General Manager at Best West Plus Hospitality House

What are the latest trends in the hospitality industry? It goes without saying that the pandemic and ensuing economic downturn greater than the 2008 recession and chaos caused past fluctuation in demand have had a significant impact on hospitality throughout 2022 and 2022 - no uncertainty with lingering effects. Some innovative responses to this extraordinary state of affairs like attempting to entice patrons back into food and beverage outlets and assure holidaygoers that information technology is indeed safe to relish a hotel stay, have accelerated existing hospitality industry trends and triggered lasting change.

Meanwhile, in that location has been a shift in society, partly due to changing values after the astute stage of the pandemic. While in 2022 and 2021, the popularity of staycations, hygiene protocols and contactless technologies - all at present firmly embedded in the daily activities of hospitality businesses - has risen sharply, some new trends are emerging.

An increased consumer awareness of all things sustainable, purposeful and health & well-being has ready new benchmarks for hospitality enterprises. EHL Insights presents to you the electric current trends in the hospitality industry of 2022.

The ten trends that are shaping the hospitality industry in 2022

1. Bleisure travelers & hotel work spaces

Working remotely has today become commonplace for many employees and is forecasted to become more than than only a passing tendency. A shift accelerated by the global public health crisis, an unprecedented number of high-profile companies – with big tech companies like Twitter, Facebook, and Amazon leading the way  – announced that they volition adopt a hybrid or flexible arroyo to working remotely. In 2022 alone, the pct of workers around the earth that are permanently working remotely wasexpected to double.

This ways that hospitality venues are existence used as make-shift offices for bleisure travelers, as well as locals seeking a change of work environment. This is a great opportunity for hotels and F&B venues to capitilize on the tendency and conform their offer to see the needs and wants of this emerging segment; ample plug sockets, gratuitous loftier-speed WIFI and great coffee are good starting points.

2. Holistic hospitality, health & well-being

Preventative medicine and self-care are undisputedly trending right now due to the COVID pandemic. The wellness industry is transforming into a booming trillion dollar market place and hospitality venues are well positioned to take a big piece of the pie, especially those with existing spa facilities.

In addition to the usual dazzler and relaxation spa offer, there is speedily growing demand for wellness diagnostic engineering and bespoke treatment plans delivered by experts who bear personal or group sessions to develop vitality, healing, stress management, emotional rest, mindfulness and amend slumber. Discover more spa trends for 2022 in this article.

3. Digitalized guest experiences

Apps are increasingly important in the way hoteliers manage the services they provide to their customers and tin now command many aspects of the guest cycle and experience. Needless to say, the tendency towards digital and contactless services has gained new momentum since 2020. Traditionally, customer-facing services are existence given an overhaul thanks to the more widespread use of technology-assisted options, such as mobile check-in, contactless payments, vocalism command and biometrics.

Consumers who take become accustomed to unlocking their smartphones and laptops using facial and fingerprint recognition volition presently come to expect the same convenience in accessing their hotel rooms. Unfortunately for the establishments looking to welcome them, these upgrades may exist plush to install and maintain. If y'all want to stay ahead of the curve, we recommend yous dig deep and make the investment.

four. Personalization

Today's guests have grown to expect to be recognized and treated as individuals. Establishments are going the extra mile to personally greet their guests, while tools such every bit Mailchimp and Zoho have fabricated personalized east-mail marketing accessible to the masses, ensuring highly target audience-specific communications. Far beyond simply adding the customer's name to electronic mail greetings, data provides insight into past buying habits, enabling hotels to tailor their offers and promotions, and automatically provide similar services to previous stays.

Technological platforms such equally CRM and CEM apply big data to create i-to-ane interactions between the guest and the host at scale. AI-powered chatbots have proven to be a customer service asset both during the booking process and in responding to recurring questions.

