Web push in the hospitality business: get set for summer

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According to Skift research, 2024 marked a significant shift in the whole travel industry. It’s pointed out that we’re finally past rebuilding after the COVID-19 pandemic. Now there comes the time to grow further. With the rising travel confidence expressed by respondents worldwide, travel agencies and hotel owners expect even more profits. 

Platforms like Booking.com seem incredibly popular at the moment, but hoteliers have long known that relying solely on them is not enough to build a strong position. This is why effective marketing communication is crucial.

Building a hotel’s marketing communication

Creating a hotel’s marketing strategy is not just about promoting discounts and low prices. According to a report commissioned by the Marriott Bonvoy network, besides budget considerations, several other factors attract potential guests:

• Cleanliness
• Location
• Customer service
• Dining options

Source: Ticket to Travel 2025

For five-star hotels, additional factors contribute to creating an exclusive atmosphere, such as personalized customer service, professional staff, private beaches, and renowned chefs.

Another crucial factor is sustainability. According to an earlier study by Marriott Bonvoy, the hospitality industry in the coming years will be dominated by:

• Sustainability and eco-friendly options
• Slow travel
• The use of artificial intelligence (e.g., for trip planning and sightseeing)

Recognizing user needs makes it clear that both small hotels and large chains require their own tools and channels to reach customers. Alongside social media, email marketing, and enhanced website content, it’s worth investing in building a push notification subscriber base.

As summer approaches, the tourism industry experiences a surge in demand, making it the perfect time for hotels to leverage web push notifications to attract guests and enhance their booking strategies.

Web push notifications in hotel communication

Web push notifications enable quick and easy delivery of messages directly to the devices of subscribed users. This includes both computers and smartphones — all that’s needed is a web browser where users subscribe to receive notifications.

Web push notifications do not rely on third-party cookies, which is increasingly important given evolving browser policies and growing user concerns about privacy.

The subscription rate for push notifications is around 2-3%. This percentage represents an additional customer base independent of social media platforms and their algorithms.

Once a user subscribes to web push notifications, they can receive four types of messages:

• Mass campaigns. Sent to the entire subscriber base, making them an excellent tool for promoting new pricing offers or attractions both within the hotel and in the surrounding area.
• Targeted campaigns. Sent to specific segments of subscribers. Segmentation is based on user behavior on the website, such as selected categories, interest in particular offers, etc. For example, users previously interested in guided tours will receive notifications about new routes, while those following SPA packages will be encouraged to check out new massage offers.
  • Geolocation-based targeting. This allows communication to be tailored based on the subscriber’s location. Messaging will differ for guests from abroad, from another province, or within the same tourist region.
• Automation. An option that enables sending notifications based on a user’s actions on the website. A popular example is the abandoned cart scenario: if a user starts the booking process but abandons it at any stage, they will receive a web push notification after a set period encouraging them to return and complete the transaction.
• Push 1:1. These are transactional notifications sent to subscribers who have an account (as a guest) with a hotel or hotel chain. By linking the subscriber’s SubscriberID with the ClientID in the internal CRM system, information about specific transactions and stays can be sent via web push. This includes booking details, payment information, etc.

How web push helps hotels

Web push notifications meet all the requirements to help hotels:

• Create personalized communication based on customer interests and needs.
• Build trust through effective post-booking communication.
• Increase sales using automation, including:
  • Automated messages to recover abandoned bookings
  • Reminders about recently viewed offers
  • Remarketing campaigns with web push

Since 2024, PushPushGo has partnered with Profitroom, providing communication tools for hotels using this booking engine.

Enhance customer communication with web push

At PushPushGo, we have been working for years with travel agencies, hotels, and tourism organizations, helping our clients build communication tailored to their needs and interests. If you want to learn more about our expertise in the hospitality business, contact us.