New data suggests short stays will lead industry recovery in the UK 

As the UK is in the throes of a month-long ‘leisure’ lockdown, there is some encouraging news as far as what’s in store for the industry. Knight Frank recently share some data suggesting that the short-stay leisure market is expected to emerge as a catalyst for the hotel industry’s recovery.  

When restrictions do loosen up again, leisure travellers are expected to resume with their getaway plans within the UK, as we saw in the summer. In the absence of international travel, the desire to travel domestically remains very high and will be key in getting through the winter. 

Karen Callahan, head of hotel valuations at Knight Frank, said: “Whilst the COVID-19 pandemic is having an unprecedented impact on the UK hotel market, it is also accelerating the growth in demand for both experience-led hospitality and the health and wellness sector.” 

While discussing the data and the rolling restrictions expected to continue well into 2021, Callahan reiterated that hotels will have to remain adaptive to the market landscape. 

“We predict that the UK staycation market will remain robust in 2021, as continued restrictions, confidence to travel and forward planning remains dependent on the control of the on-going pandemic. This will be crucial for the UK hotel sector’s recovery, which will be led by the short-stay, leisure market.”   

Start preparing now  

While the UK’s current restrictions will remain in place through early December, there are steps hoteliers can take now to ensure bookings begin pouring in when guests are ready to plan their getaways. Remaining in communication with your audience is a great way to do so – what are you offering in a short-term stay? Are you providing a solid work space for workationers? Any extra incentives to book mid-week? The hunger is there for leisure travellers to get back out there; make sure your property emerges as an easy choice for them.

___ 

InnQuest Software is a leading technology provider for the hospitality industry. For over 25 years, innQuest has combined hotelier experience with innovative technology to deliver an all-in-one solution that empowers hotels to attract guests, drive customer loyalty, and increase profits. Our flagship hotel management software, roomMaster, helps manage over 5,500 properties across 100 countries. InnQuest develops scalable solutions ranging from a Hotel PMS, Cloud PMS, Channel Manager, Hotel CRM and helps properties enable guests to Book Direct. We believe that everyone deserves a great guest experience, whether they’re staying at a small B&B, a thousand-room resort, or anywhere in between. 

Call us today on +44 (0) 33 0100 1090, or email us at sales@innquestemea.com. We will be happy to walk you through innQuest’s solutions. 

For US, please call +1 813 288 4900 or email sales@innquest.com.