Dear WuBookers, if there’s one way to fill rooms, generate extra revenue, and ensure financial predictability even during the off-season, it’s to focus on group tourism. Yet, many hoteliers still treat groups as a marginal category, to be accepted only when individual reservations are lacking. Of course, groups can be demanding in many ways, but welcoming them in the right way could prove very beneficial for your business. So let’s see how to attract groups of travelers to your property.

Why Groups Are an Opportunity Not to Be Ignored

The numbers speak for themselves. As early as 2024, there was a significant increase in group reservations: forecasts had estimated a turnover of $190 billion, with overnight stays already hitting new records in the first half of the year. Well, today the trend shows no signs of slowing down; on the contrary, it confirms just how much this type of tourist deserves special attention from both large hotel chains and smaller, independent properties.

In fact, groups help hotels (or B&Bs and vacation rentals) fill occupancy and increase overall revenue, generate recurring business, make revenue more predictable, and have lower acquisition costs compared to individual reservations. Furthermore, very often, they contribute to total revenue through spending on food & beverage, equipment and meeting room rentals, in-room extras, services, and other activities.

In other words, a single group reservation is worth much more than the sum of the individual rooms occupied.

Know your groups: the main segments

The group tourism landscape is highly diverse today, and the trends for 2026 seem to encourage this variety: from adventure enthusiasts who gather for hikes, treks, or sports activities, to cultural travelers; from niche-interest groups to educational tours; from corporate retreats to multigenerational family reunions, all the way to so-called SMERF groups (Social, Military, Educational, Religious, and Fraternal).

What does this mean? It means that not all groups are the same, and understanding who you’re dealing with is the first step toward creating a truly attractive offer. In fact, each segment has different priorities when choosing properties: let’s explore the main ones in detail.

Leisure Tour Groups

These are groups of travelers traveling for pleasure, often organized through tour operators, travel agencies, or associations, usually with advance reservation at a special rate.

This category therefore includes groups of friends, cultural tourists, hiking enthusiasts, food and wine travelers, and more. In general, this type of traveler seeks comfortable surroundings, meaningful experiences, knowledgeable coordinators, and above all, the feeling of being “at home even when away from home.”

What matters most to them is:

strategic location: they want to be close to what they came to see;

flexible dining services: schedules adapted to the group’s itinerary, menus agreed upon in advance, and the ability to accommodate shared tables or private dining rooms;

coordinated check-in and check-out management: checking in 10–20 people all at once can become an unsustainable bottleneck without a dedicated procedure and should therefore be avoided;

local authenticity: in recent times, forms of emotional and responsible tourism that respect nature and local communities have been gaining traction;

dedicated contacts: the group leader or tour operator representative needs a point of contact at the hotel to liaise with before, during, and after the stay.

Corporate Tour Groups

Corporate groups encompass all group reservations related to the corporate world that do not fall within the scope of structured events (that is MICE, which we will discuss shortly). These are teams traveling for internal training, client visits, retreats, onboarding, or operational trips involving multiple employees.

Corporate reservations are typically negotiated in advance: prices and service levels are already agreed upon, as are any benefits.

Corporate travelers tend to book on weekdays and expect business-oriented facilities with excellent internet connectivity.

Here’s what they look for in a hotel:

• perfect connectivity with stable and fast Wi-Fi throughout the property;
• flexible workspaces: meeting rooms of varying sizes and equipped common areas are another must, along with the ability to reconfigure spaces as needed;
• operational efficiency: quick check-in, centralized billing, and fast responses to requests—the corporate manager has no time to waste;
• discretion and professionalism: the hotel must be able to ensure an appropriate atmosphere when hosting confidential meetings or high-profile internal events.

MICE

MICE (an acronym for Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Events) represents a vital segment of the hospitality and tourism industry.MICE events, in fact, often generate substantial revenue as they combine room reservations with venue rentals, catering services, and ancillary activities. And they typically do so during low-demand seasons, thus ensuring a more consistent cash flow throughout the year.

