Digital Age Doesn’t Diminish Need for Print Brochures in Hospitality Industry

You can’t miss them in hotels and airports – rows and rows of brightly colored brochures and maps touting tourist attractions. In an era when most people turn to their mobile devices for information, you might assume these printed materials would become relics. This is not the case according to a new survey conducted by Bentley’s Center for Marketing Technology (CMT) and commissioned by theInternational Association of Professional Brochure Distributors (IAPBD).

The survey reveals an overwhelming majority of hotel front desk staff believe having brochure displays is the best way for them to help their guests and enhance the guest experience. Among the findings:

  • 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 overwhelming 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,” says CMT Director Ian Cross.

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 examined 1,560 responses from hospitality professionals in the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland and Greece. To see the full Hospitality Visitor Information Survey, visit http://www.bentley.edu/centers/cmt