For many tourism businesses, corporate travel plays an essential role. We have talked about this in our article as well "Will business tourism recover after the pandemic?", where we give more detailed information about how much of tourism is actually for business and how important this segment is to the success of the tourism sector. And although the situation on a global scale is slowly and gradually starting to normalize as a result of the measures taken to fight against the virus, the vaccines developed, etc., tourism remains strongly affected by this crisis.
Like all other types of travel, business travel is being minimized and companies are rethinking the cost of business trips. In most cases, premium travel for a 2-hour meeting or conference can be canceled as many of them are being replaced by online video meetings. Still, company growth trips are difficult and less successful to take place on Zoom or another similar platform. In these meetings, personal contact is usually of great importance.
Therefore, although at a reduced pace, there are also business trips during Covid-19. And as we've discussed before, business travelers are some of the most preferred guests for hosts. So in this article we're going to give you some ideas on how to target and attract them more successfully.
High standards of hygiene and safety
Employees at travel companies are now also focusing on generating safety protocols for employees going on the road. The health of their employees is now becoming a major focus. Exactly for that reason right now the apartments for rent they stand out from busy hotels because they offer more privacy and contact with other people is kept to a minimum.
The hosts must make sure that the cleanliness in the apartment is impeccable and set high standards and rules for cleaning. It is also important to inform their guests about this and to create security and trust in them. Here are the sanitary standards that we at Flat Manager have set for our apartments:
We are adding this preview to the apartment listing so that our guests can feel confident that they are reserving a place that will provide me complete comfort and safety.
Connecting with guests who have already visited our apartments
In addition to emphasizing the health and safety of your properties, consider ways to connect with business travelers who have previously stayed at your apartment. It is good to keep in touch with companies that often use your apartments for the trips of their employees. In the past, this may not have been as imperative because employment was not an issue and companies themselves actively contacted you to seek placement. But in a pandemic situation, things are different and we, as hosts, have to be proactive.
Additional benefits
Another good idea is to provide additional benefits to these guests. Offer them a discount code for future bookings, stock the suite with a bottle of wine or other compliment, scented candles or nice toiletries in the bathroom. Every little detail makes an impression. Be creative and make your loyal customers feel valued!
It is important that the apartment is designed and furnished to suit business travelers. Let me make you feel at home during your business trip. In our article "How to turn your apartment into a magnet for 'business travelers'?" you can see what your property needs to have in order to secure the attention of corporate travelers.
To successfully target business travelers, you should also highlight these amenities in your apartment listing. Show clearly in your photos what amenities you have, mention the internet connection and TV, respectively other amenities such as Netflix, HBO Go, etc.
Upcoming events and good location
Although the events are not yet back in full force, start researching which ones are still scheduled for 2021 in the cities where you have properties. Especially if they are in close proximity or there is convenient transportation to your property.
Check who the previous participants of this event were, contact their HR teams and introduce them to the possibility of staying with you. That way, even if the event is canceled for a later date, they will know you and have you in mind when looking for a property. In this way, if you do it on time, you will surely get ahead of your competitors and stand out from the companies.
We at Flat Manager provide accommodation for the employees of our trusted corporate partners, ensuring that it is always of a very high quality and that they feel completely comfortable during their business trip. If you need accommodation for your employees, do not hesitate to contact us!
