 18, 2025, the travel industry's digital transformation is set to reach $956 billion. Online bookings will comprise 75% by 2029, with 54% starting on search engines like Google or Bing. Key factors include reviews, flexibility, and location, while cart abandonment remains high at 41% due to purchase hesitations and limited payment options. AI tools appeal to nearly half of Gen Z, but a third of Baby Boomers reject them. Personalization is crucial, especially in the U.S.
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Hotels talk personalization, but most aren’t doing it

📊 Aug 18, 2025—Bookboost's report on data-driven marketing in hospitality surveyed 60+ global hotel professionals, revealing significant gaps in marketing execution. 25% of hotels don't segment their audience, and only 12% use WhatsApp marketing. Just 12% have centralized, actionable guest data. Nearly half of hotels struggle with personalization due to poor segmentation and automation. To improve, focus on high-value guest segments, clean data, and utilize channels like WhatsApp.
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U.S. hotel construction hits a financing wall

🚧 Aug 18, 2025, in the U.S.: Only 139,000 of 615,000 planned hotel rooms are under construction due to high borrowing costs nearing 9–10%, volatile material prices, and labor shortages. Hotel supply growth was 0.2% in 2023 and 0.5% in 2024, likely staying below 1% through 2026. Developers shift to conversions and renovations as new builds stall, expecting interest rate relief by late 2026.
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The hotel brand boom meets reality

💰 Aug 18, 2025, CBRE’s report reveals key data about the hotel industry: major hotel brands expanded portfolios at a 7% CAGR and loyalty memberships at 15% CAGR over the past decade. Despite this, nominal RevPAR rose 9.3% since 2019, but real RevPAR fell by 10.9% due to inflation. Only 28% of brands outperformed average RevPAR since 2019, down from 52% before. Upper-midscale segments excel, while midscale and economy chains struggle with RevPAR declines.
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Virtuoso Travel Week 2025: The new rules of luxury travel

🌍 Aug 18, 2025, Las Vegas hosts the 37th Virtuoso Travel Week, attracting nearly 4,800 participants. Luxury travel is up 12% YTD, buoyed by ultra-high-net-worth travelers. AI reshapes travel planning, and ADRs at Virtuoso hotels surpass $1,400, up 62% since 2019. U.S. inbound sales rise 4% with fall bookings surging 27%. Baby Boomers hold $83 trillion, with a 10% shift to younger generations imminent. Sustainability is paramount, with 77% of advisors noting increased interest.
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  • 3 min

Rethinking the reception desk

📑 Matthijs Welle announced AMANO Group's removal of reception desks to enhance guest interaction. Thijs de Boer showcases a venue's dual-day mood shifts via a split-screen: bright mornings versus dim-lit evenings. Remko West warns hotels of missed €1.7k premium pricing due to late booking trends in Northern Europe. Bruno Muchada suggests a countryside hotel purchase with potential guaranteed demand. Michael Albert introduces "Artificial Hotelligence," a tool to assess hotel visibility in AI platforms like ChatGPT.
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  • 1 min

Leisure travel market to triple over the next 15 years

🛫 Aug 13, 2025 – China, India, and Saudi Arabia are expected to drive global leisure travel spending from $5 trillion in 2024 to $15 trillion by 2040, according to Boston Consulting Group. China is projected to lead with over 10% annual growth. Domestic travel is the largest segment, yet international travel will increase from $424 billion to $1.4 trillion. About 70% of travelers from these regions extend work trips for leisure, prioritizing experiences over goods.
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How hotels are reimagining outdoor spaces

🌏 Aug 13, 2025, hotels are transforming outdoor spaces into strategic assets. Integrating landscape architecture early optimizes guest experiences by blending natural beauty with technology, like smart irrigation and sensory-driven VR. Key approaches include climate-adapted plants, engineered soil, moisture sensors, and using recycled water. These designs enhance biodiversity and regulatory compliance while maintaining aesthetics. Benefits include improved guest loyalty, reduced costs, and secured green certifications, aligning with eco-conscious travelers and investors.
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How AI is becoming the operating system for hotels

💻 Aug 13, 2025: Hotels are transforming operations with AI as their core system. Integrated into PMS, CRS, and CRM, AI automates decisions, services, and revenue management. This technology boosts revenue by improving upsell conversion and occupancy rates without increasing staff costs. AI offers hyper-personalized guest experiences, enhancing satisfaction and loyalty. It reduces training time, speeds up responses, and removes inefficiencies, giving hotels a competitive edge in adapting to market changes and maintaining profitability.
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Short-term rentals outperform U.S. hotels in Q2

🏠 Aug 13, 2025, U.S.: Short-term rentals (STRs) surpassed hotels with a nine-point RevPAR lead in Q2 2025. Despite economic challenges, demand remains steady with many regions seeing double-digit gains. Mid-Atlantic saw RevPAR +11%, New England +10%, Rocky Mountains +9%, and Hawaii +6%. The Southwest experienced a decline, with RevPAR -4% due to oversupply. September occupancy is down 11% YoY. Operational agility and market-specific strategies are crucial for navigating 2025.
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