Top 10 hospitality news stories — week five of September
1. FIVE TRAVELER TRENDS SHAPING THE FUTURE OF ACCOMMODATIONS | Phocuswire | 2022.09.28
Hotel platform SiteMinder says inflation won't stop people from traveling — and the blurring of business and leisure will push the industry forward.
According to its Changing Traveller Report, the top reason guests return to a hotel is value for money. 53% of travelers now spend more time searching for good deals than they did two years ago. The takeaway? Ditch guesswork. Price your rooms with smart, real-time data.
Hotels also need to understand which regions and channels generate the most revenue — not just how competitors price their rooms. Fliggy's senior advisor for international strategy made a similar point: competitive and market analysis should be core to pricing in hospitality.
Data-driven pricing is no longer optional. It's table stakes.
Trip.com's Sustainable Travel Consumer Report found that 8 out of 10 travelers recognize the importance of sustainable travel.
For OTAs, this is a major opportunity. 50.7% of travelers want platforms to clearly flag sustainable travel options. 93% would consider booking on a platform that offers them.
67.7% said they're willing to pay more to include sustainable choices in their trips. The sustainable travel trend is here to stay — and it's profitable.
Yanolja and Yeogi Eottae have been summoned as witnesses for this year's parliamentary audit. They'll face questions about alleged illegal activity and excessive commission fees.
One lawmaker's office said, "Minors aren't legally allowed to share rooms overnight — but booking apps make it way too easy." Of the 2 million+ coupons used during Korea Grand Sale, 8,893 were used by minors.
Last year, Yanolja pledged to cut some fees after being criticized for high commissions and ad costs. The industry says not much has changed. This audit could push real reform.
4. TRAVEL APP BOOKINGS UP 16% AS CONSUMERS EMBRACE DIGITAL SOLUTIONS | Phocuswire | 2022.09.27
PYMNTS surveyed 15,000+ consumers across 11 countries and found: travel app bookings rose 16% in Q2 as digital adoption accelerated.
Travel and hospitality led the pack in digital transformation. The biggest jumps? Flight apps and sites (+15.8% QoQ), ride-sharing apps (+15% QoQ), and home-sharing platforms (+13.3% QoQ).
Meanwhile, an August report from Amadeus says consumers rank travel as their top discretionary spending priority. 42% plan to prioritize international trips next year, with average spending around $2,670.
5. "드디어 일본 간다"…엔저·무비자 입국 허용으로 여행 수요 '폭발' | 세계일보 | 2022.09.26
Asian countries are rolling back entry restrictions. Japan will allow visa-free entry starting October 11, and Hong Kong has scrapped hotel quarantine after two years.
For Korea, Japan is the dream. A weak yen + no visa = booking surge. Modetour saw a 140% week-over-week jump in Japan bookings (Sept 14–22). Hanatour reported a 777% increase in daily Japan bookings compared to August.
One travel agent said Japan accounts for over 30% of all Korean outbound travel. The yen and visa news just opened the floodgates.
Korea Grand Sale (a domestic travel stimulus campaign) just released its results.
1.04 million tourists used the discount coupons, generating 2.55 million total visitors. Total trip spending hit ₩489.4 billion. That's ₩463,000 per traveler on average — 11 times the average subsidy of ₩41,000.
76% of spending went to regions outside Seoul and Jeju, hitting the campaign's goal of reviving local economies. 92.6% of survey respondents said the coupons improved their trip quality, and 95% said it helped ease pandemic-related stress.
The program was a win for travelers and the industry.
Yanolja and Interpark analyzed bookings for Korea's October long weekend (Oct 1–10). The trend? Short trips, close to home.
82% of travelers planned 1-night stays. Top regions: Gangwon-do (25%), Busan (20%), Gyeonggi-do (19%). Top property types: hotels (43%) and pensions (36%). Drivable distance from Seoul still dominates.
For outbound, 3-night/4-day packages led with 44% of bookings. Top destinations: Vietnam (23%), Thailand (11%), Japan (10%).
Short holiday = short trips. Proximity wins.
A survey by Frip (an activity platform) found that 72.4% of Gen Z and Millennials plan to do activities on their trips.
In Q3 2021, activity bookings surged: surfing +170% YoY, camping +160% YoY. The Korea Culture & Tourism Institute says travelers now care more about what they did than what they saw.
Travel agencies are catching on. Hanatour launched "expert-guided theme tours" — photo tours, art tours, influencer-led trips. 40.1% of bookings come from people in their 20s and 30s.
Hotels should think beyond beds. Activities = memories = repeat guests.
"Korea is a beacon for Airbnb," said Catherine Powell, Global Head of Hosting.
Q2 2022 nights booked in Korea rose 20% YoY — and 60% versus 2019. Global searches for Korea are up 150% YoY. Korea's growth is outpacing most markets.
Airbnb added 50+ property categories in May, including Japan's ryokans. Powell said hanok (traditional Korean houses) could become a category soon. "Hanok is a very popular platform on Airbnb. The possibility is still there."
We're rooting for hanok to get its own spotlight.
10. 닐슨미디어코리아, 해외 여행·숙박 앱 8월 순 이용자 수 전년 대비 평균 91% 증가 | 뉴스와이어 | 2022.09.26
Nielsen Media Korea reports: travel and accommodation app users surged 91% YoY in August.
Top 5 by monthly active users: Yanolja, Yeogi Eottae, Agoda, Airbnb, Skyscanner. All saw major growth year-over-year.
Yanolja and Yeogi Eottae have the highest share of exclusive users — a sign of strong loyalty to Korean platforms.
Yanolja also had the highest overlap with other apps. Users of Airbnb, Agoda, and Skyscanner often use Yanolja too. That's market power.
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