Hotel operations more than generally are increasingly shaped past the utilize of management systems to monitor and optimize revenues, customer relationships, property, channels and reputation. Not to mention the rising importance of integrated messaging, predictive analytics, customer profiling and middleware, which seeks to connect any disparate systems.

5. Experience economy & essentialism

Customers request both extreme personalization and unique experiences. This could very well lead to the death of the travel agent and the rise of the independent traveler.

Travel guilt is existent. Minimalism has reinvigorated the otherwise somewhat dusty saying "less is more". Travelers are decreasingly seeking lavish displays of wealth, preferring instead to spend wisely, purposefully and make a positive impact on the world. Unique experiences that requite back to local communities in meaningful ways are in demand, as are niche properties, adventurous holidays and relaxation retreats.

6. Asset management strategy

The asset-light approach has become prevalent in the manufacture. The separation between the management of operations and real-estate assets now allows hospitality companies to focus on their core concern, thus improving efficiencies.

Information technology however induces boosted complexity and potential agency problems, explaining the emergence of new  types of jobs, such as asset managers. In addition, new job profiles accept emerged following the increasing complexity of the hospitality industry. In parallel, the need for quantitative competencies (for forecasting, budgeting, etc.) has also increased.

7. Solo travel

In the age of mindfulness, many have embraced the meditative value of spending fourth dimension solitary and venturing out into the big wide earth unencumbered, interacting and making friends to whatever degree suits. In an attempt to make solo travelers experience comfortable, barriers between hotel staff and guests are being lowered, interior design choices made to evoke a sense of homeliness and an informal atmosphere cultivated. This, along with a less stark divide between guests and locals, encourages a feeling of hotel community.

8. Sustainability

A hospitality trend that is both current and a hallmark of recent years: "sustainability" once again assumes its position. A natural extension of fugitive disposable plastics, eliminating unnecessary newspaper consumption thanks to opt-in receipts and reducing food waste, more than far-reaching ethical and ecology considerations are shaping decisions made at the hospitality management level. Decisions about things equally simple as which towel rail to install during renovations have disproportionate repercussions when implemented at calibration. Unproblematic eco-friendly switches include replacing miniature toiletries with larger, locally sourced dispensers, choosing ethically produced bedsheets made from organic materials and reducing energy consumption with smart bulbs, etc. Vegetarian and vegan options also harbor well-known environmental advantages.

ix. Virtual & augmented reality

Following on from the orientation towards visually appealing content, it seems only natural that businesses in the hospitality manufacture should seek to capitalize on features such as virtual tours, conjuring upward a digital environment for consumers to picture show themselves in.

Videos providing 360-caste views of eating place ambiance, café terraces enveloped in greenery or hotel beachfront locations, for instance, are merely the ticket to make an institution stand out this year. Every bit e'er, keeping the access threshold low is key to reaching every bit wide an audience every bit possible with virtual reality material: making content accessible on a variety of devices, without the need for a VR headset.

In one case on site, guests should exist able to whip out their trusty sidekick – their smartphone – and simply point it at real-world artefacts to summon up additional information. Augmented reality uses graphical or informational overlays to enhance in-situ environments. Once they have downloaded the respective app, guests can use this tool to access restaurant opening times, reviews or interactive tourist information maps or fifty-fifty create user-generated content.

ten.  Traveling less (& Staycations)

Travel restrictions in 2022 and 2022 have facilitated the rise of the staycation. Even with international travel opening back up, between airline price hikes, Covid testing requirements and the complicated bureaucracy involved in going abroad now, many deem strange travel either too expensive for a large family unit holiday or not worth the hassle for the weekend breaks of the past. Hence, opting in favor of the staycation trend instead, or but travelling much less than pre-pandemic levels.

In fact there is a multitude of reasons vacationers may likewise be choosing to stay closer to home, such as for environmental or budgeting reasons, with this year having seen a marked uptick in holidays spent more locally. Lucky for those who live in an already tourism-rich, picturesque country with a pleasant climate.

