SAN DIEGO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--RMS North America, a leading provider of cloud-based reservation and property management systems to the hospitality industry, released its 2021 State of the Industry Report. The report offers actionable insights on what travelers are looking for and how hospitality businesses can adapt to meet new consumer expectations.
To learn from the experiences and challenges of the past year, RMS conducted independent research, surveying consumers about their plans and preferences for business and leisure travel in 2021. These findings were compiled alongside consumer and business data from across the travel and hospitality industries.
“The data confirmed the optimism we have for recovery across the hospitality industry. We’ve seen rapid growth in reservations for 2021 across our hotel, campground and park customers,” stated Victor Vesnaver, Chief Operating Officer of RMS. “This encouraging increase, coupled with lasting operational changes the industry has deployed as a result of COVID-19, shows promise for a long-term rebound and grounding in more local, road-based travel that is exciting for the overall travel industry.”
Beyond indicating industry recovery, the RMS 2021 State of the Industry Report details a new kind of traveler -- one that demands technology, has an affinity for work-leisure travel and values sustainable, local travel.
Key Findings
- Reservations across parks and hotels increased 40% from Q1 2020 to Q1 2021.
- When searching for camping or hotel accommodations, 70.9% of today’s travelers are influenced by a property’s online content, including reviews, design and website experience, and active social media platforms.
- Given the opportunity to work remotely, 42.3% of survey respondents are likely to stay at a traditional hotel, followed by 35.7% indicating they’d stay at an Airbnb/VRBO.
- As consumers think about future leisure travel, they are focused on domestic travel first and foremost, with 53.4% of survey respondents intending to travel within driving distance (300 miles or less) or fly domestically.
“It’s our hope that by uncovering these industry trends, we can equip hospitality businesses with the necessary tools to spearhead growth during this critical time,” continued Vesnaver. “The hospitality industry is nothing if not resilient, and we look forward to being a valuable partner aiding in the continued success of these properties as they serve a new kind of travel customer.”
To download the full 2021 report and access the rest of the findings, please click here.
About RMS
As a leading provider of property management systems to the hospitality industry for more than 30 years, RMS supports 6,000 properties worldwide and offers business insights, best practices, and innovative software to help hospitality businesses meet their strategic goals. For more information, please visit www.rmsnorthamerica.com.
