Marketing Strategies for Hospitality and Travel: Techniques to Boost Destination Awareness and Attract Visitors from Russia

The hospitality industry encompasses more than just business and economy, including tourism, catering, entertainment, museums and excursions, and other related fields. It is a crucial aspect not only for individuals and companies, but also for the overall economy of a country, particularly those heavily reliant on the tourism sector.

The level of hospitality in a nation is not solely based on historical factors, as countries with less emphasis on tourism are often known for their reserved demeanor. In contrast, countries with a strong tourism industry pride themselves on their welcoming residents and well-developed recreational and entertainment infrastructure, which contribute to the hospitality industry.

Today, we will focus on one of the key sectors within the hospitality industry, the hotel business, as an example to explore the unique aspects of travel and hospitality marketing.

What are the Strategies Used by Hotels to Advertise Online in Russia?

Third-party online booking services as a sales channel

We chose to begin with this topic as online booking platforms currently serve as a vital marketing channel for hospitality and travel industries. This type of platform is appropriate for selling rooms in all types of hotels, ranging from hostels to luxury business hotels.

Booking portals or aggregators are favored by potential clients due to the following reasons:

• They provide a single platform for all available offers.
• It is convenient to compare prices and services offered by different hotels.
• Booking a room is hassle-free, requiring only an internet connection.
• The ratings and reputation of hotels can be trusted, as moderators ensure the authenticity of the ratings.

Hotels can benefit in several ways when they register with aggregators, such as:

• Saving on advertising expenses, as the aggregator invests in promotion and contextual advertising.
• Greater visibility of hotel offers to users from all over the world.
• Generating additional targeted traffic to their own website.
• Participating in hotel ratings based on client reviews.

Keep in mind that utilizing multiple aggregators to draw in tourists can lead to increased sales.

The following are the top 5 online booking services in Russia:

• booking.com
• trivago.ru
• 101hotels.ru
• ostrovok.ru
• hotellook.ru

Merely being listed on booking systems is not sufficient for promoting a hotel. It is crucial to understand the placement terms, search rankings, pricing strategies, and option offerings. Consistent monitoring of room availability and timely updates of prices are also important factors to consider.

Selling rooms directly to customers

Develop a website for your hotel

A hotel business that lacks its own website misses out on potential direct sales online. While listings on online booking websites can help attract new customers, having your own online presence can also provide opportunities for direct sales.

• The website should be user-friendly and informative, allowing tourists to perform the following actions easily and quickly when visiting.
• Your website should allow tourists to easily browse and select a room based on specific criteria. This can be achieved by implementing customizable filters on your website. For instance, the Hilton website enables users to filter search results based on room type, bed count, and rate type.
• In order to book a room, ensure that your reservation form includes all the necessary fields for checking into your hotel. Additionally, offer users the option to check-in either online or through a manager who can provide online consultation.

To facilitate online payment for the room. Offering multiple payment options increases the likelihood of a potential client choosing your hotel.

Start context ads

The online hotel industry is highly competitive, and booking websites dominate the top positions for most related keywords. For instance, a search for ‘Book a room in Dubai hotel’ displays multiple aggregators and the ads of only one Hilton hotel on the first page, both in ads and organic results. Therefore, we suggest that hotels avoid launching context ads. However, if you have a specific objective in mind, we have listed some relevant recommendations below.

• Tailor contextual ads to the most specific queries.
• Utilize all available ad extensions to provide additional links and details. For instance, if your business offers amenities such as a swimming pool and babysitting services, include them in your profile so you don’t have to mention them in the ad copy.
• To achieve optimal results, it is essential to optimize PPC campaigns and strive for first-page placement in search results. However, due to fierce competition, it’s unrealistic to expect low-cost clicks.

SEO (Search Engine Optimization)

Why would small hotels be uninterested in this channel? With a limited number of rooms, they can easily be fully booked through context ads or publications with an aggregator, and they also have direct offline sales. Why should they pay extra for orders they already expect to receive?

However, for many hotels, this channel offers one of the few opportunities to rank high in search results. Optimizing a website for search engines can be a time-consuming process, taking anywhere from three months to a year to rank for relevant keywords. As competition for even brand queries is incredibly high, it is best for hotels to use a combination of SEO and context ads. For example, when searching for “Hilton Dubai booking,” the Hilton website appears first in context ads but only ninth in organic results after aggregators.

