Personalization Tied with Customer Experience

Despite a significant uptake in 2021, travel was still well below pre-pandemic averages. Now, in 2022, things are continuing to recover but travel looks very different. Countries have different restrictions, personal comfort levels have changed, and regular routines have been disrupted.

All of this begs the question: what does travel look like now? We can’t rely on data and trends pre-pandemic any longer—the world has changed too much.

Instead, companies and organizations must look to the future, where personalization and customer experience will become the most important aspects. Tech-empowered travel and data-driven management will help usher in a new era of personalized travel.

Tech-Empowered Travel

It is exciting to see how new technologies can improve old ways of doing things. Take AI, for example. Through artificial intelligence, systems and processes can be much faster and more streamlined. Automation eliminates the need for time-consuming processes, which could help understaffed, struggling travel companies.

AI can also help the travel industry know more about their customers. This, in turn, helps them create personalized travel experiences that will entice them back to travel after the COVID19 pandemic.

There are two other important tech-related trends for the travel industry:

• The rise of super-apps. The metaverse is, essentially, a fully immersive digital experience. And it has the potential to offer hyper-personalized experiences, which can ultimately improve the customer experience.
• AR and VR. This technology can transport people to another place and time. And isn’t that exactly what travel is all about? By embracing this technology, travel companies can, again, create personalized experiences for travelers that draw them in.

Technology changes at a rapid pace—we know that. But just because things are new and evolving does not mean we should forget about trying to keep up. The travel industry can embrace technology and use it to create personalized travel for their customers.

Data-Driven Systems and Strategies

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Data is key for decision-making. This has always been true but is even more important coming out of a global pandemic that changed a multitude of factors. The travel industry can use data to help understand the new demands and desires of travelers.

Data-driven systems and processes will also help travel companies curate personalized experiences. Data collected by Near, as reported in this article, shows two segments of the population:

1. Covid-Fatigue Audience: Those who are ready to get back to travel and more willing to take risks.

2. Shielding Audience: Those who are risk-averse and only travel for essential reasons.

Understanding these segments will help drive key decisions about offerings and marketing. And data can be used for more than just understanding client needs and desires—it can help build loyalty and entice people to travel again.

Dilpreet Singh, the Head CRM, Loyalty, Customer Analytics at The Oberoi Group emphasized the importance of using a CRM to know your clients and offer personalized loyalty program options. It could be a staycation package for those who are not ready to travel abroad, or collaboration with airlines to collect points. In either case, data and an efficient CRM will help travel providers know their clients and offer what they want.

Behavioral Targeting & Personalized Experiences

Many travelers are eager to get back to their pre-pandemic adventures. And yet, the world is different, and travel is different. So how can companies create a new experience that will equally delight travelers? It comes down to behavioral targeting, understanding the customer, and using that information to curate their experience. Personalization is seen as the next era of hospitality, as described by Rod Jimenez, CEO of SHR. His insights are similar to those of Alex Javier Cisneros, Senior VP of Revenue Generation and Analytics at Red Roof