Data collection is the foundation of effective customer segmentation. Gathering the right information about guests reveals the patterns, preferences, and trends you need to build meaningful segments — in a competitive market, data is gold.
What to collect
- Demographics — age, gender, location, and nationality to understand your guest base’s diversity.
- Booking patterns — frequency, lead time, and length of stay to categorize travel habits.
- Preferences — favored amenities and services, drawn from reviews and feedback.
- Reasons for travel — business, leisure, family, or other.
- Communication channels — how guests discover you and how they prefer to be reached.
The technologies that collect it
- Property management systems (PMS) — the hub for reservations, guest profiles, and booking history.
- CRM software — detailed guest profiles with preferences, interactions, and feedback for personalization.
- Channel managers — consolidate guest data from multiple booking platforms and prevent overbookings.
- Booking platforms — Airbnb, Booking.com, and Vrbo capture data during booking.
- Survey and feedback tools — SurveyMonkey, Typeform, and the like gauge satisfaction and preferences.
Technology is essential, but it must be used responsibly: prioritize guest privacy, store data securely, and use it only for legitimate purposes, in compliance with data-protection regulations.