Today – Hospitality Industry 2.0

What does the future of hospitality agree? EHL faculty carried out an internal survey with a view to unearth the direction the industry is heading in. Overall, our faculty suggests the demand for hoteliers to properly embrace the above mentioned trends and understand what'due south at stakes. Six dimensions came out from our survey:

i. Standardization can no longer exist the norm

It is becoming critical to personalize and tailor the services to the needs and preferences of the traveler.

2. To create value, focus on niche markets

More than customization and specialization may enable increased value creation for hospitality companies. But be careful, as a respondent said, this requires to genuinely recall about the value proposition of your offer and not "simply branding and rebranding".

3. Exploit applied science every bit an accelerator for business

Engineering science volition be at the core of the hotel experience both in room, before and afterward the trip. This volition lead to the evolution of new concepts and more than innovation in the industry, and contribute to the emergence of an ever more individualized offer.

iv. Social responsibility is a moral and economic obligation

The bear on of global warming can today be considered a major risk for both corporations which may lose in revenues and profits, and society every bit a whole. It is thus critical for governments, merely even more then for corporations, to become more sustainable: "not only green, but existent sustainable business models".

People are condign increasingly sensitive to ecology and social issues. A respondent said that this "has to be considered in branding, only beware of green-washers: consumers are at present well-aware that window-dressing exists and they will not buy information technology."

5. Develop more responsive and resilient business models

"Tourism, despite ever-growing flows of travelers, will get riskier and more than prone to crises" every bit the number of travelers steadily continues to grow. This will be accompanied by increased regulation every bit a response to a disproportional increment in tourist flows in some places (eastward.1000. Venice or Barcelona).

Widespread lockdown, upturned work and childcare schedules accept afforded delivery services new importance this year. No longer content with (always) ordering the usual go-to pizza, Chinese or Indian takeaway, consumers are now looking to take things upwardly a notch. Not wanting to forego the frills of fine dining, they are now looking to emulate the feel at dwelling house. F&B outlets are making this possible by incorporating drinks deliveries and offering extras: atmospheric candles, QR-code playlists and unexpected freebies. Whilst hotels have played their part in supporting local medical needs and turning hotel rooms into alternative piece of work spaces for those tired with working from abode.

vi. Manage talents actively

The days of long-lasting employee retention besides as passive, hierarchical management styles are definitely gone. "Attracting, developing and keeping the correct talent into and inside the hospitality industry remains a cadre challenge."

Tomorrow – The Hospitality Manufacture 3.0?

While, as seen above, the consensus revolves effectually the need for the industry to evolve in club to better adapt to the current environment, some respondents were more 'farthermost' and suggested that hotel rooms, as we know them today, "will get a matter of the past".

These respondents refer to the touch on of the sharing economy and the tendency of today's customers to avoid traditional hotels. They believe that adjustments in the offer, like the ones listed higher up, are not sufficient and that the manufacture has to truly reinvent itself.

This standpoint is reinforced past the increasing importance of technology in the hospitality industry and the power that technology firms are acquiring. A respondent elaborates:

Major applied science firms will supersede nearly hotel brands, because they can offer technology solutions and create markets to attract customers. The traditional hospitality industry will evolve into niche markets (serving specific types of customers), or extremely luxury sector (so they can beget to pay their staff a reasonable salary). Those who tin can't identify their niche will go the money machines for technology companies. Some brands big enough may survive, but their business organization will go tougher.

While respondents are more than or less alarmist equally to the future of the manufacture, all notwithstanding concur that information technology has to evolve and reinvent itself in order to exploit the opportunities and cope with the challenges information technology faces. The only question remaining is up to which extent this transformation will take to take identify.

Need more resources on the travel, tourism and hospitality industry?

Hospitality Industry - all your questions answered

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Acquaintance Professor of Finance at EHL Lausanne

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Acquaintance Professor at EHL

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Source: https://hospitalityinsights.ehl.edu/hospitality-industry-trends

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