InterContinental Hotels Group: Small Business Travelers Seek Affordability
Tuesday, July 26, 2016
Traveling is simply a part of business. Whether it’s striking a deal with a fellow business owner, visiting other branches of your business, or finding new ways to get ahead, the need for small business owners to travel is apparent. Because of this, a new subset of consumers have emerged—the small business traveler.
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), one of the world’s largest hospitality companies, recently released the results of a study on small business owners or employees who travel frequently. Conducted by Kelton Global, the study aimed to identify the accommodation preferences of those traveling for business reasons. As a result, IHG also announced that Holiday Inn locations would begin to ramp up rewards programs for business travelers.
The main takeaways from the study involved the beliefs and opinions of small business travelers. 94% reported they would be interested in staying at a property that offered exclusive rewards programs just for them. One-third of respondents claimed they did not feel as valued as travelers from larger businesses, and more than half of respondents reported that they seek the most cost-efficient option when planning a business trip.
Holiday Inn is preparing to create new opportunities for travelers from small businesses through their new Inn Business offer. Eric Lent, VP of Holiday Inn and Crowne Plaza, The Americas, said:
“While many people think of Holiday Inn hotels as great leisure destinations suited for family travel – which they are – our hotels also offer service and amenities that make business travel easier and more enjoyable. Hotels are a business traveler’s home away from home when they’re on the road, and small business employees told us they want assistance to make their lives easier from booking through check-out. As we move forward, the Holiday Inn brand remains committed to introducing new offers like Inn Business that help small business travelers make connections with the people, places and experiences that matter most to bring even more joy to their journey.”
The Inn Business initiative will help create more affordable accommodation solutions for small business travelers, and allow them to earn exclusive rewards for themselves and for their business. Members will earn elite status in IHG Rewards Club during their first year of membership, as well as complimentary room upgrades, priority check-in, late check-out, and a faster accrual of rewards nights.
To learn more about the full study and the Inn Business rewards program, visit IHG’s official website.
