In the tourism and hospitality sector, the Holiday Season can either be a sales slump or a time of heightened activity, depending on how companies showcase their offerings. Given the spontaneous nature of decisions for short weekend getaways, a seamless digital booking experience is crucial amid a diverse range of options. Here are some practical insights on how a web development agency can help enhance these processes.
Every year, an increasing number of tourists view the holiday season as a chance for brief getaways, and both the US and European markets are experiencing a resurgence following the pandemic slowdown. While major ski resorts have consistently attracted visitors at year-end, a rising trend in these markets is slow tourism—journeys to secluded locales such as forest cottages, villas, mountain retreats, and lakeside getaways, opting for less conventional destinations without necessarily bustling attractions. Consequently, for companies specializing in apartment rentals or short-term trips these days present an opportunity to optimize their revenue.
FILTERING OPTIONS ARE EVERYTHING
The tourism industry relies heavily on digital tools for suggestions and specialized support. While travel agencies once organized our trips, now there's an expectation among tourists for similar assistance from apps and websites. Swiftly highlighting available locations, offering choices, facilitating seamless booking and payment processes, and providing reminders have become obvious expectations in the contemporary travel landscape.
Through years of collaboration with 3Sixty, a UK agency specializing in tourism industry marketing services, we've engaged in various projects, including web development for companies offering luxury cruises and unique short-term property rentals. Recognizing the importance of effectively framing offers within digital experiences is crucial.
In a recent blog post on user behavior trends, Airbnb emphasized the significance of detailed filtering options in the search engine, particularly for apartment amenities. Features like a jacuzzi or fireplace often outweigh the location, especially during holidays. Optimizing database search engine operations, a focal point in our expertise with DXPs like Umbraco and Kentico aligns with our extensive experience.
WIDGETS TO RECOMMEND OFFERS FOR SPECIAL OCCASIONS
Additionally, we recognize the importance of connecting offer elements, such as automating the selection of "the best offers for Christmas."
Nestled in serene locales, properties like villas, homestays, or houses featuring a grand fireplace, evoking a nostalgic Christmas ambiance, make for ideal short-term rentals during the holiday season.
Yet, not all tourists prefer sorting through locations, areas, and components for these options. Introducing the "Recommended for Christmas" widget on the website of our partner's client specializing in short-term real estate rentals transformed the user experience. This widget automatically curates offers based on availability and distinct "holiday spirit" criteria, substantially enhancing website traffic and booking processes.
Widgets that display offers for different occasions, such as New Year's Eve, Valentine's Day, or weddings, can work similarly. Our expertise in Umbraco and Kentico DXPs allows for extensive personalization of homepage content and the display of widgets tailored to specific user personas.
Nestled in serene locales, properties like villas, homestays, or houses featuring a grand fireplace, evoking a nostalgic Christmas ambiance, make for ideal short-term rentals during the holiday season. SMOOTH BOOKING PROCESS AND OFFER COMPARISON
A while back, we shared insights on developing features for scheduling medical visits, and we bring parallel expertise to crafting widgets for booking tourist accommodations.
For a client with variable property rental prices, integrating clear price comparisons directly into the booking process proved immensely beneficial for users. When users choose a rental date, they can quickly review prices for other suggested dates, which significantly reduces the abandonment of the booking process.
MULTI-CHANNEL EXPERIENCE AND QUICK NOTIFICATIONS ABOUT AVAILABILITY
Utilizing web tools and integrations also offers a solution to a common challenge many short-term rental companies face: calendar gaps.
Implementing the "Notify me when a date becomes available" function is an effective strategy for averting the repercussions of reservation cancellations. Leveraging webhooks, available in the latest version of the Umbraco CMS platform, enables swift configuration. This ensures that users expressing interest in specific dates promptly receive email or text notifications when another reservation is canceled.
While the aforementioned digital solutions are tailored primarily for companies providing short-term rental services, they are equally applicable to tourist companies offering trips, transportation connections, or occasional events. Knowing the unique nature of each company, our approach emphasizes custom, non-standardized web solutions. Schedule a meeting, and we'd be delighted to explore ways to enhance your users' digital experience.
Digital Experience Platforms we develop are ideal for hosting content-rich websites for businesses relying on online bookings. Schedule a quick a let's talk about how we can make the next Holiday Season better for your users.
