Alberto Santana, SVP of Sales for Amadeus, joined Host Katie Steinberg to discuss upcoming trends in the global travel industry and all things sports, from the Super Bowl to the Olympics.
In 2000, Santana joined Amadeus, a global travel company started by some friends, with his only hotel industry experience being a brief valet stint. After 20 years of work there, Santana saw Amadeus do a good job taking care of employees and partners during the pandemic because of their planning and strong financial holdings. “We’ve been really successful in navigating unforeseen waters with constraints globally,” stated Santana.
Amadeus has insight into 2022 travel trends because of their ability to look at booking data six months out. While people used to book early, the current trend is waiting until the last minute. Booking windows now are one or two days which makes it difficult for hotels to prepare. Another major change is that people are opting to drive more versus flying. “What’s been really interesting is seeing how drive markets are leading the charge,” Santana stated.
Business travel is still a bit down while leisure travel has risen with remote work, but overall, the industry is bouncing back. 2022 is “surpassing ‘19 numbers right now as it comes to hotel bookings,” Santana said.
Omicron will factor into 2022 travel when it comes to events and whether there are cancellations or not. 60 percent of guests are concerned about cancellation policies of hotel. Santana believes Americans need to live a healthier lifestyle to help rebound from the pandemic faster.
To hear more about projected hotel and travel trends and to peek into Santana’s perspectives on college football, all things Super Bowl, and the Olympics, tune into the Game Changers podcast.
