Digital vs print: The surprise winner at the tourist's reception!

Despite the vast advancement of digital technology, printed brochures remain the most valuable tool for hotel reception staff who seek to service their customers.

This is the conclusion of a survey which was carried out by Center for Marketing Technology (CMT) at Bentley University in the United States. The survey was conducted on a sample of 1,560 participants, all hotel industry professionals from the USA, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland and Greece*.

According to its impressive findings (you can see an Infographic with the survey results here) printed visitor information material was not considered obsolete but, on the contrary, it was deemed exceptionally necessary in the service of tourists:

• 98% of front desk staff favor the use of printed media
• 94% of hotels surveyed provide visitor information for their guests using a brochure display
• 83% of respondents overwhelmingly support the availability of print media ranking it extremely important for their guests

In the age of mobile phones and devices, guests still look to the front desk for printed, tangible brochures and visitor maps. Data suggests the importance of well-placed printed materials in displays catches the attention of guests and fosters interaction with front desk staff. 

Printed brochures and maps are the most popular choice for guests and concierge staff.  Brochures are slightly favored (27%), followed by maps (26%) and then place-based guides (22%).  When observing how often hotel guests use brochures survey respondents cited (40%) always, (46%) often, (13%) sometimes (1%) never.  

"The survey's data suggests the importance of well-placed printed materials in displays catches the attention of guests and fosters interaction with front desk staff", underlines Ian Cross, CMT Director.  Professor Cross declared that he was surprised by the result. "I believed that in 2016 there would be some skepticism regarding the value of printed information material. Yet, as we dug deeper into the research material, it became evident that the reception staff in hotels, consider printed materials easier to use than electronic media. For example, when a customer asks a hotel reception clerk for information or suggestions, it is easier for the employee to show him a printed map and make notes on it."

The Center for Marketing Technology (CMT) Bentley University monitors all developments in the field of marketing, research, technology and strategy. Students, teachers and business partners have daily access to the latest trends, the newest technologies and in-depth reviews that are shaping the future of marketing practices. The Bloomberg BusinessWeek highlighted the Bentley University as one of the top 10 undergraduate schools of business administration.

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*The study was conducted on the Internet by Bentley’s Center for Marketing Technology (CMT) and commissioned by the International Association of Professional Brochure Distributors (IAPBD). In Greece, the research was supported by City Contact, the only Greek company which is an official member of the IAPBD.

City Contact has developed over 20 years a unique network of printed information distribution to visitors of leading hotels in Greece, but not only to them...

Today, through the Info Stand ® and Visitor's Editions of Free Brochures it has an exclusive partnership with 270 top hotels in Athens, Crete, Rhodes, Corfu, Thessaloniki, Halkidiki Santorini and Mykonos.

Moreover, it covers the printed information needs of tourists by providing free printed brochures at exhibitions, embassies, marinas and numerous other points of interest. City Contact publishes and distributes annually more than 2.8 million printed copies informing visitors on Greece.

*If you are a hotelier and want to be provided with City Contact brochures please contact Mr. Vangelis Kevrikosaios at tel. 210.8847826 or email him at: va.kevri@citycontact.gr

* If you want cooperation with City Contact, in order to have free brochures for your visitors and customers please contact Mr. Vangelis Kebrikosaios, Tel. 210.8847826 or at va.kevri@citycontact.gr

*To promote your business to tourists and visitors, please contact Mr. Costas Kakavas at tel. 210.8846170 or email him at: kostas.kakavas@citycontact.gr

RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report