A study supported by Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP), reveals that only 34 percent of guests would disclose personal information, in general, on a hotel app; but drilling down through the responses, the positives increased based on whether a specific detail would impact a hotel stay. The factors that influenced a guest's willingness to reveal information include: benefit of disclosure, positive emotion and trust in app. The study's details, authored by Agnes DeFranco CHAE, Ed.D. and Cristian Morosan, Ph.D., both of the C.N. Hilton College, University of Houston, are now widely available in an infographic.

— Source: HFTP— Source: HFTP
— Source: HFTP

"HFTP frequently commissions studies on industry trends to assist the hospitality industry in its strategic planning," says Frank Wolfe, CAE, CEO of HFTP Global. "Mobile communications is quickly growing as a popular means for hotels to interact with their guests, and this information helps these organizations plan mobile outreach tools."

Some additional details from the study showed:

  • Personal information respondents were willing/likely to disclose: room preference; room amenity preference (i.e. pillow type); gender; smoking preference; and dining preference
  • Personal information respondents were not willing/likely to disclose: credit card information; income; driver's license/passport number; and geographic location
  • Number of mobile devices respondents travel with: one device – 35%; two devices – 32%; three devices – 23%

The results shown are based on data from a survey distributed in April 2014 by DeFranco and Morosan. The online survey was conducted with hotel guests who had stayed in a hotel during the past 12 months prior; and a total of 317 questionnaires were collected. The sample consisted of approximately 59 percent males, relatively mature, with age categories relatively evenly split throughout the sample. Most respondents had annual household incomes between $50,000 and $100,000 (45.4 percent). With regard to their stay, most respondents traveled exclusively for leisure (42.4 percent), stayed in midscale hotels (40.1 percent) for approximately two to three nights per stay (59.7 percent), in most cases having three to six hotel stays per year (44.3 percent).

HFTP regularly commissions industry research through its HFTP Americas and Asia Research Centers. In addition it also works with academics at hospitality schools in the United States; Canada; Hong Kong; Lausanne, Switzerland; and more. HFTP will continue to publish a series of infographics based on the broader research done by DeFranco and Morosan at HFTP Connect (www.hftpconnect.org).

About HFTP

Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP®), established in 1952, is a hospitality nonprofit association headquartered in Austin, Texas USA with an offices in the EU. HFTP is recognized as a group supporting the finance and technology segments of the hospitality industry with an international network of members and stakeholders. HFTP offers expert networks, educational resources, career development programs, research, leadership opportunities and conferences and events. HFTP produces international events throughout the year, including the world's largest hospitality technology tradeshow and conference brand: HITEC. In addition, it oversees the hospitality-specific Pineapplesearch.com® and the Uniform System of Accounts for the Lodging Industry (USALI), Hotel-Online and Hospitality Upgrade Magazine. For more information about HFTP, visit www.hftp.org.

Danielle Earp
Public Relations Manager
+1 (512) 220-4017
HFTP

Related