As we march on through 2026, what changes can we expect to see in the hospitality industry? Experts anticipate several trends emerging over the coming year, including an increase in wellness tourism and greater focus on staff wellbeing. The ongoing trends of personalisation and sustainability will also continue to grow. With the right strategies in place, hotels can capitalise on the opportunities offered by the changing industry landscape and be well-positioned to serve their customers in the years ahead.
The global wellness tourism market is expected to be worth 1,592 billion USD by 2030. People are becoming more health conscious and more aware of the importance of stress management. Due to the pandemic, people have become more open about discussing mental health and wellbeing in general, another factor that is likely influencing customers to seek such getaways. Wellness travel can include anything from yoga retreats to health spas to fitness vacations, as well as activities such as hiking, biking, swimming, and forest bathing. Many wellness resorts also offer cooking classes or nutrition workshops that teach guests how to make healthier choices.
If your property is not exclusively a wellness resort, there are still plenty of ways to incorporate a wellness focus into the guest experience. It may be as simple as offering healthier items in the mini bar, or something more involved like putting workout bikes in guest rooms, as Marriot's Westin brand started to do several years ago.
Hotels that already offer spa services may benefit from adding new and more advanced treatments such as cryotherapy and hyperbaric chambers. The demand for these services is growing, so introducing them is a great ways to boost spa revenue.
As the importance of sustainability and eco-friendliness grows, hotels will see an increase in green practices. While some properties will invest in capital intensive upgrades to HVAC systems, for example, there are plenty of lower cost options. Sourcing sustainable building materials, using eco-friendly cleaning supplies and energy-efficient appliances, and promoting car-sharing programmes are a few initiatives that will become more commonplace. In addition, offering electric vehicle charging stations will become invaluable as governments seek to phase out the combustion engine.
Among the most straightforward measures to be more eco-friendly (and which many properties are already doing) include the following:
There will be an increase in on-site gardens (rooftop/balcony gardens in urban areas) supplying organic produce direct to hotel kitchens. Produce that cannot be grown on-site will be sourced locally. Smart building technology will also become more commonplace in order to closely monitor and optimise energy usage. Rainwater harvesting is becoming more widespread, as are waste reduction methods. These methods include avoiding single-use plastics, composting, and implementing more comprehensive recycling programmes.
The hospitality industry has long been technology-driven, but as the years go by, the need for digital transformation grows. As more customers turn to channels such as mobile apps for online booking, hotels will need to continue investing in digital offerings. These include hotel management software that facilitates self-service check-in kiosks and keyless entry. We will also continue to see an increase in the use of smart room technology as well as Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality. Any hotels that are yet to undergo digital transformation will likely pick up the pace, catching up with competitors. Going paperless will be another important transformative step.
As properties introduce voice-activated devices such as Amazon's Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple's Siri, the need for reliable and high-quality internet connectivity will only increase. To meet this growing need, hotels will continue investing in effective internet infrastructure.
As properties invest in digital transformation, they will need to review the suitability of their hotel reservation software. As guest preferences change and new technologies are developed, having a future-proof Property Management System that can support these changes and meet customer needs will make all the difference.
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The importance of personalization and customization has become apparent in recent years and the trend is set to continue, with Expedia coining the term "no-normal" to explain the trending preference to have unique and unconventional experiences. Hotels will expand on their existing personalised marketing initiatives and personalized offerings that allow guests to fine-tune their experiences. New technologies (such as smart room technology and advanced analytics), as well as using a hotel CRM make it possible to discover new opportunities for personalization.
To accommodate the "bleisure" traveller, hotels are rethinking the design of their rooms and common areas. Guests don't want to be surrounded by holidaymakers and families while trying to work, which gives rise to the need for unique spaces for workers. The introduction and expansion of co-working spaces will gain momentum for the bleisure traveller that wants to socialise and network, while guest rooms will be designed to accommodate a more office-like setup.
Targeting this segment with tailor-made campaigns will help properties to attract members of this growing audience. Properties will also make use of their existing spaces by making them more versatile and able to function as meeting rooms, lounges, and wellness-focussed spaces. As mentioned, more and more guests are craving the outdoors, so using outdoor spaces to cater to the needs of digital nomads may satisfy those bleisure travellers seeking connection with nature.
Finally, it is predicted that staff wellbeing will take greater priority in an attempt to retain talent. This is of the utmost importance – especially in Australia – due to the current shortage of workers. Improving spaces for hotel staff to socialise, improving training options, and streamlining hotel operations are several ways in which hotels may start improving the employee experience. Praise also goes a long way, as reported by owner of the Gallivant hotel in the UK, who also said that simple personal touches like posting photos of employees on the website made a difference. Other strategies employed by this hotelier include giving individuals mini-bonuses of £10 when guests leave positive feedback about them after their stay.
There is a great deal of evidence to prove the effectiveness of rewards in general, and in the workplace – yet this tactic is under-used; 88% of employees agree that it's important to be rewarded for great work, yet only 41% state that they actually are. It is also widely known that one of the most common reasons that employees leave their positions is due to feeling underappreciated. The most effective rewards are those provided as soon as possible after the action being rewarded is complete.
Frequent, smaller rewards are also effective, such as the mini-bonuses mentioned above (non-cash incentives can be just as powerful). A great volume of psychological research has been done in order to determine what types of rewards are most effective. Whilst it does vary, there is support to show that immediate rewards increase intrinsic motivation. Intrinsic is the key word – employees with intrinsic motivation stop relying on future rewards and are motivated to perform well for intrinsic reasons. To sum up, engaging talented workers is vital; after all, it can be rare to find personnel that are truly made for their role.
The future of any industry is not set in stone, but one thing is certain: the hospitality industry will continue to evolve and change as guests' needs and preferences shift and new technologies emerge. As we look ahead to 2023, hoteliers must be prepared to meet the needs of their customers and capitalise on the most likely trends. From revising marketing campaigns to introducing new services, there are many ways hotels can make the most of what's to come. Having the right hotel reservation system in place to adapt to these changes is essential.
Our cloud based Property Management System includes a hotel booking engine, channel manager, hotel CRM and other key features, arming your business with a versatile range of tools to improve operations and differentiate yourself. To learn more about how our software can meet your needs, contact us today.
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