In today’s competitive travel sector, accommodating group travel has become essential for hotels and destinations aiming to boost revenue and increase visitation and overnight stays. Marketing your specific group sales services is a smart strategy that can set your destination and its city or region apart from its top competitors.
There is no mistaking it—business travel is back and projected to grow in the coming years. According to a recent global report and forecast by the Global Business Travel Association, by the end of 2024, global business travel spending is expected to reach $1.48 trillion, surpassing the previous record of $1.43 trillion set in 2019. By 2028, it is expected to surpass $2 trillion, driven by economic stability.
This surge in business travel, particularly for corporate meetings and events, makes up a substantial portion of the overall meetings market. It accounts for around 70% of the market, according to the Amex 2024 Global Meetings and Events Forecast.
For hotels, this can translate to multiple overnight visitations and a broader use of services than would be used by the equivalent of leisure traveler. On average, corporate meeting sizes gather around 100 attendees and last approximately 2.5 days. There is a clear demand for hotels and destinations to enhance their messaging for group sales capabilities to attract and accommodate these events.
Your brand and message needs to be seen by travel agencies, in-house corporate event marketing teams, and company sales directors in charge of corporate travel spend. Partnering with a trusted travel PR agency is critical to accomplish this because the right agency can amplify your event space, hotel, or destination offerings to the business traveler, ensuring it reaches the right audience and resonates powerfully.
How do you capture this market share – and why would you want to? Here are five compelling reasons why elevating your branding and increasing the focus for group sales services is a smart strategy.
1. Increase Your Revenue Opportunities
Group bookings represent a substantial revenue stream.
Unlike individual bookings, corporate groups often book multiple rooms and utilize various hotel services, including conference rooms, catering, and recreational facilities. By enhancing and marketing your group sales services, you can offer attractive packages that cater to the specific needs of different companies and meeting organizers. That leads to increased occupancy rates and higher overall revenue.
According to a report published by Grand View Research, the group business traveler segment is projected to grow at a CAGR of 9.6% from 2024 to 2030.
Don’t leave that money on the table for your competitors to take!
2. Enhance Your Customer Experience Offering
Providing exceptional group sales services can significantly enhance the customer experience, which will attract more bookings and more repeat visitors.
Tailored services, personalized packages, and dedicated group coordinators ensure that every aspect of the group’s stay is seamless and enjoyable. This level of attention can meet – and even exceed -expectations. That leads to positive reviews, repeat business, and word-of-mouth referrals. Satisfied groups are likely to recommend your hotel or destination to others, amplifying your brand’s reach.
According to recent hospitality industry surveys, the primary considerations for venue selection in 2024 are how well the venue’s offerings align with the changing objectives of programs (49%), the venue’s flexibility to accommodate adjustments (47%), and the speed with which venues can reply to communications (46%).
3. Showcase Your Competitive Advantage
In a crowded market, differentiating yourself from the competition is essential for success.
Hotels and meeting venues must identify their unique selling proposition. Publicizing your five-star group sales services in a strategic, calculated way can differentiate yourself from your competitors. It is paramount to make sure to market your unique amenities, flexible booking options, and value-added services such as team-building activities or guided tours.
A strong group sales strategy that is marketed properly positions your property as the go-to choice for group travel, attracting a steady stream of bookings. Likewise, a partnership with a travel PR agency who knows your business audience can amplify your unique selling points, making your enhanced services known to a broader audience and driving more group bookings.
4. Build Stronger Relationships with Your Event Planners
Event planners are key decision-makers in the group travel industry.
Building strong relationships with event planning professionals can lead to a consistent flow of group bookings. And, marketing to event planners involves different targeting and messaging than marketing directly to groups.
By providing excellent group sales services, hotels and destinations can establish themselves as reliable partners for event planners. This includes offering competitive rates, ensuring smooth logistics, and providing unmatched customer service throughout the planning and execution stages. Plus, don’t forget to follow up directly with event planners after their booking to gather their feedback!
When your destination is at the top of an event planner’s list, they augment your B2C and B2B marketing by directly advocating for your brand in conversations with groups.
5. Reinforce Your Revenue Stream
Group travel isn’t just about increasing revenue in good times – it’s about helping to make revenue more predictable and sustainable in the long term.
The travel industry is subject to fluctuations due to economic conditions, seasonality, and unexpected events such as inclement weather, pandemics, and natural disasters.
Group travel can provide a stable revenue source during these uncertain times. By focusing on group sales services, hotels and destinations can diversify their customer base and reduce dependency on individual travelers. Forming relationships with groups and event planners can lead to predictable repeated business that is confirmed much farther ahead than individual bookings.
This adaptability can enhance business resilience and ensures a steady flow of business even in challenging times.
Get Started with Marketing Your Group Sales Services
Enhancing and publicizing your group sales services is not just a trend but a necessity for hotels and destinations aiming to thrive in the competitive travel industry. Having a Group Sales marketing strategy specifically targeted at businesses and event planners is a necessity.
By focusing on ways to increase revenue, enhancing your customer experience offerings, and strategically marketing your competitive advantage, hotels and destinations can capture a larger revenue share and make more profit from this sector, all while enhancing their brand’s competitive positioning.
Are you ready to shine a spotlight on your group sales? Contact us today to get started.