Advertising on social media platforms

Create targeted advertisements on popular social media platforms in Russia such as VKontakte, Facebook, and Instagram. These ads can offer last-minute deals or special discounts, such as a promo code for booking a room at a lower price. By doing so, you can increase your reach and potentially reduce the cost of clicks and conversions compared to running contextual advertisements. However, the opposite may also be true. That’s why it’s important to experiment with different advertising channels and budgets to determine which ones generate the most leads at a lower cost. It’s crucial to focus on the cost per lead or the actual booking of a room by a tourist, rather than just clicks.

Promotion through offline channels

Cooperating with tour operators and agencies remains the primary offline promotion channel for foreign hotels targeting the Russian market.

This is mainly because over 60% of Russian tourists prefer organized tours. Independent travelers, on the other hand, tend to book hotels and purchase tickets online. Therefore, for attracting independent travelers, it is recommended to use the online promotion channels discussed above.

Among Russian tourists, 4-star hotels remain the most popular choice. In 2017, the percentage of guests staying in 4-star hotels increased by 2%, while those staying in 3-star hotels decreased by 3%. Stays in 5-star and 2-star hotels and hostels, however, remained unchanged.

Recommendations, not just from tour operators, are still a crucial factor for Russian travelers in choosing a hotel. In March, the Starway World Best Hotels award ceremony was held in Moscow, where the best hotels of 2018 were announced based on tourist votes. More than 260,000 travelers participated in the voting, and in addition to the overall rating, the best hotels for family vacations were also recognized.

Coral Travel, a leading tour operator, established this award. It is an important recognition for hotels in the market, as tourists play the role of experts in selecting the best among the best. A total of 261,942 tourists participated in the 2018 poll, evaluating 6,801 hotels in 98 destinations across 31 countries worldwide.

For the Top 100 hotels where tourists stayed, the average satisfaction score was 4.72 out of 5 (or 94.4%). The hotels that made it to the Top 10 received 4.88 points (or 97.6%).

This award by Coral Travel is believed by market analysts to be the most unbiased evaluation of hotels today. The selection of the best hotels is not affected by the relationship between an operator and a hotel, nor is the number of tourists who stayed in a particular hotel considered.

Building a brand image through promotion

As previously mentioned, small hotels do not need to compete with aggregators online. However, it is essential to consider the image component.

To cultivate and maintain a brand image, all types of hotels should consider promoting themselves through channels such as publications with bloggers and influencers. There are two ways to promote with the help of bloggers within your budget.

• Option 1. Extend an invitation to a blogger

For small hotels, inviting a single blogger is a suitable option. The duration of the blogger’s stay can vary depending on the purpose, ranging from one day to two weeks. The advantage of this option is that you don’t have to worry about organizing an entertainment program. It is enough to provide accommodation, introduce the blogger to the hotel services and the surrounding area. In return, you can expect a loyal blogger who will create a story or multiple stories about your hotel. However, the disadvantage is that the reach may not be as extensive compared to a blog tour.

Another way to promote a small hotel is by providing a detailed review, which can add spice to your promotion. The key point is to ensure that the review is read by as many Runet users as possible. This can be achieved by launching targeted ads with a link to the blog, using the review in your email campaigns, and sharing it on your website.

• Option 2. Arrange a Blog Tour

A blog tour is the ideal approach for larger establishments or several small hotels with a shared vision. This format enables you to reach a significant number of internet users in just three to four days or even less, making it highly advantageous.

Working with bloggers is a part of a long-term strategy, and its effectiveness depends greatly on the efforts of the hoteliers. However, there is another crucial factor: we recommend that you seek out experts to organize blog tours. If your hotel network has a team of marketers and PR specialists capable of managing all the organization and execution of a blog tour, then by all means, go ahead. But if you have only one person on your team managing events and marketing, it’s preferable to outsource to an agency. In essence, a blog tour isn’t just about inviting bloggers (whose selection must be meticulously done to ensure the audience is loyal) and informing them about your hotel, but it’s also about monitoring the bloggers’ activities throughout the tour and tracking the content about your hotel during and after the tour (coordinating posts, deadlines, etc.).

