Differentiation Strategies in Mature Markets: A view from the segment of hospitality services

Resumen

This theoretical essay approaches the innovations in hotel services in the context of the marketing strategies adopted by companies operating in this segment, which represents an important link of the travel and tourism services´ value chain. The sector can be considered as in the stage of maturity on its life cycle, represented a typically mature market. Thus, innovation on the services offers to its customers is of paramount importance to ensure not only survival and profitability of these companies to face increasingly fierce competition, but also the revitalization of the segment as a whole. It presents an analysis based on the typology of innovations proposed by Moore (2005), associated with the life cycle-maturity category, classifying real cases of the worldwide hospitality market, selected from literature sources specialized in tourism and identified by tourism experts as trends for differentiation and/or innovation in this segment. It also identifies the key innovation strategic differentials related to three aspects: the basis of differentiation factors (SCHNAARS, 1998), core competences priority and value disciplines required (TREACY and WIERSENA, 1993). The results suggest a set of six groups of innovation, namely: boutique, design and exclusive hotels; fashion hotels (or fashionistas hotels); feminine hotels (or exclusive offers for women), “green “ hotels, “techies” hotels (or which opt for intensive use of new technologies as specialized service for guests), besides a last group that represents creation of new hospitality markets (or  mixed-markets) and includes initiatives involving partnerships with the sectors of health, aesthetics, wellness, beauty and real estate.