Dasun Premasinghe, Vice President of Digital Marketing at eMarketingEye (EME), discusses the rapid transformation of the global hospitality sector driven by the increasing demand for seamless digital experiences, particularly among tech-savvy travellers. He shares insights into the intensifying competition and how eMarketingEye is helping hotels with digital marketing, AI and machine learning solutions to differentiate and deliver optimized results.
Take us through the trends increasingly compelling the global hospitality industry to deploy technology for survival and growth.
The hospitality industry is undergoing a significant digital transformation, driven by the aftermath of the pandemic and the growing influence of digital natives. Travellers expect seamless, personalized online experiences, and mobile devices have become the primary tool for researching and booking travel. This shift has made mobile-first marketing strategies essential for engaging travellers in real-time. Furthermore, hotels increasingly focus on direct booking strategies to reduce reliance on online travel agencies (OTAs) and enhance profitability through optimized websites and loyalty programmes. Artificial intelligence and machine learning predict customer preferences and deliver personalized offers, and technology also enables data-driven insights for better decision-making, helping hotels differentiate and create unique value propositions to succeed in an intensely competitive industry.
How is eMarketingEye making a difference in the hospitality sector in the Asia Pacific region?
As a thought leader in the industry, eMarketingEye is making a significant impact in over 45 countries including the APAC region by providing a comprehensive suite of digital marketing services tailored to the unique needs of the hospitality sector for more than 17 years. For instance, in Sri Lanka and the Maldives, eMarketingEye leverages its deep understanding of local dynamics while utilizing innovative digital strategies to drive online visibility and generate more bookings. Through SEO, PPC, social media and content marketing, and web analytics, eMarketingEye helps hotels improve search engine rankings, enhance online brand reputation and optimize their direct booking strategies. By offering end-to-end solutions, from website development to digital marketing strategies, eMarketingEye enables hotels to manage online engagement effectively, resulting in increased traffic, higher conversion rates, greater revenue and improved customer loyalty.
What is your approach to fostering innovation at eMarketingEye and encouraging tech adoption among your clients?
Fostering innovation starts with a commitment to research and development. We continuously stay updated on the latest digital marketing trends and technologies, creating a culture of innovation and continuous learning within the company. Employees are encouraged to experiment and collaborate, developing new ideas that keep us ahead of the curve. To drive tech adoption among our clients, we provide knowledge-sharing initiatives, webinars, workshops/training sessions and conferences to help them make informed decisions. Our recent event, EME Level Up – Digital Hospitality Conclave, is a prime example of how we engage the industry by offering insights into digital transformation in hospitality. It brought together 80+ leading hotels and 200+ delegates and provided invitees with a unique platform to learn, innovate, and connect with industry leaders and peers.
Can you give us examples of how your solutions work and the tangible impact eMarketingEye has had on its clients?
We have delivered tangible results for numerous clients in the hospitality sector and our strategies and campaigns have increased visibility and driven significant revenue growth, with numerous success stories over the years.
For example, in a first-of-its-kind initiative in Southeast Asia in collaboration with Google, eMarketingEye worked closely with Minor Hotels to test out Performance Max for Travel Goals campaigns; by doing so, the brands managed to enhance their visibility across multiple ad placements while using AI to maximize their performance with Google Ads.
In a featured case study published by Google, the results of the campaign speak for themselves with an increase in the number of transactions by 117%, an increase in sales by 86% and an increase in ROAS by 76% as well as a 51% lower CPA.
How can Sri Lanka reimagine its hospitality sector, and how can eMarketingEye influence that process?
Sri Lanka’s hospitality sector has the opportunity to reimagine itself by embracing digital technologies to drive more bookings and improve operational efficiency. A digital-first approach, where hotels prioritize mobile-friendly websites and real-time engagement through a variety of digital marketing initiatives at different touch points in the consumer journey, is crucial in this transformation. By leveraging data to understand shifting guest behaviours and post-pandemic travel preferences, hotels can develop more flexible pricing strategies and offer personalized services. eMarketingEye can play a role in this process by providing innovative digital strategies that enable hotels to attract niche segments of travellers and improve operational efficiency. Additionally, our expertise in digital engagement and innovative strategies as well as content creation will help tell compelling stories that showcase the rich culture and diverse attractions of Sri Lanka, positioning it as a top travel destination.
Could you share your plans for eMarketingEye?
In the immediate future, we plan to continue expanding our range of digital marketing services to meet the evolving needs of the hospitality industry. We are building stronger relationships with clients and industry partners while collaborating with leading global tech firms to introduce innovative digital solutions.
Our long-term vision is to develop cutting-edge strategies integrating AI and machine learning to automate and optimize digital marketing campaigns along with strong data analytics and visualization to support data-driven decision-making. We aim to position ourselves as the leading digital marketing partner for the hospitality sector in the Asia Pacific region and beyond, driving growth through technology-led solutions and expanding our footprint globally.