Hotels entice guests with innovations

Amid the norms of COVID-19 pandemic prevention and control nationwide, hoteliers are delving into local market potential and attracting flows of consumers in their localities with innovative approaches.

Data from online travel agency Qunar show hotel bookings made before the end of 2021 for this year's Spring Festival holiday have exceeded those by the same period in 2019 for the 2020 Spring Festival holiday.

Behind the recovery in hotel bookings is a growing demand from local residents, who wish to explore attractions nearby in their home cities rather than holidaying elsewhere.

"A growing number of consumers have got used to spending holidays without traveling and instead have chosen local hotels as a key destination on their itineraries," Xu Jun, general manager of Banyan Tree Nanjing Garden Expo, told China Tourism News.

Of the holidaymakers booking local hotels, families account for 31 percent and young couples 27 percent, according to a travel report released by the Tongcheng research institute.

At Enjoy Land, an international resort in Zhengzhou, capital of Henan province, a green channel specially set up for family visitors provides them with easy access to hotel and park facilities.

With the 2022 Winter Olympics around the corner, excitement about the Games has gripped the country. During the three-day New Year holiday, bookings for hotels near ski resorts surged by 140 percent from a month earlier, China Tourism News reported.

Hot spring hotels are also becoming a favorite for local tours. The hotels' appearance, variety of hot spring pools, water quality, culinary services and other leisure facilities factor into customers' decisions on whether they will make a reservation.

Liu Li, an executive at Tuniu travel platform, told the Beijing-based newspaper that more and more hotels have launched a variety of "hotel plus" packages to entice consumers, combining hotel services with nearby tourism resources.

As Spring Festival approaches, bookings for Lunar New Year's Eve dinners are growing for dine-in services and takeout deliveries.

Considering many young people will stay in the cities where they work during the holiday, many hotels have launched a Lunar New Year's Eve dinner specially designed for two to three people.

In addition to the catering market, hoteliers are also integrating local cultural attractions into their offerings.

A woman surnamed Si, an employee at a foreign-funded company in Beijing, told China Tourism News that when she made a reservation for a Lunar New Year's Eve dinner at Aman Summer Palace, a luxury resort in the city, she found the hotel offering a package comprised of a four-course dinner and tickets to the drama The Lehman Trilogy.

She said she immediately booked it and recommended the package to her friends.

Liu said traditional folk customs also appeal to young people. The executive suggested hotels integrate more Spring Festival folk custom experiences into their festive activities.

For hoteliers, the local holiday market has entered a new development phase where more targeted products are becoming more attractive. As consumers delve into local attractions, hoteliers need to stay one step ahead to learn about what their "next consumption demand" could be and develop targeted products, China Tourism News cited an industry insider as saying.

When what they offer goes beyond the expectations of consumers, they'll stand more chance of realizing their business targets, he said.