art of a new report from Yes Marketing, entitled “Understanding the Traveler’s Journey”, revealed that almost 25 percent of U.S. travelers feel that they’re not being adequately rewarded for their loyalty to travel and hospitality brands.

Among a group of 1,000 respondents, 64 percent admitted to having a “go-to” travel company that they consider first and, typically, above all else when planning a trip. The findings indicate that consumers prefer turning to travel brands they’ve used in the past, but only if they feel that their loyalty is proportionately rewarded. 83 percent of those surveyed said that travel-related rewards influence their decisions about whether to stick with a certain brand.

So, what is it that customers are looking to get back from travel and hospitality companies? Generally, they want to feel like they’re receiving special treatment: nearly half of respondents reported feeling rewarded by gaining exclusive member benefits and 32 percent cited waived fees as they perk that makes them feel appreciated.

“Whether it’s offering exclusive perks or providing personalized recommendations, travel brands need to leverage the right incentives to encourage customers to choose their brand time and again,” said Michael Iaccarino, CEO and chairman of Infogroup, parent company of Yes Marketing. “Through the right combination of technology and services, brands can glean a deeper understanding of their customers’ preferences to inform their retention and loyalty strategies and develop lifelong connections.”

As Yes Marketing’s work involves tracking the consumer journey with travel and hospitality brands—from first awareness and consideration through purchase and lifetime loyalty—its research extended to many different aspects of the customer experience. When it comes to client retention, it’s surprising just how many travelers are keen to receive more communications from their preferred brands.

52 percent said that they’d like to be sent more information about their reservations and previous travel; and 44 percent said they’d welcome offers based on their past behavior, while 29 percent would prefer more messaging based on their demographic profiles. 40 percent responded that they want to see more consumer reviews and testimonials, which obviously play a huge part in informing customers’ decisions these days. Another 43 percent expressed a desire to receive more partner offers from the travel and hospitality companies that they patronize.

Source: https://www.travelpulse.com/news/features/one-in-four-travelers-feel-inadequately-rewarded-for-their-travel-brand-loyalty.html