The next six months are expected to be complex for the entire hospitality sector, from the sea to the mountains, from lakes to spas. Spring is not living up to expectations, due to uncertainties on all fronts: political, climate and financial. Spring long weekends have had mixed results, and those who work with an international clientele are feeling the effects of declining demand: fewer Americans, fewer English and, especially for this area of ours, fewer Germans.
The Italian tourist is increasingly paying attention to the quality/price ratio, that is, a high price is no longer a rewarding guarantee. Demand is uncertain, bookings are slowing down, and guests are increasingly looking for value, flexibility and significant experiences, capable of improving their quality of life.
In this scenario, the booking office takes on a central role. A booking is never just an email, a phone call or a click: it is the result of a well-structured process, carried out by professionals. The welcome does not start from the front but from the back office, thanks to the booking office and the “reception” staff.
In the operational heart of booking, among ringing phones, flashing screens and overlapping languages, the employee must know how to move promptly but knowing how to listen. Every request hides a world of desires and needs. Only by understanding them can you propose a targeted upselling and recommend extras with credibility, also thanks to the support of effective but discreet technologies.
Today, booking lives between tradition and innovation: on the one hand, it preserves the art of hospitality, on the other, it deals with modern tools such as dynamic rates, personalized marketing and the management of direct channels. These channels must be protected by developing tailor-made offers and intercepting new growing segments, such as families and/or active over-65s: two synergic targets.
The senior guest seeks more than a pleasant stay: he or she wants experiences that have an impact on preventive health and active well-being. In this direction, proposals such as senior living represent our spa reality well. Prevention, care and longevity are no longer simple trends, but real drivers of choice.
Vacation is not just a break: it is an investment in oneself. And in this context, the AbanoRitz offers not only hospitality. It offers care, thermal of course.
