Different players in the tourism industry have taken on innovation as something essential in their daily lives, and as a means to push the hospitality industry to the next level.
For innovation to be a reality, it is necessary to prioritize creativity and the continuous improvement of processes. The goal is to guarantee an optimal improvement of the customer experience through research and development of new ways of communicating with the traveler.
Starting from the basis of moving past protocols, those involved in hospitality must bear in mind that this industry has a lot to do with the development of administrative skills and capabilities, but it also has to do with public relations, shared leadership and management.
In any case, it is important to outline a constant improvement plan to guarantee creative sales, new ways of marketing, and the development of striking and attractive products and/or services; all great strategies that make clients choose a business over the other in a competitive setting saturated with information and overloaded with advertisements.
Tourism is not just a regional industry, and thanks to globalization, international tourism is something that companies should be concerned about. Hospitality industry innovation is a key element for anyone involved in the field. Therefore, they must be at the forefront of processes, technology and personnel training, making the business stand out in any destination, regardless of its size. In this sense, emerging markets are an opportunity for new projects based on sustainability, which will be the main strategy to restart the economy after the COVID-19 crisis.
Tourism & Hospitality Management, Inspire from Emotion
Humanizing the brand is a great strategy for the hospitality industry. In fact, it has become a worldwide trend when it comes to marketing a firm and making sure that it is close to the potential client. What this means is putting ourselves in the role of hosts as a way to approach the traveler, that is, hosting experiences and managing emotional branding. This way, we will make guests feel engaged and touched by the message.
For this, we can use digital communication strategies (Big Data, augmented reality or artificial intelligence) that start from an educational base in which businesses teach what they do, why they do it and what the values of their brands are.
By putting a face to the company, we can stimulate other senses and, from there, portray ourselves as a reliable and safe establishment. It is also important to emphasize adherence to protocols and that the entire team works to meet the client’s expectations.
Hospitality Industry, Innovation at Its Core
Customer acquisition starts from the moment the person starts planning a trip, sees an advertisement, or a travel consultant offers him an attractive destination. In this initial process of organization, hospitality is much more than simply finding a good accommodation. It is a 360-degree process in which sales consultant, reception, transport, accommodation services and other elements participate. The guest is not making a trip to stay at the hotel but appreciates everything it offers. Here’s where we find aspects such as customer service and professionalization.
Tourism involves many people and, therefore, it is necessary to work for and with them. Being committed to deliver the best service and care turns into satisfied customers, and this is something that hospitality must constantly work on. For this, training personnel is essential since this largely yields satisfied clients who later recommend these services, and could even become the best brand ambassadors.
Tourism & Hospitality, Key Concepts
Hospitality industry and tourism are two closely related concepts since they have to do with the fusion of cultures through relationships established with the traveler. To do this, hospitality establishments work to make each person feel as if they were unique, fulfilling their wishes and optimizing their experience, whether it is for leisure or work.
In these relationships, we can find repeated elements or keywords that make up the aspects involved in hospitality: leadership, motivation, strategy, competitiveness and customer service. The first of them has to do with the ability to influence and encourage people to work enthusiastically for the common goal (that is, guest satisfaction).
The motivation, in this case, refers to the ability of companies and organizations to maintain positive stimuli in employees. In this case, it refers to the impact on the traveler, the family, the environment, the facilities and rest, among others. To do this, businesses create strategies to develop new ways of attracting tourists, wherever they are.
Of course, there’s also competitiveness. Whether a tourism company is competitive depends largely on the quality standards it implements, its adherence to security protocols, and other added values based on digitization. Besides the elements of management more than pure business, aspects such as customer service and personalized attention play a big role in hospitality, particularly the personalization and anticipation of customer needs.
Tourist accommodations and hotels manage hospitality from different aspects, such as the spatial design, the atmosphere created in the rooms and common spaces, or the comfort of its facilities (beds, furniture and equipment, such as pools or spas).