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Since the start of the widespread coronavirus transmission, many industries had to change the way they do business to protect everyone from the virus. The hospitality and tourism industries are part of those that have been affected by the pandemic. As a result, people across the globe are urged to stay at home. Non-essential local and international travel is banned, which significantly impacted the said industries.
The Significance of Accommodation for Travellers
Accommodation is a top concern for every traveller. Since many travellers prioritise saving up money or using it for other aspects of their trip instead of shelling out a huge amount of cash for their accommodation, many preferred short-term rentals, such as Airbnb, more than hotels for a long time. The travel company has more than 150 million users worldwide, and it was worth about £29 billion as of March 2020. That caused a significant shrink in the market share of hotels.
Hotels, on the other hand, provide you with the luxury and comfort, offering you almost everything you need and accommodating you in the best way possible. All you have to do is to enjoy your stay in the hotel and have fun during your trip. However, the drawback of staying in a luxurious hotel is it can be costly, especially if you plan to stay in five-star hotels.
The Coronavirus Effects on the Competition Between Hotels and Airbnb
Over the past years, hotels are in a war against Airbnb. As mentioned earlier, frugal travellers, especially backpackers, are more than willing to sacrifice their comfort and opt for short-term rentals than staying in a luxurious hotel. However, due to the coronavirus pandemic, a global survey conducted by Revinate showed that 74.1 per cent of travellers said they prefer to stay at a hotel on their next trip. Meanwhile, 25.9 per cent responded that they would prefer a short-term rental, which includes Airbnb.
Why Travelers Will Prefer Hotels on Their Next Trip
There has been an evident shift in the preferences of travellers as their top concern now is their health and safety during the coronavirus pandemic. Furthermore, according to 40 per cent of travellers, their top factor to consider when choosing their next accommodation option is the virus.
What sets hotels apart from private hosts and short-term rentals is that they have strict training programmes in place. Many hotels prepared for their recovery by creating cleaning and sanitation policies that ensure the health and safety of their guests. That said, everyone can anticipate the ascent of the hospitality industry as soon as everything shifts back to normal or at least the situation gets better, and all kinds of travelling are allowed.
Conclusion
When travelling, the most important factor to consider when choosing among a wide variety of accommodation options is health and safety. While budget, aesthetic appeal, and location are vital to take into account, they should be secondary priorities. What matters most to everyone is to ensure that they are healthy, especially when adapting to the new ways of travelling.
Learn more about the truth behind what’s happening in the tourism and hospitality industries by checking our website regularly. We are your go-to source for reliable hospitality news in the UK.
