Hotel Marketers Expect Moderate Business Travel Recovery
Majority of Bookings Come Through Direct Channels
While leisure travel has been the lone saving grace for the hotel industry since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, hotel sales and marketing experts believe the business mix could grow more diversified in 2022.
Over the past two years, the hotel industry has seen little to no corporate transient business, but hoteliers say that could change this year.
Will Traywick, vice president of marketing at Prism Hotels & Resorts, said there's indications of a slight shift. It's anticipated that most markets in the U.S. will realize an increase in business travel compared to 2021 and 2020. However, there will be a continued focus on the strength of leisure travel.
Who is Traveling and Why
In 2020 and 2021, Traywick said there was an uptick in social group travel as certain jurisdictions eased restrictions. Business on the books now shows 2022 will have more corporate groups thrown into the mix of those who are willing to travel, albeit on smaller scales than in 2019.
"All of our sales leaders have been in very close contact with our meeting and travel professionals, whether it be group or business transient, through the entire pandemic. What we're hearing from a lot of larger negotiated accounts is that they're not even returning yet back to the office," he said.
He added those that are traveling for meetings are doing so because it's essential.
"We do see some of the smaller companies — local negotiated accounts — are willing to have more regional, larger groups," Traywick said.
