As travelers are beginning to search for leisure activities and hotels again, they are opting first for domestic destinations. Consumers that are choosing to travel right now value flexibility, cleanliness, and safety, among other priorities. To help travel marketers navigate this new normal, we’ve put together the following list of behavioral trends to consider both during and after the Covid-19 crisis.
Flexible cancellation policies
As recovery begins in some regions, travelers may be initially uneasy about booking a hotel or vacation rental. Flexible cancellation policies are an effective way to address consumers’ uneasiness and give them peace-of-mind. Allowing customers to reserve without immediate payment, cancel up until the arrival date, or process quick refunds if their plans change will help to instill a sense of trust during the booking process and build brand loyalty. All of the major metasearch sites have introduced a “free cancellation” filter, so you’ll want to make sure you’re passing along cancellable rates to publishers so that your property is included in filtered search results.