In early April, we launched our Welcome back America campaign, announcing a significant financial commitment to stimulate travel demand in the US. Since then, we have continued to carefully monitor each region, with the intention of rolling out similar initiatives across different destinations when the time is right.
With Britain’s stringent lockdown – one of the world’s longest – coming to an end, we believe now is the right time to encourage travel demand in the UK. From 30 April, we will offer a 10% travel credit to UK guests who book by the end of June to stay with you this year. Through this investment, we hope to propel our industry’s recovery forward, faster. At the same time, we aim to drive business to you by encouraging customers to book as it becomes safe to do so.
Incentivising travellers to book with you
The Welcome Back to Travel campaign will invite UK travellers to make a booking that will activate a 10% travel credit (up to £200) after their stay. The reward will be available to travellers via the Booking.com mobile app and applicable to bookings up until 30 June 2021, with a check-in date up until 31 December 2021. The credit will be automatically deposited into the customer’s Booking.com account after check-out and will be redeemable against future trips at select properties for up to 12 months.
Throughout the month of May, we’ll be launching various promotional activities across traditional and digital media to encourage travellers to get back out there and back into your properties. To be in the best position to capture the demand stimulated by the campaign, it’s important that your availability is up to date. Other ways to increase your property’s appeal to UK travellers include activating a mobile rate, offering flexible policies and setting a domestic price through country rates.
The recovery roadmap: hope and confidence on the rise
On 12 April 2021, many venues – including pubs, restaurants, gyms and shops – reopened in England, marking the next step in the region’s return to normality. The government has earmarked 21 June 2021 for when all restrictions on social contact will be lifted, with Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland following similar roadmaps. If all goes to plan, this presents an opportunity to capture the pent-up demand of customers celebrating their newfound freedom.
The successful rollout of COVID-19 vaccines has bolstered consumer confidence, with over 34 million people in the UK receiving at least their first vaccination. Our research* shows that 68% of UK travellers are more hopeful about travelling in 2021 following the rollout of successful COVID-19 vaccines, and 63% of UK travellers are more confident about travelling domestically now that there is a vaccine. Additionally, the travel industry appears poised for growth, with 64% desiring travel even more this year after not being able to travel extensively in 2020.
“This pandemic has taken a toll on so many aspects of our lives and society, including the travel industry and the myriad of businesses it comprises, and it’s been truly uplifting to see Britons’ determination to move toward a better, brighter future for all,” says Glenn Fogel, CEO of Booking.com. “We know recovery will take time, and we know it will take the entire industry working together to get travel back on its feet, so we hope this 10% back in travel credits can be one small piece of support. With a mission to make it easier for everyone to experience the world, we’re introducing this initiative to help travellers to rediscover the places, people, cultures and experiences they have been missing, when the time is right. We encourage all those across the travel industry, from governments to businesses, to come together and implement solutions to support and revive the industry.”
*Research commissioned by Booking.com and conducted among a sample of adults who are planning to travel in the next 12 months. In total 28,042 respondents across 28 countries and territories were polled. Respondents completed an online survey in January 2021.
- At Booking.com, we see it as our responsibility to help catalyse a faster recovery and drive business to you, our partners
- To help rebuild our industry, we are announcing a significant financial commitment to stimulate travel demand in the UK
- From 30 April, we will offer a 10% travel credit (up to £200) to UK guests who book by the end of June
- The reward will be available to travellers via the Booking.com mobile app, encouraging them to book a stay with you this year
