THERE is a generally held belief that local guests are more demanding than foreign guests, which would affect the way they review hotels. WiT asked TrustYou to test this hypothesis.
The way in which the Covid-19 pandemic has impacted hospitality and travel happened through both a global and a local shift. The ever-changing state in individual regions and countries drives a clear difference between local and international travellers. While some countries or cities continue to have closed borders, others are openly welcoming foreign travellers – and this is easily spotted translated into guest reviews and ratings.
Data from TrustYou, the world’s largest guest feedback platform, shows some interesting insights around this topic. While breaking down the shift in guest reviews, they tested the hypothesis that local travellers might be more demanding and harsher in their online reviews. To test this theory, they analysed hotel reviews from two different regions, in order to determine the change in the overall rating. After careful consideration, two cities were chosen to depict the difference between local and foreign travellers and their scoring behaviour: Dubai, with its open borders and more relaxed travel policy, and Singapore, with very strict border control.
In an analysis of a recent period of time in which the difference in travel policies of the two cities was in full effect, the average score rating from January 1 – February 28 2021 was compared to the same period in 2019. This provided a clear overview of what the normal, pre-pandemic situation was in both Dubai and Singapore, and how it presents itself now.
Our sample of nearly 700 hotels from across the two locations determined the average score ratings depicted in the image below:
We see from these numbers that Dubai’s overall performance score and review rating increased, from an average of 85.1 to 85.8; however, Singapore’s score registered a decrease, from 86.1 to 85.3. This clearly proves our initial hypothesis, that local travellers currently tend to be more critical and demanding than international ones.
The reasons for that difference in behaviour and traveller expectation can vary: it might be that we always tend to demand more from what is close and familiar than from the opposite. Just like we expect more from our close friends and family than from strangers. It can also have to do with the fact that local travellers are more aware of the restrictions and safety precautions in place at the time of their stay at a hotel and they expect all of them to be met. It can be the fact that local travel is expected to be more hassle-free than international one and stringent rules and restrictions can take their toll on the overall quality of a hotel stay.
Regardless of the reason why local travellers are currently harsher with their ratings, hotels from across the globe are encouraged to ensure the safety of their guests and staff, prioritize cleanliness, and encourage open and honest communication throughout the stay, in order to address issues and ensure the wellbeing and satisfaction of their guests.
For more information, visit TrustYou.
• Featured image credit: Terroa/Getty Images