WhatsApp for Travel & Hospitality

WhatsApp for Travel & Hospitality

There is a lot of excitement in our house right now as my daughter is going on a school trip to Barcelona and last night we went to the school briefing. She’s going to have a great trip as the school have an action packed four days in one of Europe’s best cities. The school is also planning every minute of the day, I think the phrase ‘ideal hands’ comes to mind. In the school briefing one of the things that brough a smile to my face, is how WhatsApp is the primary communication tool for the trip – teachers to parents, teachers to students, students to students and of course parents to students. There is a WhatsApp group for every event, WhatsApp is used to check everyone is where they should be and much more.  

This is the inspiration for my blog as I believe the Travel & Hospitality industry can use WhatsApp business to enhance guest travel experience from start to finish. From initial planning to the final leg of the journey, this ubiquitous messaging app has become everyone’s go-to companion, ensuring that every aspect of travel is seamlessly coordinated and executed. How can travel and hospitality businesses provide a better experience and make money – read on to learn more.

Try our Travel Arrangements Demo first

Before I explain the benefits probably the easiest way to see the benefits is to try for yourself.

It’s simple to do, just WhatsApp ‘hi’ to +44 7457 403755 or scan the QR code.

Why is WhatsApp Business great for Travel & Hospitality?

Many travel & hospitality businesses struggle to effectively engage customers today e.g., SMS = Fraud, Email = Junk, Voice = Calls Screened, Apps = Download Fatigue, Notifications muted. The solution to improve engagement is to leverage the mobile app on their phone, their favorite messaging app such as WhatsApp, through personalized, interactive, and secure communication using business messaging apps like WhatsApp.

Why is WhatsApp great for travel & hospitality engagements?

1. No mobile app to download, as WhatsApp is already on every phone.

2. 98% Open Rates - notifications rarely muted  

3. Higher sales - 4x conversion vs. email and 40-60% click through.

4. Payments – integrated payments in messaging

5. Digitally inclusive – everyone can use WhatsApp/Messaging

6. Conversation history – see previous engagements, within a data privacy.

7. Launch from anywhere – social media, QR codes, phone number, Website Widget

8. Accessibility – works for visually impaired, Voice-to-text, translations etc.

9. Secure – E2E encrypted communication, verified sender (business tick)

10. Innovate Fast - automate any use case, including payments.

Personalise engagement aligned with Customer Travel.

One of the key advantages of using WhatsApp for travel & hospitality businesses is its ability to facilitate instant communication, personalised and relevant to the customer travel. For example, here are just some ideas for the engagement that could be used for a trip.

1. Pre-travel

• Hotel & flight Information
• Parking – at airport or at hotels
• Airport Transfers (origination & destination)
• Car Hire
• Hotel additional beds or special requests.  
• Flights, additional bags, golf bag, upgrade seat etc.
• Ancillary services e.g., Spa, nannies, tours, golf etc.
• Travel Concierge

2. Travel Day

• Flight information details and any delays

• Fastrack when additional  
• Hotel check in time
• Weather at location
• Directions
• Special instructions
• Airport pickup
• Ancillary services e.g., insurance, travel sim etc.

3. During stay

• Local amenities
• Events & Attractions
• Hotel services, e.g., room service, iron etc.
• Restaurant menus & times.
• Book tours, rent bikes, car hire.
• Late checkout
• Events & Attractions
• Local services  

4. Post Travel

• Airport transfer

• Check-out
• Opt-in for specials e.g., 25% off to Alicante in November
• Feedback & surveys
• Leisure Travel Promos (Group hotels)  
• Newsletters

WhatsApp for Travel Notifications and Alerts

WhatsApp can be used to send important notifications and alerts to customers. WhatsApp provides a convenient channel to keep customers informed in a timely manner. By delivering relevant information directly to their smartphones. As WhatsApp supports a native product catalogue, it’s easy to upsell products and services, and take payments directly from within WhatsApp.

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Save Money with WhatsApp vs. SMS  

SMSs are charged per message sent (often irrespective if the message was delivered of not). Whereas WhatsApp are delivered per 24-hour conversation irrespective of how man messages were delivered. What this means is that notifications can be resent on WhatsApp over 24-hour period for no extra charges.  

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Summary

In a world where travel planning can sometimes feel overwhelming, WhatsApp emerges as a beacon of simplicity and efficiency. Its user-friendly interface, instant communication capabilities, and seamless integration into every stage of the travel process make it an indispensable tool for modern-day adventurers. Travel businesses should look to engage customers in WhatsApp and become a trusted companion to improve the experience of your guests.

With Business Messaging, like WhatsApp you get:

1. Protect Brand – Business Tick your customers know they are talking to you.

2. Grow Sales – 98% open rates, up to 60% CTRs, 4x conversation of email. Everyone can use WhatsApp.

3. Higher Engagement – Upsell products/services, interactive engagement e.g. Leave parcel Yes/No

4. Save money – Cheaper than SMS for most use cases (>1 SMS in 24 hrs to customer),

Sounds Interesting – Get in touch now.

We would love to chat with you about how your business could benefit from OMNI channel messaging and WhatsApp business platform with 4X conversion. Get in touch with us at sales@payemoji.com and we will schedule a call.

So go ahead and join the conversation by taking advantage of the 23 hours that consumers spend per week on their Messaging Apps and use that to grow your Business.

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