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Implications of current and potential trends in the hospitality industry

Implications of current and potential trends in the hospitality industry

This article aims to analyse and appraise the implications of current and potential trends in the hospitality industry. The term ‘trend’ refers to a general development or change in a situation or in the way that people are behaving (Cambridge University, 2019). It goes without saying that the global hospitality industry is going through a wide range of developments. The behaviour of tourists is changing very rapidly was well. These changes and developments certainly put enormous pressure on the hospitality businesses such as hotels, airlines, bars, and restaurants to be adaptive and take pro-active actions to keep pace with time.

Implications of current and potential trends in the hospitality industry

This article addresses top 5 current and potential trends and their implications on the hospitality industry as follows:

Focus on sustainability

Many of today’s tourists are concerned about the negative impacts of tourism on the environment, natural resources, and local community. They want economically viable tourism activities which also need to have minimal (if not none) negative impacts. As a result, many hotels use smart light bulbs and smart heating to save energy. Likewise, many restaurants have already removed plastic straws from their service. Indeed, sustainability is one of the hottest current trends which is likely to be around in many years to come if not forever!

Focus on local experience

Many tourists can no longer be satisfied with superficial tourist activities, as they crave for authenticity and local experience. They like to enjoy local customs, culture, food, and lifestyles. Therefore, tourism businesses in many countries now provide tourists with opportunities to enjoy authentic local experience. For example, many tour operators offer services for tourists to experience African local cultures in countries such as Botswana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania, and Zambia, to name but a few.

Healthy and organic food & drinks

Tourists did not much care about healthy food and drink while travelling in the past. However, those days are over. They are now very aware of the impact of unhealthy food and drink on their health. Consequently, restaurants and bars are changing their offerings as well. They often offer gluten free, low fat, vegetarian, vegan and organic food & beverages for locals and tourists alike.

Voice of the millennials

There is no doubt that millennials travel frequently. Therefore, listening to them and addressing their needs and wants are extremely important for the hospitality businesses. Hotels providing guests with free Wi-Fi and easy check-in service, and restaurants providing them with gourmet dining experience at affordable price are some examples to consider in this regard. In fact, millennials are going to be the main tourist group very soon.

Technology

Hospitality industry has changed dramatically over the years due to technological revolution. Tourism sector was once dominated by travel agents, but not anymore. Today, tourists have the freedom to do everything about their holiday from the comfort of their keyboard. Wi-Fi, high speed Internet connectivity, augmented and virtual reality (AR & VR), and artificial intelligence are shaping the current hospitality industry (Global Data Plc, 2019). No wonder why many airlines now use VR technology to show travellers the cabins in advance to influence their buying decisions. Certainly, technological disruptions will continue to shape the hospitality industry in the future; and therefore, businesses need to develop their IT strategies to address the business demands and challenges accordingly.

We hope the article ‘Implications of current and potential trends in the hospitality industry’ has been helpful. You may also like reading Positive and negative impacts of tourism and Sustainable tourism. Other relevant articles for you are:

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Last update: 23 November 2019

References:

Cambridge Dictionary (2019) Meaning of Trend in English, available at: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/trend  (accessed 21 November 2019)

Global Data Plc, (2019) Top 6 technology trends to watch out for in the travel and tourism industry in 2018, available at: https://www.globaldata.com/top-6-technology-trends-watch-travel-tourism-industry-2018/  (accessed 22 November 2019)

Photo credit: Pixabay

Author: Joe David

Joe David has years of teaching experience both in the UK and abroad. He writes regularly online on a variety of topics. He has a keen interest in business, hospitality, and tourism management. He holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Management Studies and a Post Graduate Diploma in Marketing Management.

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