NCTA England’s Coast February Update

"As we see the first welcome shoots of spring, there is finally some cause for optimism. Thoughts are turning to an escape in better weather, January’s self-denial is done and while last year has been seen as a year of resilience and recovery, hotel occupancy rates neared pre-pandemic levels; the hospitality sector has shown itself to be remarkably resilient in recent years and there are some exciting forecasts for the sector:

The growth in AI could offer the opportunity for far more sophisticated customer service as guest data can increasingly be merged from separate systems – booking platforms, online reviews and distribution channels – to one guest profile. Journey delays, detailed guest preferences data will be accessible well ahead of check-in.

A rise in staff productivity could also be achievable through AI: staff shortages and productivity has the capability to be transformed by new tech, by reducing repetitive tasks and allowing staff to focus on higher-value decision making, giving greater job satisfaction and elevating guest experiences. One Berlin hotel, for example, uses a chatbot to handle 97% of the 4k monthly customer requests.

Accommodation providers could become less reliant on OTAs driven by legal scrutiny of market-dominating brands like Google and Booking.com.

Visitors might choose to explore lesser-known areas: protests in cities overwhelmed by tourists could spread to the UK with promotion of less-visited areas, dispersing tourism’s economic benefit to under-the-radar regions, to the benefit of many parts of England’s coast.

One trend that looks set to stay is tapping into local experiences and events big or small, proven to be more lucrative in 2024 than ever before. Meeting locals, enjoying the region’s food and drink and discovering the landscape are central to a successful holiday and nowhere more important than on the coast."

Read the update here