Tourism is back with a bang, declares online booking system provider, NightsBridge ,after the company clocked up a record two million bookings for the year to November. Additionally, total bookings in 2022 have surpassed pre-pandemic 2019 figures month-by-month.

NightsBridge also reached a personal milestone of more than 80 million bookings since the company launched 18 years ago.

“With the summer holiday season now under way, these positive stats confirm without a doubt that our tourism and hospitality industries are recovering well and entering a growth stage,” says NightsBridge CEO, Theresa Emerick.

She said the monthly booking average from January to November was 11% higher than in 2019, with bookings at the company’s South African properties increasing by an average of 17% per month over the last six months.

Emerick added that the average value of a booking made at a South African property in November was 9.2% higher than in the same month in 2019. “We were also able to add close to 11 000 units and rooms to our booking pool this year.”

While South Africa outperformed the rest of the continent, the average number of bookings at NightsBridge properties in Africa remain 20% below 2019 figures.

The global outlook

The global travel industry is also rebounding more strongly and is almost back to 2019 levels according to Skift Research. Many hospitality companies are exceeding their annual profit forecasts and reporting an increase in revenue per available room (RevPAR).

While room rates have increased off the back of higher occupancy levels and guests seem happy to pay, there is a caveat. “Guests are, in fact, looking for added value to justify the higher rates and hotels need to address this expectation,” noted Emerick.

Trends in 2023

The eager rush back to ‘normal travel’ was not without challenges and frustrations arising from the increase in demand, spiking fuel costs, cancelled flights and staff shortages. This has led to travellers seeking a more stress-free, simplified experience that gives them more control and convenience by combining the human element with technology. 

NightsBridge already has check-in and remote payment options to assist small accommodation establishments that want to deliver the high quality, personal service travellers expect. A built-in chat facility for owners to communicate with guests via an online portal or WhatsApp will be ready early in the new year.

Sustainability remains high on the 2023 agenda. “It has long moved from a buzzword to a necessity and an expectation,” Emerick pointed out. “In 2023, accommodation establishments are increasingly expected to step up, especially as 81% of global travellers say that sustainable travel is important to them.”

2023 will also be a year in which travellers break out, and break the mould, according to the No-Normal; Unexpected Travel Trends by the Expedia Group, whose research was conducted in 17 countries – South Africa included.

“Travellers will not be following the crowd and heading to the typical tourist destinations,” noted Emerick. “Instead, they will be seeking their own unique, immersive experiences, whether cultural, in nature, or at wellness retreats. Hidden gems, quirky accommodation, buzzing culture capitals like Edinburgh and Bangkok and, for South Africans, self-drive destinations, will be particularly popular.”

NightsBridge is gearing up for even more growth in 2023 and will be investing in product development to enhance its offering. “We want to continue helping our clients to do more and better business online and capitalise on these trends. After the most difficult years our industry has ever experienced, it’s time to enjoy this upward trajectory and for our clients to flourish,” Emerick said.