Working remotely has become the norm due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Record numbers of employers are now allowing employees to work from home or an otherwise flexible work schedule. During 2020, border closures around the world restricted traveling for millions of people and halted the influx of tourists and business travelers. This caused a 60% decrease in hotel patronage and occupancy rates dropped to 10%. Outdoor recreation and tourism, however, increased during this time due to people having more free time, a more flexible work schedule, and are seeking ways to travel and outdoors while still socially distancing and following local guidelines.

The “Work From Home (WFH)” revolution will only continue to benefit the outdoor hospitality industry as it provides workers the luxury of working from any place where they can access a Wi-Fi connection. This allows those who work in the outdoor hospitality industry a unique opportunity to utilize the WFH revolution to encourage workers to travel on the road while they work.

Offer WFH Amenities Travelers Can Rely Upon

While hotels already have an infrastructure that caters to business travelers, such as reliable Wi-Fi, conference rooms and business centers, and access to printers/copiers/computers/fax machines, the outdoor hospitality industry will need to adapt to meet the demands of those working while on the road. Since employees can now work from wherever they want, the industry will need to start offering more amenities that travelers can rely upon.

Offering either a central location from which travelers can do their work or ensuring that your Wi-Fi connection is fast and reliable will encourage remote workers to travel to your site. Another key amenity that remote workers look for is access to office equipment such as printers, copiers, and fax machines. You will need to supply these amenities so your guests can do their work at your site, or they will find somewhere else that does offer them. Another strategic amenity that will attract traveling workers is providing a mail service or UPS/FedEx pickup service.

Become More Competitive with the Hotel Industry

Since hotels have reopened and business travelers have the option to stay a night while traveling, you will now experience more competition. You can encourage guests to choose to stay at your site by offering services and amenities that a hotel cannot. This can be done by researching your market and demographics in order to fully understand what travelers in your area want when they are working on the road.

Making business travel more fun can be done by incorporating amenities a hotel may not offer, such as views of nature, outdoor activities, and socialization events. Rather than going to a hotel bar or wandering around a town they do not know, a traveler will have the option to choose the beauty of the outdoors after a long day of working. When their day is over, a traveler staying at an outdoor recreational facility might have access to activities like surfing, kayaking, sailing, hiking, sunbathing, and more. There are endless opportunities to enjoy nature after being in the business of business travel and staying at hotels.

Make Vacation Vibes a Way of Life

Since many people are still new to the WFH lifestyle, they may still be getting used to exploring non-traditional avenues for working. This means that they may not even realize they can stay at outdoor hospitality facilities while still getting their work done. This had led to an opportunity to encourage visitors to make vacationing a way of life – not just while on vacation.

If you encourage workers to come stay at your site while traveling, they can easily be persuaded towards choosing to travel while working and to take advantage of all that the outdoors has to offer rather than sitting in front of a computer all day. You can also appeal to employers by encouraging them to consider outdoor recreational venues for employee retreats and team building activities.

Consider Strategic Partnerships

In order to further monetize the WFH revolution, those in the outdoor hospitality industry may consider strategic partnerships with other travel businesses. This could include exploring travel packages with airlines, rental car agencies, or local attractions. It would also be beneficial to partner with a telecom company to build strength in your facility’s technology amenities for workers who are traveling.

Emphasize Adaptability & Flexibility

The two most important elements of the WFH revolution are adaptability and flexibility. The outdoor hospitality industry is in a unique position to take advantage of these elements and offer them to workers who are traveling. The outdoor hospitality industry can significantly benefit by catering to those who seek adaptability and flexibility.

Learn How You Can Boost Your Outdoor Hospitality Revenue with Advanced Outdoor Solutions

If you are interested in learning more about how to boost your outdoor hospitality revenue and want to benefit from the WFH revolution, contact us at Advanced Outdoor Solutions. We have the tools and research available to attract and retain workers who travel.

Our staff at Advanced Outdoor Solutions offer Management, Marketing, and Accounting services to the outdoor tourism industry, as well as 3rd party Property Management services, including Human Resources, Staffing, Compliance, and Quality Assurance Assessments. To learn more about these services, contact us today at 1-800-579-9796 or fill out our online contact form.