From paid memberships to personalised experiences and strategic hotel partnerships, travel brands are rethinking how they attract and retain today’s increasingly demanding travellers.

Traditional loyalty programs built around points, discounts, and status are giving way to more personalised experiences, immediate benefits, and emotional connections, according to industry leaders speaking on a panel titled Winning the Modern Traveller: How Loyalty Is Being Redefined.

Moderated by Aaron Wong, founder of travel loyalty platform The MileLion, the discussion featured Emilie Couton, CEO of Accor Plus; Olivia Donnan, Senior Vice President, Brand, Culture & Growth at YOTEL; and Tony Gothard, Vice President Commercial Partnerships & International Marketing at Travel + Leisure Co.

The Accor Plus-sponsored session examined how changing consumer expectations are reshaping loyalty across hotels, travel subscriptions and vacation ownership.

Value beyond points

Couton said travellers increasingly expect immediate, tangible value from paid memberships, rather than accumulating points for benefits that may take years to realise.

Accor Plus research found that 62 per cent of surveyed members preferred retaining existing benefits at an affordable membership price rather than receiving additional perks.

However, she noted that the reasons people join a program often differ from those that encourage them to renew. Initial savings may attract members, but dining benefits, recognition and exclusive experiences help build longer-term relationships.

For YOTEL, Donnan described loyalty through three equally important elements: points, product and people.

Points help attract customers, the product influences their choice, while personal interactions create lasting memories.

YOTEL’s partnership with Hilton Honors, announced in March, represents a significant shift from its previous independent rewards program. Integration began in July, with 11 hotels participating at the time of the discussion.

Donnan said the partnership gives YOTEL access to Hilton’s extensive membership and distribution network while offering existing Hilton customers a distinctive hotel experience.

Rather than relying on traditional upgrades and executive lounge privileges, YOTEL emphasises flexible benefits, digital convenience, and personalised recognition.

Even automated check-in kiosks are being adapted to recognise loyalty status, acknowledge returning guests and offer appropriate benefits.

Loyalty between holidays

Gothard highlighted the different challenges facing vacation ownership companies, whose members may maintain relationships spanning 20 to 40 years.

Travel + Leisure Co, which operates vacation clubs including Club Wyndham, must continually adapt its products as members progress from young couples to families and grandparents.

Partnerships with established hotel loyalty programs allow vacation club members to exchange credits for access to a much wider accommodation network.

Gothard cited arrangements that let members convert vacation credits into Accor loyalty points, expanding their accommodation choices to about 6,000 hotels worldwide.

Personalisation without intrusion

The panel also addressed the growing importance of customer data and the balance between personalisation and privacy.

Gothard argued that companies should collect information only when it provides demonstrable benefits to customers.

Couton agreed, emphasising that effective personalisation depends on understanding each visit’s circumstances. A business traveller seeking a rapid check-in may have entirely different expectations from a family arriving for a leisurely holiday.

Technology can identify preferences, she said, but staff remain essential to interpreting them appropriately.

The panel’s central conclusion was that loyalty can no longer rely on points alone. Travellers increasingly expect flexibility, relevant rewards, convenience and meaningful recognition.

For hospitality operators, the challenge is turning transactional membership into a lasting relationship that gives customers compelling reasons to return.

 

By: Roderick Eime – © 2026.

Read Time: 3 minutes.

 

Author Bio:

Widely published, multiple award-winning specialty travel and tourism journalist and photographer with a broad general knowledge.

Rod’s professional media experience spans four decades, giving him a firm grounding in traditional media and insight into the evolution of digital and online communications.

A natural storyteller, Rod seeks to entertain, inspire, and engage readers while also informing and educating. Whether it is an adventure travel story among reindeer herders in Siberia or a potentially stodgy end-user account for an industrial lubricant manufacturer, Rod believes readers should leave enriched and motivated.

His photography has won several awards, including a rare double ‘Travel Photographer of the Year’ gong from the Australian Society of Travel Writers in 2011 and 2013.

An early adopter of digital and online publishing, he launched his first web pages in 1994.

Learn more at www.traveloscopy.com or contact him at [email protected].

 

TravMedia Summit Asia 2026 took place on 19 October at the Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre, ahead of the 14th annual International Media Marketplace (IMM Asia) on 20 October. Organised by TravMedia, founded by CEO Nick Wayland, the two-day gathering brought together leading travel journalists, editors, content creators, tourism boards, hotel groups and industry representatives from across the Asia-Pacific region. The Summit featured discussions on emerging travel trends, culinary tourism, customer loyalty, destination marketing, and the evolving media landscape, while IMM offered pre-scheduled meetings between travel media and industry partners. YOTEL was the Summit’s headline sponsor, with Accor Plus sponsoring the travel loyalty panel and Pan Pacific Singapore supporting the Summit’s networking cocktails. Sofitel Singapore City Centre sponsored the IMM Asia cocktail reception.

 

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