Essential for these groups are:

• professional and flexible meeting spaces: configurable rooms, state-of-the-art audiovisual equipment, and appropriate lighting and acoustics;
• quality catering: MICE participants often require on-site food and beverage services to promote operational efficiency;
• impeccable coordination: here too, distractions and carelessness are not tolerated, and alignment between the property’s offerings and the program’s objectives is one of the most sought-after requirements.

Social Groups and SMERF

As mentioned, SMERF stands for Social, Military, Educational, Religious, and Fraternal, but this category also includes groups related to sports, entertainment, and recreation. In practical terms, we’re talking about: family reunions, weddings, and anniversaries (Social), veterans’ gatherings or military ceremonies (Military), school trips, academic conferences, and college competitions (Educational), spiritual retreats and gatherings of religious communities (Religious), and gatherings of fraternities, clubs, and civic associations (Fraternal).

Each SMERF category has different customization needs, but one element unites almost all of them: unlike corporate clients, SMERF participants generally pay out of pocket, which makes them more price-sensitive than business travelers. However, they also book rooms in blocks and seek event spaces and food & beverage services just like corporate groups.

The time window is another key characteristic: social events such as weddings, family reunions, and celebrations often have requirements tied to very specific dates, with a strong concentration on weekends and a marked preference for all-inclusive packages.

Create an offer tailored to the groups you want to attract

Now that you know who you’re targeting (and it doesn’t necessarily have to be just one category), all you need to do is create a suitable offer: a generic rate with a few extra rooms isn’t enough. Instead, it’s important to create tailored packages for each segment. Meal vouchers, discounts on activities, or transportation services can add value to the offer without forcing you to lower rates. This way, it will be easier to increase perceived value and potentially generate additional revenue in other departments.

Groups have needs that don’t always align with standard check-in and check-out times. That’s why operational and logistical flexibility is another essential factor in satisfying this type of traveler, regardless of the segment. How does this work in practice? For example, by offering customized solutions—staggered check-in, dedicated luggage storage, reserved waiting areas—and tailored organization. Technology provides valuable support here: one of the most common practices for group travelers is the rooming list. Well, a tool like Zak (the PMS by WuBook) can streamline this process significantly and drastically reduce the risk of manual errors. Furthermore, thanks to the integration between the software and the Rivola App, it’s also possible to manage check-in smoothly and seamlessly for both guests and the front desk.

Manage the right distribution channels and focus on customer loyalty

Having an excellent offer is useless if it isn’t seen by those who organize groups. In this sense, distribution is a fundamental part of the strategy, starting with travel agencies and tour operators. Building a solid relationship with these entities can in fact guarantee a steady flow of reservations, especially during the off-season. The flip side is that they tend to negotiate discounts and request packages that include ancillary services such as airport transfers and guided tours, so you need to be prepared.

Equally important is the direct channel. A direct reservation system (booking engine) on your website is an excellent way to simplify the reservation process.

On the SEO front, it’s helpful to create optimized content tailored to different group segments and then promote this content on social media as well. You should also consider partnerships and influencer marketing campaigns with well-known figures in the industry, which can also support link building (linking between websites)—essential for making your site stand out “in the eyes” of Google.

Speaking of websites, one of the trends in this sector involves immersive and interactive experiences such as virtual tours and 3D floor plans: a very useful way to showcase your property and its amenities to large groups as well.

Remember, too, that groups can also become loyal customers, especially those associated with recurring events, such as trade shows or annual gatherings. For this reason, it’s important to continue “nurturing” them even after their stay ends, perhaps with personalized offers and targeted email marketing campaigns. Furthermore, those who had a positive experience during a group stay could in turn become promoters of the hotel to other people or companies: never underestimate the power of word of mouth.

Finally, once the strategy is implemented, it is important to measure the results: inviting guests to fill out satisfaction surveys, identifying areas for improvement, and implementing the suggestions received allows you to continuously refine your offering and improve overall revenue.Managing group reservations won’t always be a walk in the park, but once the system is well-established, the effort pays off with numerous benefits—often with multiple zeros!