Simon Cruickshank, hotelier and proprietor of The Ship Inn Hotel & Restaurant in Stonehaven, is hopeful for the hospitality industry in 2010.

Why one hotelier is hopeful for a prosperous 2010?

5th January 2010, 12:07pm

With 57% of corporate travel now booked further in advance in order to get a better deal, hoteliers are hopeful for a prosperous 2010. Simon Cruickshank, hotelier and owner of The Ship Inn in Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire shares his thoughts with us…

The global demand for travel and tourism provides unprecedented opportunities going forward. Growing business demand means that there will be increased demand for hotels located in and nearby business hubs such as Aberdeen. I think the hotel industry can expect a modest recovery in 2010.

In terms of consumer travel, occupancy across UK main destinations would seem to indicate that the rapid fall in bookings late 2008 and onwards into 2009 is now beginning to level out, or has already done so, and that recovery is likely in mid to late 2010. With welcome additions to Aberdeen, such as the new Union Square development, more people are flocking to the city for shopping breaks and perhaps extending this to a weekend break. 

The recession has actually accelerated the consumer's use of the internet to research and book hotels. All figures on the growth of internet booking and direct booking in particular through 2009 have highlighted this. 

The percentage of the population aged 65 and over in Europe is projected to increase from 15% in 2000 to nearly 25% by 2015 and increased travel by the 'silver' segment is likely to maintain Europe's position as the number one tourism exporting region, delivering some 730 million travelers by 2020. 

The Baby Boomers are also a huge demographic with enormous amounts of disposable income. They are expected to live longer, be more active, travel more and desire new experiences both in terms of cultural and event-based tourism. With uncertainty about airlines, with the recent BA and Globespan debacle, domestic travel will potentially see an increase." 

Online booking directly through hotel websites with their own booking engines, as a proportion of total business, has continued to show growth right through the recessionary period. Consumers are now used to this online approach and are likely to continue the trend of internet research and booking as recession gives way to recovery.

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