Lockdowns and travel bans have been particularly hard on independent hotel owners.
Just last month, the Tourism Business Council of South Africa announced that roughly 49 000 SMMEs were already negatively affected by the lockdown and that many will close shop. Independent hotels that have been able to reopen are now in tight competition for limited guests in the face of reduced occupancy levels as per lockdown restrictions.
Hotel marketing expert Joanne Hutchinson shares some tips on how small hotel and lodge owners can stay visible during the pandemic:
Act now to have later
Hutchinson said for the first time in a long time, everyone is working on the same lead times, but this did not always translate into equal success.
"The African travel industry is on the runway to recovery, and only the proactive will take off first. The best thing anyone can do in a crisis is to act on the things that are within their control. Apply yourself and your team to your guests’ experience, safety and comfort and ensure your operations are health and safety compliant as soon as possible," she said.
Hutchinson says implementing a strategy for sales, marketing, revenue, OTA, social media, and reservations will allow your business to get maximum exposure and convert it into bookings when travellers start shopping.
Get leaner and more effective
Hutchinson said hotels and lodges need to use the forced downsize to evaluate the efficiencies of its business, control costs, and assess your organisational flow.
"Independent hotel owners are working with limited resources in a time when they need maximum exposure in the market place. It is a convenient time to work with third party hospitality services that may come at a more competitive rate than hiring a full team of marketing experts to implement every aspect of your marketing strategy."
Don’t say yes to everything
She said it was essential to understand every part of the value chain to make the best decisions for your business.
"All hospitality establishments are rebooting and starting from zero occupancies, but that does not mean that blanket solutions in sales, marketing and revenue management will suit your business. Independent hotels operate with limited resources but are more agile, and each one has unique circumstances," she said.
Place all your eggs in one basket
Hutchinson said there were many experts in various disciplines within sales and marketing that will give you valuable advice during the pandemic.
"As a business owner with years of experience in hospitality, I know that everything is important. Still, you can’t spend your entire budget on a single aspect of exposure in the market. Independent hotel owners also need to keep in mind that all the tactics for gaining exposure in the marketplace cannot work in isolation.
"Your overall strategy must be implemented right through OTAs, sales representation, digital content marketing, to reservations and revenue management," she said.