Commentary

Sharing The Wisdom

It may not be surprising but a recent study from the GBTA Foundation, the education and research arm of the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) found that “Millennials lead the way in using newer travel services. “The survey, in partnership with American Express, showed that travelers ages 18 to 34 are more interested than other travelers in ride share services like Uber (46%) and room-finding services like Airbnb (35%.) 

And it seems that travel sharing will not be limited to taxis and rooms. A founder of Uber started something called BlackJet, a very expensive way of sharing private air service. And an outfit called Antios, based in Venice, Italy, claims to be “the Airbnb of boat holidays.” The company offers an online platform for connecting private boat owners and tourists for yachts.

What next? It’s hard to see how sharing might enter into segments like ocean cruising or escorted tours, but who knows? The sharing ethos is powerful and innovative.

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The question for existing travel companies not built on sharing is twofold:

  • Should they get in on it?
  • Should they change their marketing approach in response to this phenomenon?

At the recent Hunter Hotel Conference in Atlanta, a speaker asked the roomful of hoteliers if they were worried about Airbnb. Not a single person raised a hand. That was possibly because they didn’t want to do so in front of their peers. But there are hoteliers who are vocal about the threat to the industry. Some see it as one of the main reasons behind rate softness in the strong New York lodging market.

On the first point of getting in on it. Currently, Airbnb is valued at a higher level than any hotel brand and the same goes for Uber and any transportation enterprise but there’s no reason hotels or transportation companies should not establish a sharing division. In the face of the persistent strength of independent hotels, every major hotel brand — the latest being Starwood — has created its own network of independent hotels. And they seem to have been very successful at it. If the existing brands don’t do it, the sharing companies will simply move in on the travel segments — as per BlackJet.

On the second point of changing the marketing approach, are there aspects of the sharing experience that hotels, traditional car services, etc., might emulate? Of course, user-friendly technology is one of the great appeals of the sharing services. A Yellow Cab taxi driver in the recent issue of Time Out New York pointed out that his industry is being hit hard because it doesn’t change. He said, “Why should you stand out in the rain and wait for a cab when you can hit a button on your phone and get a car?”

Why indeed? 

Of course, lodging companies are working toward this — with mobile booking and check-in/room key via phone. And I think I just heard a Motel 6 commercial where spokesman Tom Bodett makes fun of “staying in someone else’s apartment.”

But maybe there are other sharing-style attributes that can be adapted to a traditional stay. And the same for other travel segments. If the next generation of travelers is going to be the Sharing Generation, then it’s time to get into a sharing mindset.

Feel free to share any ideas.

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