With technology taking over the front office, what will the future of travel look like when guests check in at holiday parks?

When you look at the responsibilities of front office employees, it is evident that all tasks can be digitalised and automated. The distribution of keys has been replaced by digital keys that guests can automatically connect to their smartphones; registering the guest and confirming their check-in on arrival can now be done via a confirmation payment and link before the guest arrives at the park; and verifying reservations is completed 48hrs before arrival with an automated email and text message. 

With more holiday parks being forced to adopt a new way forward with technology, it can only mean significant changes for the industry – so what does our future look like if the front office is, in fact, no longer needed? 

Holiday parks are adopting contactless technology through cloud-based apps and software, making the front office underutilised. With the rise of self-service and online booking technologies, guests can check in without interacting with staff, which is already a standard process for travellers today. Travellers worldwide are already adopting this method when staying at Airbnb or using other share economy accommodations. They book online, pay online, get instructions via a message, and then either get personally let in or given a code to enter the accommodation. Guest experiences can be positive every time with the right technology in place as you remove the human error component, remove long wait times for check-in and directly communicate with your guests at any time. A contactless digital experience is a direction forward for holiday parks to run smoothly at peak times. 

Here are the top contactless experiences that holiday parks can adopt today for a seamless guest experience for their holiday park.

Contactless check-in 

Boom gate technology has advanced over the years and now allows park operators to integrate with their PMS to grant entry to travellers. Upon arrival, it simply scans the car's number plate, and the traveller gets a triggered message to confirm check-in and where their site is located. It's secure and safe as it will communicate with park operators who come in and out of the park, but it also helps to reduce long queues in peak season and reduces labour costs.  If your site has cabins requiring keys, you can integrate your PMS will digital keys that allow travellers to download their keys and open doors from their smartphones. 

Approved payments in advance 

Send your guests triggered correspondence with pay links 48 hours before your travellers and ensure you can get paid on time and keep track of your guests without manually processing their payments. Within RMS' robust software, park owners can connect with a centralised payment solution without needing third-party payment gateways or banks. Park owners can take payments from anywhere instantly with RMS Paylink capabilities and provide fast, contactless payments at any of your facilities or F&B stations.

Conformation and communication

Park owners can easily set up triggered correspondence to send confirmation emails and text messages to guests, letting them know their booking is complete and details about their stay. Removing the need for cumbersome kiosks and manual front office communication can be frustrating for guests in peak season. Holiday park operators can also connect with guests via direct two-way messaging that gives you live updates on when they are arriving from one centralised system and connecting to any device. Within RMS, owners and staff can quickly open reservation screens to review special requests from guests, identify if their site is vacant and see the length of stay –connecting internal teams in one place.

The future of holiday parks is undoubtedly driven by advanced technology and will involve more self-service options for guests. Hospitality is more than just providing a representative at the front desk; it is about creating a seamless solution for guests to check in to a family holiday, feel safe and know they are being looked after. A hybrid solution that gives guests the autonomy to use their smartphone for a complete end-to-end digital process whilst having the luxury of onsite managers will inevitably be the way forward. Is your holiday park ready for the future?