Every hotel wants to make it big, be the center of the buzz and global tourism. But, in order to do so, every hotel has to make sure that there is a constant influx of customers, especially international ones.
The point is not just to make those customers come once, but keep them coming and making sure they leave the hotel with a smile so that there can be more next time around. Guest writer Tina Anderson shares her tips on how to attract international guests?
Most hotels want to leave it to chance whether they get international visitors or not, however, any hotel can easily make sure that it gets a large influx of international customers and portray itself as the perfect staying spot.
However, attracting an influx of international customers takes up a lot of effort and patience. You have to be the best to reach to the top. You have to provide exceptional services and make sure that your customers don’t experience even the slightest of inconvenience. So, what are some ways that you can attract a huge pool of international customers and make a name for yourself?
1) Exceptional Experience:
The hotel industry thrives on providing customers with an exceptional experience that makes them forget the comfort of their own homes, despite being away from it. Customers make it to a hotel to take a break from travel and look forward to some extraordinary comfort and luxury and ward of homesickness.
2) Little gestures count:
Putting in the effort to make international visitors feel at home always brings in a lot of goodwill. International visitors look for little gestures that would turn them into loyal customers. These gestures can be hotels giving their visitors Express Services that make them feel as though they aren’t visiting a foreign country. Hotels can offer free breakfast or an occasional free cab ride or perhaps a high-speed internet connection; anything to make those visitors feel at home.
3) Research & Understand your Guest:
As a hotel owner or manager, you have to understand that every international customer puts in a lot of time and effort in planning their trip. This includes saving up a lot of money and doing a lot of research. In order to make sure that you make a customer feel that their saved-up money is well spent, you have to do a little research of your own regarding your customer. Try to understand where the majority of your customers are coming from, what are the cultural influences in their countries and most importantly, is there a specific reason for their trip. Having these insights on customers can always help you connect with them better. These days it’s all about guest experiences.
4) Create a brand image via Social Media:
To manage an international customer influx hotels can put in an effort to maintain a positive image. How a hotel portrays itself on social media? Is it accessible to international customers? These factors make a huge impact and encourage word of mouth among potential customers. Talking to your customers via texts in their own language, replying to their queries on social media and most importantly managing their reviews are some of the activities that you can do as a hotel that is seeking recognition among international travelers.
5) Native Greetings:
You know what makes international customers super happy? When they are addressed in their native tongue. Dealing with the language barrier can be quite tiresome for travelers. Thus, hotels can provide their international customers with the salvation of conversing in their mother tongue even if it is for a few phrases like “How may I be of service?” or “What would you like for breakfast?” This also shows you have done a bit of research before the guest’s arrival.
6) Currency Conversion:
An important way to relieve international customers of the nuisance of traveling to a foreign country is to provide the availability of different currencies. This doesn’t have to be as complicated as running a currency exchange within your hotel. All you have to do is make sure that everything you are charging the international customer is convertible in their home currency and readily accepted by your hotel. However, it is always a cherry on top if you can provide the customers with the currency exchange service in your hotel.
All Things Concluded
Most hotels think that the key to keep international customers coming is to have a prime location. However, it is surprising how international and even local customers often ignore the ‘proximity’ factor while selecting an ideal hotel. Instead, they go for the option that makes them feel comfortable and at home.
When it comes to international customers, all you have to do is understand what would make them feel at home and it turns out, it isn’t that complicated. If your hotel is part of a memorable experience for someone traveling from another country, you can automatically ensure an increased influx of international customers next holiday season.
About the Author
Tina Anderson is a passionate writer with a core interest in work ethics and healthy lifestyle changes. Apart from writing for different online magazines, she also writes for BuyTVInternetPhone.