While the demand for pornography and erotic material while traveling hasn't gone away and likely never will, more and more hotel chains are doing away with on-demand adult entertainment.
Although pressure from outside organizations like the National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE) is partly responsible, the trend can also be attributed to the significant dropoff in revenue brought in from on-demand adult entertainment of late.
And because hotels are no longer sacrificing big bucks by ditching pornography, the move to do so has become a win-win.
Hotel chains like the world's largest in the InterContinental Hotels Group - the latest company to ban porn from its guestrooms - are able to satisfy the requests of NCOSE and other organizations and in turn advertise a more wholesome product without missing out on game-changing revenue.
The shift in policy can be almost directly attributed to the emergence of new technology, including smart phones, tablets and laptops. On top of those tools, the abundance of websites offering free pornographic content makes it easier than ever before for guests to access pornography.
Nowadays, hotel guests can view that content when and where they want, although their most likely to do so within the privacy of their hotel room, meaning they are less likely to make a purchase on the in-room television.
But they can also view other types of content when and where they want, as evidenced by a recent study by PKF Hospitality Research that uncovered that annual U.S. hotel revenue brought in from in-room movie rentals - including adult films - dropped from $339 per room in 2000 to $107 in 2014.
With screens and streaming capabilities at their fingertips, travelers aren't reliant on the cable box inside their hotel room to satisfy their interests or guilty pleasures. However, in order to access pornographic content on their devices, hotel guests oftentimes need Wi-Fi, which still requires a fee at some hotels.
Since the Internet has become the key to everything, including movies, television shows and on-demand adult entertainment, offerings on the in-room television have essentially become obsolete.
While there's undoubtedly still money to be made from in-room pornography offerings, the downward trend in revenue is incentive enough for hotel chains like Hilton Worldwide to make a change and effectively remove themselves from negativity like NCOSE's Dirty Dozen list, which Hilton spent a brief period of time on in 2015 before announcing plans to phase out pornography last year.
And since guests - typically equipped with a smart phone or tablet -are less likely to select a hotel based on its on-demand adult entertainment offerings, chains like Hilton, IHG and Hyatt aren't likely to chase off customers by making such a change.
Ultimately, succeeding in the hotel industry requires the skill of adaptation and the ability to not fall behind. As more hotel chains adapt to changing consumer demands and become porn-free, it's the ones that fail to follow suit that stand to suffer the most.
For everyone else, it's a win-win.
For the latest travel news, updates and deals, subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter.
Topics From This Article to Explore
