IHG Logo courtesy of IHG

IHG
Logo courtesy of IHG

The InterContinental Hotels Group released a report, The New Kinship Economy: From Travel Experiences to Travel Relationships, which describes noteworthy shifts in the traveler demographic. Although the same categories will continue to exist, IHG predicts an increase in mature travelers. This demographic is expected to quadruple by 2050, the report said. The real changes will be seen among the groups themselves. It is evident that there is no longer a such thing as a traditional family in Western societies, so it makes sense that families might include couples, extended families, and even single person households who are now merely independent travelers who do no not fit the backpacker stereotype. Therefore, it will be up to hoteliers go beyond IHG’s reward’s system and seek out other methods to lure travelers to IHG brands. What will the future hold? At Somewhere Luxurious, we hope that there will be an increase in rooms designed for solo travelers who are traveling for pleasure, rather than business.

Along of the lines of business travel, however, hospitality executives are tasked with planning for a new type of business traveler. According to the IHG report, these travelers might have never spent time in a traditional office setting. Instead, their experience is possibly could be confined to conducting business virtually, without the constraints of an office. IHG calls these professionals Laptop and Latte Workers. Although wired accommodations with all of the technical bells and whistles are an obvious answer to fill their needs. Executives must get into their heads to figure what more they can do to keep these creative professionals happy. IHG figures that there will be more wired lounges where the Younger Latte Workers can work and socialize. Somewhere Luxurious predicts that short-term meeting space rentals for duos and singles, with plenty of latte available, are a definite step in the right direction. The X and Y Generations do not necessarily work in noisy cafes because they want to, but because they need a reliable connection on the go.

Next, hoteliers should get into the minds of the 60+ crowd, since according to IHG, this group will spend double their spending by 2030. They will face the tricky challenge of providing amenities that do not scream that they are for older people. They will have to be subtle. Why not have amenities that anyone would enjoy, but are especially for this group? Healthy meals for those with restricted diets could benefit anyone. Although everyone gets older, no one wants to be called old or singled out as an older person. Go figure! Anyway, catering to a wider variety of visitor needs, and access to less strenuous activities (that really count as activities) will probably be appreciated by all.

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