What are the mega trends impacting hospitality in 2016?

Consumer shopping and buying behaviors are always evolving, but the most disruptive changes are still ahead. The latest research study from Sabre examines today’s emerging trends to reveal what travelers will want tomorrow.

Sabre Hospitality Solutions has partnered with TrendWatching, a company that tracks emerging patterns in consumer behavior, attitude and expectations, to identify the major consumer mega-trends that are expected to have the most impact on the travel and hospitality industry in the future. The global study, Consumer Mega-Trends Impacting Hospitality, analyzes six mega-trends and shows hoteliers what guests will want next.

“In today’s fast-paced world, emerging trends can quickly go beyond a niche, early-adopter group to a deeply-held expectation for a large portion of consumers,” said Sarah Kennedy Ellis, vice president of marketing and strategic development, Sabre Hospitality Solutions. “Hotel brands that learn, understand and respond to these emerging trends will strengthen their customer relationships by providing experiences that go above and beyond what guests expect.”

Going beyond the travel industry, this study looks across industries to identify the most relevant trends to hospitality and includes multiple case studies to help hoteliers create an experience that guests will love. Here is a preview of two of the key trends examined in the report:

Youniverse – It’s all about the guest

The Youniverse is where an individual’s tastes and preferences reign supreme. In today’s market, personalization is centered on consumers telling brands what they want as the brands work to react. A host of new technologies – including facial recognition, biometric sensors and brainwave readers – will allow brands to customize guest experiences based on deeper, more authentic, or even subconscious motivations of their guests. This deeper level of personalization will mean even more choices for consumers, who are already often overwhelmed with the multitude of options they face. With more than 50 percent of consumers now willing to share data in return for tools that help them make these decisions, hoteliers have an enormous opportunity to fulfill unmet needs through the use of data and technology – not only helping consumers make their decisions, but bringing their hidden travel preferences to light.

Helpful – Be part of the solution, not the problem

Brands that make travelers’ lives easier, simpler and more convenient will win with future consumers. As consumers continue to be bombarded with generalized messages, ads, and offers at every turn, click or swipe, they will embrace brands that use new channels and new contexts in order to be at the right place at the right time, with the right offer. Location is already a pervasive consumer context, aiding brands in personalizing offers and experiences. But in the future, anything will be an actionable context, from a customer’s stress level to the emojis they use in social media.

Since knowledge of a trend does not always translate into understanding how to leverage it, the study concludes with a consumer trend canvas to help hoteliers act on these insights and prepare for consumers’ future expectations.