Loyalty Meets a Newly Conscious Traveler for Post-Pandemic Resets
Photo Credit: Grenada launched a program called 473 Connect for the island's 360,000-strong diaspora. Unsplash / Hugh Whyte
Skift Take
Loyalty programs helped brands engage with customers during pandemic lockdowns. But now they need to evolve, and travel companies need to not only decipher what today’s traveler wants, but also how to factor in sustainability in a meaningful way.
Hotels, airlines and now destinations are embracing loyalty and reward programs in 2022, ready to capitalize on global pent-up demand. But consumers have different needs than before the pandemic. The most notable change is they’re going to want more freedom and flexibility when choosing rewards after being deprived of having the luxury of making choices for the best part of two years. But most notably, they're also emerging as more aware of the impact their travel has on the planet.
Skift's Travel Loyalty Summit, which took place as a virtual event on Thursday, saw a number of travel industry innovators share how they perceived the future of loyalty in a post-Covid world.
Sustainability Is a Work in ProgressGreener travel habits were slowly taking hold before coronavirus arrived. But brands today should really be considering how to “bake” sustainability into their programs, argued Wouter Geerts, Skift’s senior research analyst, in the summit's k
