As all eyes turn to Brazil, some football fans are still looking for a way to make their dreams come true. Those who were unable to plan in advance for the FIFA World Cup are still hopefully searching for affordable ways to get to the big games. Hotels and resorts throughout Brazil have been able to capitalize on the influx of tourists during the games without much regard to the cost per room, but properties that maintain low prices are able to bring in very steady business.
Because of the sheer number of tourists, hotels did not have to try very hard to attract guests. Merely showing vacancies has been enough to attract some of the diehard fans. The Brazilian Tourism Board predicted early on that room rates in Brazil during the tournament would rise up to five times higher than the normal rates, according to a study conducted by Embratur. So the board worked to bring down prices with FIFA’s help.
Catching the attention of incoming tourists for the tournament doesn’t start from scratch. The old rules of great service, inclusive amenities, room rate and prime location are still driving factors of booking. Offering competitive prices and clean, comfortable rooms are of chief concern to tournament goers. While the World Cup may be a great way to generate revenue, hotels should think of this as an opportunity to build their brand as well as increase tourism to Brazil by offering the best guest experience possible. Repeat customers are a better deal, after all, than one-time visitors.
Hotels that are still trying to attract more guests for the games should invest in technology like cloud based property management systems to ease their operations and get more time to plan other strategies like using meta-search sites to drive direct bookings, mobile bookings and social media. After having made the property more visible to potential guests, the rest will fall into place. No matter what host city your hotel is located near, don’t miss the opportunity to make your hotel visible.
You might also be interested in reading about how hoteliers are preparing for the FIFA World Cup in Brazil – click here.