Similar to working with a single blogger, it is crucial to utilize all available promotional channels to increase the reach after the blog tour materials have been published. While content creation is the primary responsibility of the bloggers, it is up to the hotel’s team to disseminate this information to potential clients and booking platforms.

In addition to blog tours, large hotel networks must also leverage offline channels for brand promotion, such as magazine placements, fitness clubs, and television advertisements.

2018 Best Hotels

1st place. Mitsis Ramira 5* in Greece has been named the best hotel for the second consecutive year.

2st place. The following hotel on the list is the Cornelia de Luxe Resort located in Turkey

3rd place. The third place goes to Maxx Royal Belek Golf Resort 5* (Turkey), receiving the bronze award.

Turkish (62) and Greek (11) hotels received the most awards. Additionally, hotels from Vietnam (6), Thailand (5), UAE (3), and Russia (1) were also recognized.

Top hotels for family vacations with children

The top three hotels nominated as child-friendly are 5-star hotels in Turkey:

1. Maxx Royal Kemer Resort

2. Maxx Royal Belek Golf Resort

3. Cornelia de Luxe Resort

Top hotels for family vacations that cater to both children and parents

1. Xanadu Resort Hotel

2. Gloria Golf Resort

3. Gloria Serenity Resort

4. Otium Hotel Life

5. Titanic de Luxe Golf Belek

All the hotels mentioned here are five-star rated.

An award serves as a measure of quality

According to Mr. Ufuk Gezgin, the Hotel Manager of ELA Quality Resort Belek, the Starway World Best Hotels award holds significant importance for hoteliers.

He mentioned that his team works hard throughout the year to ensure exceptional service and receiving this award is a testament to their efforts. This recognition assures them that their guests are satisfied with their service and encourages them to keep up the good work.

Mr. Stelios Matsigkos, the Hotel Manager of Rodos Village Beach Hotel 5*, also expressed that being awarded the Starway World Best Hotels is an effective way to attract tourists.

He stated that this award gives their hotel a competitive advantage as potential clients can see from various channels that they offer excellent service, recognized and valued by fellow travelers.

Mr. Nader Hanna, Sales Manager of Jaz Hotel Group, also views the Starway World Best Hotels award as a crucial factor for tourists when selecting a hotel.

“For us, being a nominee at Starway World Best Hotels is significant. When clients see that a hotel has won an award, they can be confident about the quality of service they will receive,” he tells Vestnik ATOR.

This primarily applies to attracting new guests. “Frequent guests usually know where they want to stay and why. For new clients, ratings and reviews are essential when choosing a hotel. Moreover, the nomination is important for all hotel staff. Many employees do not interact directly with guests, and they cannot receive feedback on their work. Nevertheless, it is vital for them to know that their efforts are not in vain. Employees are integral parts of the hotel system, and their hard work is recognized in this way,” says Inna Pruhlo, a representative of Gloria Golf Resort 5*.

Participants of the event emphasized the significance of the award being established and presented by a renowned tour operator, one of the recognized leaders in the travel industry.

“People mostly rely on others’ reviews when it comes to choosing a hotel. And when they see that a hotel has been awarded Starway World Best Hotels by Coral Travel, they understand that these reviews can be trusted. Coral Travel is a reputable company with a motto ‘Your vacation is in safe hands’. We are thrilled to receive this award, which indicates that our hotels are not only popular but also align with Coral Travel’s positioning in the market,” said Ngak Dui An and Yulia Marchenko, representatives of the Vinpearl network.

Hotel managers also pointed out that they extensively use the information about their award to promote their hotels. They display it in hotel exhibits, on their websites, and during their participation in tourism exhibitions and other events worldwide.

Conclusions

Are you struggling to develop an effective marketing strategy for your hospitality travel business? Unsure about how to allocate your hotel promotion budget in the Russian market and identify the best channels to reach your target audience? Look no further than Quarter Billion Agency Travel. Our team of experts can help you save time and attract more Russian tourists to your hotel.

Interested in learning more about the Russian outbound travel market? Download our comprehensive research report, the Russian Tourism Market Report: Trends, Analysis & Statistics, and gain valuable insights into how to successfully appeal to Russian travelers.