The importance of big data in the tourism sector

Every hotel or resort must always worry about offering a good customer experience and properly managing its establishment, and there is no doubt that new challenges always arise.

Fortunately, with increasing technological advancement, achieving these goals and successfully adapting to changes is more than possible, as long as the right tools are used. Among these tools, big data in the tourism sector is one of the most efficient.

In this article we will explain what it is and what the relationship is between big data and tourism, while at the same time we will tell you the importance and contributions that this new technology can make to your business. In this way, by understanding this tool you will be able to use it to promote the growth of your hotel and make better decisions during its management.

What is Big Data in the tourism sector?

By definition, big data refers to a large amount of information that is received and stored by a business. In the case of the tourism and hotel sector, this information may be of a different nature, but its proper and strategic analysis is of great help to make the establishment grow.

Currently, the relationship between big data and tourism is such that there are technologies that allow capturing, saving and analyzing the data that a hotel receives (data ranging from the number of visitors to the number of nights they stay, the origin, the services used, the menus requested in the restaurant, among others).

Correctly analyzed, all this amount of information allows us to improve management strategies, be more competitive and offer better services and products to customers.

Importance of big data in tourism and hotels

Big data in the tourism sector is of crucial importance, to the point where its use has extended to various areas of hotel management and management. Its importance includes the management of information received in real time, better management of inventories and workers, the ability to provide better services for guests and the application of more efficient marketing strategies.

To have a broader idea about the importance of big data, below we explain some of the many applications that this technology has in the tourism and hotel sector:

Revenue Management

Using big data analysis, hotel establishments are able to accurately anticipate the seasons and times in which rooms are most in demand by users. For this, performance measures and information are used that include data ranging from the historical number of reservations, to occupancy rates and future predictions used by specialized programs.

When using big data for revenue management, external data and factors are also evaluated, such as the climate of the locality where the hotel establishment is located, the school vacation period in the countries where tourists come from, the average daily expenditure. of tourists, among others. All of this information allows hotels to operate effectively and exceed visitor expectations.

Brand positioning and online marketing

Using the information obtained through big data in the tourism sector, hotel managers can estimate the optimal expense to invest in digital marketing and position themselves as a brand in the sector. The reason is that Big Data provides more information about the segment or niche to which the hotel is directed, which allows marketing efforts to be concentrated on those media that give the best results.

On the other hand, Big Data also allows us to identify the main characteristics of the guests, which allows us to adapt the content that will be used in marketing. Without a doubt, this results in a higher conversion rate when offering services, products or special promotions.

Conclusion

Big Data in the tourism sector has a wide number of applications and uses, which allow improving hotel management, offering better services to customers and positioning itself as a brand. And Big Data is used for applications ranging from marketing to market analysis, competitor analysis and even projections of future demand.

For all this, there is no doubt that Big Data has become an essential tool for establishments.