As many states approach the start of the school year, parents are making a vital decision about whether to send their students back to school. In order to reduce the spread of the coronavirus, many schools are offering parents the option to allow their children to study virtually. If parents choose to keep their kids at home more often, it may likely lead to a significant shift in guest flow for the hospitality industry. This shift will lead to both new opportunities and things to consider as you develop plans for marketing through the start of the school year.

Season Peaks: Before and After

Summer has always been a busy season for the industry prior to the coronavirus, and Labor Day weekend often marks the final hurrah before students return to school. It’s not unusual for back-to-school to mark a decrease in guest flow for hotels. There are similar peaks throughout the year that follow with the school schedule: Thanksgiving weekend, Christmas vacation, Spring Break, and Memorial Day summer kick-offs all used to be expected peaks for the industry.

If virtual schooling grows in popularity, hoteliers won’t be able to expect these influxes of guest activity – at least, not as intensely. Instead, the industry may be able to expect a more even spread of guest flow throughout the year. With the novel coronavirus a consistent threat, parents are more hesitant to plan long-distance, expensive vacations. However, this may not be a bad thing: in fact, it opens up the opportunity for parents to take their kids on brief weekend staycations, or even travel during the week if they can attend work and school remotely.

Funds saved from traveling locally may even allow them to make more than one big trip per year. The line between school life and home life will be blended together since kids will be leaving the house less, and the whole family can use small vacations as means to get away from the house for a little while. The stress and restlessness brought on by cabin fever will affect both the kids’ ability to learn well, and the parents’ ability to be productive while working from home.

How Can Hoteliers React? 

If it does turn out that guest visits are more spread out throughout the year, this can be good news for hoteliers. It means you can look forward to more consistent occupancy throughout the year, along with reputation benefits that come from the potential of increased review flow. However, it may mean that other elements require a bit of extra planning. For example, any property changes like renovations might have to shift around to accommodate higher hotel occupancy during unexpected periods.

Naturally, we can still anticipate increased activity over longer breaks like summer or winter, just because it’s easier to plan for escapes when students don’t have tests or homework to worry about. Even then, if families elect to travel more consistently throughout the year, these peaks may not reach the intense capacity the hotel industry had grown accustomed to – both due to encouraged social distancing measures, and because virtual schooling mitigates the urgency to fit a vacation in a small period of time.

Not every family will have the means to travel more frequently, and many may still have to send their children to school. However, the possibility of shifted guest flow as a result of the rise in popularity of virtual or homeschooling during the COVID-19 pandemic is hard to ignore. It could mean that the smartest thing to do is to re-evaluate your marketing strategy to ensure you’re meeting the needs of this group, as well.

There are additional topics you may want to consider when marketing to traveling families with remote learners, such as:

• Your hotel’s high-speed Wi-Fi and device streaming capabilities
• Suites on the property with separate spaces for workers and students
• Evening activities if travelers are working/learning all day long

Virtual education is a safe alternative for parents to take when discerning how to proceed with their child’s schooling in the middle of this global health crisis. As the potential for its popularity rises, hoteliers should consider how it will affect their guest flow throughout the year. Our team at Travel Media Group is prepared to help you get ahead of the curve and come out with a competitive advantage. Our services page has detailed information about how we can help evaluate potential guest markets and develop a content strategy that targets their needs.