The recession is not quite over. But after almost two years of a downward spiral, PKF Hospitality Research (PKF-HR) recently forecast that the decline in U.S. hotel demand will be over in the second quarter of 2010. Whether that happens in the next few months is yet to be seen, but a long road to recovery is imminent. There's one channel, however, that seems undaunted and is growing at a rapid pace again -- online marketing.
Although PKF-HR's research shows that RevPAR will drop another 1.1% in 2010, and occupancy will basically remain even, they're also optimistic that online marketing will continue to grow. Their research shows Internet bookings for the top 30 hotel brands grew by 6.6% in 2009's third quarter, compared to 2008. With constantly evolving search marketing, increased social media popularity and the advent of mobile marketing, sound strategies will keep direct online bookings on the rise.
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