Strengthen customer ties as AI changes hotel-booking behaviour: Far East Hospitality, Global Hotel Alliance
Far East Hospitality’s Oasia, Quincy, Rendezvous, Village and Far East Collection brands join GHA’s loyalty programme
Mark Rohner, managing director of Far East Hospitality, highlighted the significance of establishing direct connections with customers as AI increasingly influences travel planning during a media roundtable on Oct 21 (Wednesday). He emphasized the importance of integrating into the AI discovery process and building awareness of their value, as GHA's CEO Chris Hartley noted that two-thirds of bookings come through their app.
The two spoke after Far East Hospitality joined GHA's portfolio, which will allow them to benefit from GHA's shared loyalty programme. A survey of GHA hotel brand CEOs in August revealed that 91% believed AI assistants would be among the most influential booking channels by 2030, while only 18% expected online travel agencies (OTAs) to have similar influence.
Hartley expressed hope that GHA's brands can "get ahead of the game a little bit" in this new landscape. To remain competitive, hospitality brands should become more visible in AI searches, as 82% of respondents in GHA's survey cited AI recommendations as a leading anticipated influence on hotel choice. Far East Hospitality is specifically focusing on redesigning its website and descriptions to respond to potential customers' queries posed to large-language models.
This collaboration between Far East Hospitality and GHA aims to enhance visibility and increase repeat guest ratio for Far East Hospitality's properties, including five brands spanning Singapore, Malaysia, and Japan.
Written by urgent.news from The Business Times - Singapore's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
