The hospitality industry has been on a rollercoaster over the last few years. Hotels and restaurants, especially, have had to make short-term adjustments to keep their businesses afloat throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, despite best efforts, some businesses within the industry still couldn’t keep their doors open.
The pandemic has changed a lot about how people travel, what they expect from hospitality services, and even how the average consumer relies on technology for something as simple as booking a room or ordering a meal.
While some of the short-term solutions you’ve had in place might have kept your business moving forward, it’s time to look at the long-term changes to the hospitality industry that are likely here to stay. The sooner you understand and accept these changes, the easier it will be to put them into place and continue to see growth and success.
So, what should you expect?
1. A Greater Focus on Health
Whether you manage a restaurant or hotel, you have undoubtedly made changes throughout the pandemic to keep your employees and customers/guests safe and healthy.
That’s more than a “trend” or a temporary precaution. The pandemic caused everyone to be more conscious of their well-being and make health a priority. If you want your business to succeed, you need to make it a priority, too. You can do that for your guests by offering things like:
- Updated cleaning protocols
- Social distancing
- Posting signs about your disinfecting/cleaning practices
It’s just as important to make sure your employees feel safe at work, too, especially due to lingering labor shortages. Encourage frequent hand-washing, mask-wearing, and social distancing whenever possible. Make sure your employees know the importance of staying home when they’re sick and encourage everyone to get vaccinated.
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2. Combatting the Labor Shortage
Speaking of lingering labor shortages, creating an environment where employees feel safe and healthy is only one step you should take to bring in new workers.
Attracting and retaining employees hasn’t been easy for many businesses in the hospitality industry. So, what can you do to help your restaurant or hotel stand out? Consider some of the following ideas
- Offer rewards and bonuses
- Offer training and workshops
- Provide top-notch technology to all employees
- Create a positive company culture
You don’t have to spend every second of the day recruiting new workers. Another change to the industry that’s here to stay is automation. It’s a great way to streamline your onboarding process, but it’s also a great resource for supply chain issues.
3. Automation
What do tech and your supplies have in common? Lately, more than you might think. There’s no denying that technology will continue to advance and change the industry as we know it. At the moment, that means more automation – especially for restaurants.
Automation can help the restaurant industry in a variety of ways, including tracking order fulfillment. As suggested above, there’s no question that multiple industries are facing supply chain issues right now. With automation, you can track where your supplies and ingredients are at any given time without any manual input. Having that kind of data available to you will make it easier to plan, remain compliant, and make changes as necessary.
4. Contactless Communication
In this post-pandemic world, people have grown more used to digital communication than ever. Your business can take advantage of that by offering various communication channels for your guests and customers. If you manage a hotel, allow contactless check-ins or room service orders. Restaurants can publish their menus on their websites to offer online ordering.
You can use this boost in digital communication to diversify your brand and attract new audiences as well. Send out text messages, newsletters, and post on social media about your contactless efforts and how you’re streamlining your services. It’s a great way to “upgrade” your business without having to change much about your internal operations.
Some people will always feel safer when they don’t have to do much face-to-face communication. When your goal is to make your customer as comfortable as possible, offering different forms of contactless communication is a great way to accomplish that.
5. Higher Creative Demands
When the COVID-19 pandemic first began, many people had to go into “lockdown.” Restaurants and hotels across the country shut down, and consumers had to start getting creative with their entertainment and food sources.
Many people started cooking for themselves for the first time. Others did a lot of research on different types of cuisine and started experimenting with everything from sourdough bread to making their stocks.
More importantly, those who took an interest in cooking began to understand the value of good food and everything it takes to create a delicious dish.
Now, people’s expectations are higher. They want to see restaurants get creative with their dishes. They want to frequent places that follow the latest food trends, including:
- More plant-based cuisine
- Sustainable kitchens
- Streamlined menus
- Branded meal kits
Even if you own a hotel, you can consider those trends as you try to attract new guests and get them interested in your bar, cafe, or on-site restaurant.
If you’ve been trying to put together a long-term strategy for your business, consider how the industry has changed, and how you should continue to adapt. Whether you need to make a major overhaul or a few minor adjustments, working with these changes (rather than against them) will go a long way when it comes to your growth and success.
My friends at Hoteza provide hotels with all tools required for a smooth digital transformation process. Check it out, you will thank me later… Are …
Credit
Jori Hamilton is an experienced writer residing in the Northwestern U.S. She covers a wide range of topics but takes a particular interest in covering topics related to the hospitality industry, business productivity, and marketing strategies. To learn more about Jori, you can follow her on Twitter and LinkedIn.
Over to you
The hotel industry is always changing, especially during a time of crisis. Make sure to future-proof your business and continue attracting new guests by investing in these solutions.
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We are in this together!
I need to let you all know that we are in on this together. If you need to vent, talk, cry, or just have someone to talk with, I am here listening. Since I am working part-time at the local Kroger, I will best work it out around my schedule to the best of my ability.
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We will get through this unprecedented event together! #hotelstrong #hospitalitystrong
For any specific information on COVID-19, I recommend going to CDC, WHO, AHLA, AAHOA, and HSMAI. Also, follow information from your local authorities.
NOTE
The hotel industry still is facing some uphill challenges. Make sure you follow their guidelines and say THANK YOU to those that now show a unique spirit to serve, and help us all get through this!! #hotelstrong #hospitalitystrong
About Are Morch
Hi, I am Are Morch. Your Digital Transformation Coach helps hotels create unique and unexpected experiences by freeing up resources to focus on new ideas through value innovation and a growth mindset.
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