Top 5 messages from HDL'20 Madrid
HDL has already become a landmark event within the tourism sector. The last edition of HDL that we celebrated during the tradeshow Fitur in Madrid, under the theme: ‘Loyalty - The Great Challenge’, received an excellent reception again among the 150 hoteliers and industry professionals who attended and filled the capacity. The audience was able to learn first-hand important messages that were extracted during the day.
The presentations were given by our Managing Director, Rebeca González and Leonor de L'Hermite, Google's Travel Business Lead South Europe, who took also part in the interesting Expert Panel that was moderated by our Head of Product & Innovation, Leonardo Llorente, with the participation of: Daniel Alzina, CEO of Hotelinking; Silvia Espinosa de los Monteros, Director of Loyalty at Iberia; and María Romero, Global Director of Loyalty at Meliá Hotels International.
1. Size does not mattter
Whether you are part of a large hotel chain, a smaller one or an independent hotel, you need to start a loyalty program. You will impact customer satisfaction, boost visibility in the digital environment, attract new customers and improve your profitability. Loyalty club yes!
2. Segmentation is key
You must identify the behaviors of guests and, from there, use very segmented campaigns to change them. A clear example would be to identify the most valuable guests and pamper them, taking control of your customer base and maximizing your communications.
3. Objective: that the customer repeats
The ultimate goal of any loyalty program is for the customer to repeat, but to do so through the direct channel, in order to minimize the acquisition cost. In addition, a loyal customer spends up to 67% more than a new customer and allows you to reduce the acquisition cost if he books directly through the hotel.
4. Loyalty program 100% digital
A loyalty program must be simple, immediate, flexible and committed to digitalization and personalization. Loyalty is the direct result of customer satisfaction, and they need to feel rewarded for the mere fact of being customers.
5. Give economic advantages or incentives
The best way to build customer loyalty is to respond to their needs. 46% of consumers misvalue a loyalty program if it does not give them economic advantages or incentives. Finally, a customer will be satisfied when he feels comfortable, content and happy throughout his experience.