En bref : Le numérique a eu un impact important sur les modes de consommation à travers de nombreux secteurs , rendant le consommateur plus autonome et exigeant que jamais. Ce guide couvre : Les tendances numériques dans le secteur du tourisme et des loisirs, Une expérience client multicanal numérisée, La prise de décisions « data-driven », Les visites virtuelles.
Digital technology has had a significant impact on consumer behavior across many sectors, making consumers more independent and demanding than ever before.
In this article, we will focus on the trends and challenges of digital transformation in the tourism and leisure sector.
Why is digital transformation important in the tourism and leisure sector?
When we talk about the “tourism and leisure” sector, this can range from booking trips to purchasing tickets and making reservations for theater performances, sporting events, and amusement parks.
Each of these examples shares similar trends and challenges!
Speaking of travel, 79% of tourists plan their trips online, and more than half book their stays online.
Online searches and reservations have become the most popular options among consumers because they meet their needs instantly.
For all industry stakeholders, it is therefore essential to adapt their offerings by optimizing digital customer journeys on mobile, desktop, and tablet.
It is the hyperconnected, price-comparison-savvy consumer who now has the power to easily choose nearly every aspect of their experience: the destination, accommodations, transportation, and/or activities.
This phenomenon requires industry players to reevaluate their strategies, actions, and the tools they use, and to place customer needs at the heart of any customer acquisition and retention strategy.
Aside from being practically a necessity for staying competitive today, digital transformation offers the opportunity to:
- Build brand awareness for your company
- Expand the reach of our audience
- Expand Your Offering
- Develop potential sources of revenue
The following trends reveal the current ways to achieve these goals:
Digital Trends in the Tourism and Leisure Sector
A Digital Multichannel Customer Experience
Tools such as mobile apps, websites, and chatbots make it possible to interact effectively with customers and provide personalized, always-available multichannel service.
Digital platforms can manage every step of the customer journey:
- Reservations
- The Transaction
- Preparing for the trip or experience
- The Process
- Feedback
- Follow-up
By making it easy for customers to be supported at every stage of their journey, the customer experience becomes more seamless, personalized, and reliable.
Online Reservations That Exceed Expectations
Mobile apps have become the norm for quickly making reservations, accessing loyalty programs, or using other services such as:
- Expense Reports
- A planner
- Suggestions
- Check-in
- Real-time information
- Last-minute changes
- Planning Complex Routes
Data-Driven Decision-Making
Industry players can collect a vast amount of data, which helps them improve their pricing models and business strategies.
Each step in a digital customer journey allows for data collection, which helps make more informed decisions, better understand competitors, and improve the customer experience.
Data not only makes it possible to expand pricing options and offer a wider selection (which leads to higher occupancy rates), but also to increase sales by allowing companies to review a customer’s history to determine exactly which services are most likely to interest them and highlight those services at the right time.
Virtual Tours
A “virtual tour” encompasses both the physical and virtual aspects of, for example, a museum, a play, or a sporting event.
Since the launch of the first museum websites in 1995, virtual tours have become increasingly popular, making cultural activities more accessible than ever.
Today, some of these measures include:
- The Online Exhibition
- The Self-Guided 360° Tour
- The guided tour available as a video
- The fully digital virtual reality tour
The Challenges of Digital Transformation in the Tourism Industry
Increased competitive intensity
In the tourism sector, competition is intensifying due to new, innovative players as well as traditional players (such as Expedia and sncf-connect.com) that are taking advantage of the latest technologies.
These players are capturing an increasing share of the market at the expense of traditional travel agencies and tour operators, which must be more creative in order to offer competitive advantages such as:
- Exclusive access
- Close relationships with service providers
- Pricing
Understanding the digital needs of its target audiences
Every digital journey requires an understanding of the types of audiences it is aimed at in order to best meet their needs.
Here are a few examples of factors to consider:
- Points of Contact
- Jet lag
- Online payments compatible with visitors outside France
- Tours in several languages
- The target audience's interests and levels of knowledge
Estimating the overall budget for everything from the creation to the management of digital learning paths
There are several types of costs to consider when creating and managing digital customer journeys:
- Digitization
- Broadcasting
- Communication
- Management
The budget required depends on the technology and the company's decision to use third-party providers or to handle everything in-house.
Accessibility
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 15% of the world’s population has some form of physical disability that affects how they interact with digital devices.
These visual and auditory needs must be taken into account to ensure a positive user experience for anyone using a website or mobile app.
Data Security and Privacy
With the digitization of processes, the collection and storage of customer data have become crucial.
Companies must implement robust security measures to protect sensitive data from cyberattacks and data breaches, especially when there are tens of thousands of customer records stored for sporting events or concerts!
The Presence of Bugs in the Customer Journey
In an industry characterized by such intense competition and extremely demanding consumers, any disruption in the customer journey affects both revenue and brand image among customers and partners.
When it comes to ticketing for very popular events, for example, it is particularly important to conduct load tests to ensure that the online booking system can handle a high volume of traffic.
In addition to load testing, the implementation of non-regression tests is becoming an essential practice to prevent any unexpected system regression and ensure an optimal user experience.
Mr Suricate QA Testing for Players in the Tourism Industry
To succeed in the digital age as a company in the tourism and leisure sector, it is essential to ensure that user journeys meet the expectations of modern consumers.
The SaaS no-code Mr Suricate solution covers a wide range of automated tests, so you can control your acceptance testing and offer your users the best possible experience.
Take control of your applications and detect bugs in real time on your websites, applications and APIs by reproducing your user journeys at regular intervals.