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In today's fast-paced world, everything is ever changing, and every prediction is considered to be forecasting. In the last few years, forecasting has become a necessity, a must for properties to correctly assess their demand, price changes, trends, seasonality, etc.
Simply put, forecasting is a way of analyzing past trends and data to predict future behaviour. With this approach, we prepare for the uncertainty laying ahead.
In the context of hotels and properties, there are multiple forecasting options, including:
For the purpose of better understanding, in this article, we will be focusing on the Revenue Management forecast.
Forecasting is a comprehensive tool, which can help predict future performance. Thus, it's the perfect way to prepare for uncertainty, utilize performance data, consider industry trends, and make education predictions about occupancy, room nights, average daily revenue, etc.
Forecasting is a key point for Revenue Management as it helps us prepare for the future and eases the uncertainty. While considering the future, it's also important to analyze past trends. It helps you take into account where you made mistakes and identify potential to create extra revenue.
Also, forecasting is what determines the future pricing strategy. Without an accurate forecast, you wouldn't possibly be able to guess the correct rate for the room or volume.
Forecasting is always a prediction. Since no one has the power to look into the future, it's not always accurate, especially with circumstances like Covid-19 popping up unexpectedly. Uncertainty is the biggest challenge of forecasting. In fact, anything without some historical data can be considered a challenge, as it will make forecasting difficult and complex.
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Basic Forecasting Model is one of the simplest forecasting models and one which involves the least calculation. All you need to do is use historical data ( room nights sold, occupancy, ADR, revenue, etc.) and market trend to predict future demand. This way, you are able to almost certainly tell how your next year will look like.
Advanced Forecasting Model is a bit more complex. While you use the market trends as before, instead of using the hotel’s historical data, you need to focus on the information by segment. By breaking it down to different segments, you have the opportunity to forecast more accurately. For instance, if you had a big group this year, you won't consider it in the basic model, and hence, might consider a higher occupancy next year.
But in this one, you will already know that the group isn't planning to come again next year. Thus, you will be accounting for less room nights. This gives you a more in-depth picture into the various segments and the exact demand you can expect.
The right model depends on the size of the property as well as the segments available in it. If your property has no groups, there is no point digging deep into segments. If it’s all leisure or business, there's no need to do it.
But if the number of rooms is quite high and you have various segments based on seasonality, it might be useful to look into it more carefully. The right forecast model solely depends on the property and its objective. Bear in mind: any forecasting model is better than none.
Revenue management forecasting focuses on revenue, room nights sold, and average daily rate. These are the key metrics of forecasting - the ones we need to set for predicting the future.
At first, it might seem intimidating, but from an operational point of view, forecasting is crucial. You need to predict how many people you need on shift, and the correct allocation of staff is the most important thing in running a property. Try and look at forecasting as a tool to remove the uncertainty of your life and help you make sound business decisions.
Start by gathering historical data and market trends. Once you have all these, compare them and see if you can draw conclusions. Identify any opportunities that you might have missed or reacted to late. Use that knowledge for the next year.
Forecasting is a valuable tool, which is a must for any property. It helps the business prepare for the future, identify opportunities, and minimize the margin for mistakes. But in order for the forecast to work, you need to make sure all your historical data is up-to-date and following market trends.
Once you have these in place, you can start forecasting. But it's important to keep reviewing everything, and adjusting the specifics on the basis of changes. The sooner you adjust and react to any change in demand or trends, the more prepared you will be. Everything should be reviewed at least on a weekly basis – especially the booking window.
Once a month, you should reflect on the previous month, identify what went wrong and what was good, and subsequently formulate a strategy for the same time next year. Also, once a month, you should review the forecast for the entire year, as for hotels, the inventory usually rolls a year in advance.
There are many things that can help you fine tune your forecast. Here are a few examples:
Forecasting is important for setting the property's pricing strategy, which will ultimately lead to reaching the desired revenue.
With forecasting, you can either decide to focus on the rate or on the volume based on your goals. It is a useful tool for setting sound pricing further out and building a base while maximizing revenue.
Forecasting makes the business run more smoothly and prepare you for what’s coming. However, it's not 100% accurate. Nothing will ever be, and hence, you need to keep going back to it, reviewing it, and change it accordingly.
Mia Kun, originally from Hungary, Budapest, has been living in London UK while pursuing her interests in travelling and experiencing other cultures.
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