An introduction to creating a connected guest experience

Introducing our new 5-part blog series, where we delve into the exciting realm of creating a connected guest experience and why it’s a necessity for today’s modern travel and hospitality organisations. In today's digital age, organisations have access to a wealth of data, system integrations, and analytics that can revolutionise the way they engage with their guests. By harnessing the power of these existing resources, travel and hospitality companies can enhance customer satisfaction, streamline operations, and drive business growth. Throughout this series, we will explore innovative strategies, best practices, and real-world examples to help you unlock the full potential of your data and create unforgettable experiences for your guests. Follow this series as we unlock the secrets to crafting a seamlessly connected guest experience that will set your organisation apart in a competitive market.

It’s a new world for Travel and Hospitality

Modern customers want to have a personalised experience, self-serve, stay connected and have everything instantly at their fingertips. Offering unique experiences for your customers is a vital differentiator for today’s travel or hospitality organisations.

Business and technology professionals within the travel and hospitality sectors realise the importance of integration, data and analytics, but they may not yet recognize how critical these things are to an emerging trend that is about to revolutionise the industry: The connected guest and the connected traveller.

Airlines, car rentals, railways, hotels, online travel companies, and more are finding that Hyper-Integration is the key to better serving their customers and enabling the connected traveller and the connected guest. In this context, Hyper-Integration is the missing ingredient that can help companies to fully deliver on the connected guest and connected traveller experience that consumers are demanding. It is a transition that will make for happier and more loyal customers and also opens the door to cross-selling, upselling, greatly increased loyalty and a reduction in damaging customer reviews.

It’s not optional. Consumers recognise that smart devices have changed everything and put enormous power into their hands. They believe that every company that hopes to earn their business can and should meet their expectations by delivering instantaneous, accurate information and access to more and better experiences – connected experiences.

With this reality, travel and hospitality companies must gather all their capabilities to help create a connected experience. It’s a future that’s already emerging rapidly.

Creating this connected guest experience requires the further step of joining the customer journey by connecting with the customer through their device – or other sources of information about them and their needs -- and then integrating systems, unifying data and automating processes so actionable insights are delivered and actions triggered across organisations in real-time.

Need a recap on what Hyper-Integration is? It’s a requirement for organisations hoping to meet the demands of the modern connected traveller. It builds on the inherent capabilities in existing infrastructure, applications, data, insights, and processes and allows them to perform more effectively while also enabling entirely new capabilities to emerge for employees who are now connected in real-time.

In summary, the demand for personalised, self-serve, and instant experiences has pushed the industry to embrace hyper-integration to better serve customers and guests. By leveraging existing resources and adopting a hyper-integrated approach, companies can meet the expectations of the connected traveller and unlock numerous benefits, including enhanced customer satisfaction, increased loyalty, and improved revenue streams. The future of the industry lies in seamlessly connecting with customers through their devices, unifying data, automating processes, and delivering real-time insights. As the connected guest experience continues to shape the industry, travel and hospitality organisations must adapt and embrace hyper-integration to stay ahead in this rapidly evolving landscape.

Read the rest of the Creating a Connected Guest Experience series:

#2 - Embracing the Connected Customer Experience: Challenges and Opportunities in the Travel Industry

#3 - Understanding high customer expectations

#4 - A vision of the new connected guest experience

#5 - 6 Steps to getting started with creating a connected guest experience