Myrtle Beach, SC – The Guestbook, the world’s largest rewards program for independent and boutique hotels, and Fuel, the premier software provider and digital agency for the hotel industry, have partnered to release a new white paper addressing the economic challenges facing hoteliers in the coming months and how to weather them. Titled “Navigating Troubled Times,” the informational white paper explores key strategies that hotels can use to stay focused on what matters and avoid common pitfalls during strained economic periods.
Hoteliers have many reasons to feel uneasy about the future. A tumultuous election year compounded by a rapidly developing health crisis and fears of an economic recession are understandably fueling their anxieties. Daily event and flight cancellations are making the matter worse, and a lack of concrete, actionable information is leading consumers and business owners to make critical decisions based on limited visibility. With this in mind, The Guestbook and Fuel combined feedback from guest surveys with expert insight from the hospitality industry’s leading digital marketing and guest loyalty professionals to create a guide for hoteliers who must make key decisions about their future.
“When facing the unexpected, the best option is always to start with proven strategies and tweak them based on the best available information at hand,” said James Gancos, CEO and Founder of The Guestbook. “That is why we put together recommendations using insight from experts across the industry who have successfully navigated challenging times before. Furthermore, many of the strategies we talk about in this report can be used after the market returns to normalcy in order to reduce hoteliers’ reliance on OTAs and plan for future periods of economic hardship.”
Topics covered in the white paper include:

• How to present guests with added value when times are tough
• Why hotels should diversify guest traffic sources
• How to activate the local market to fill gaps in business
• How to leverage periods of low guest traffic to make hotel improvements
• Why business owners should hesitate to cut advertising
• And more

Fuel and The Guestbook’s white paper, “Navigating Troubled Times,” is available now and can be downloaded here.
For more information about The Guestbook, please visit https://theguestbook.com/hoteliers. For more information about Fuel, please visit fueltravel.com.
About The Guestbook | The Guestbook partners with independent and boutique brand hotels to increase net revenue and drive direct bookings through the power of cash back rewards. Over 1 million guests worldwide have joined The Guestbook cash back rewards program to enjoy the freedom of four redemption options. Guests may choose 5% In-stay Cash, 5% Cash Back, 5% Cash for a Cause, or 15% Cash Forward towards a future stay at one of The Guestbook’s partner hotels. The Guestbook was founded on the belief that a direct relationship between hoteliers and their guests is more rewarding for everyone. Across a fast-growing portfolio of over 700 distinctive hotels in 70 countries, The Guestbook stands for innovation that enhances hospitality, solutions that drive success and the power of personal relationships. To learn more about The Guestbook, please visit www.theguestbook.com/hoteliers.
About Fuel | As a leading provider of advanced software solutions and digital marketing services for the hotel industry, Fuel helps independent hotels, resorts, condotels, and management groups maximize market share and profitability. This is achieved by providing a comprehensive suite of software and marketing solutions including: the Fuel Booking Engine, Fuel AI-Powered CRM & Marketing Automation, Fuel Mobile App & Digital Key, Fuel Gauge Analytics Dashboard, website development, SEO, SEM, email marketing, social media, and analytics services. Through these solutions, Fuel helps properties drive more direct bookings and reduce reliance on third-party channels. To learn more about Fuel and to take your travel marketing to the next level, call (843) 839-1456, visit the website, listen to the #1-ranked Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast, and follow Fuel onFacebook and Twitter.