The Hospitality Industry has seen better days than these.
We are at the bottom right now! Everyone is hoping for a light in the tunnel, but there is still too much uncertainty in the future.
The sad truth is that the Hospitality Industry was flourishing just when the Coronavirus hit the world.
We had plenty of jobs, and the companies were building new hotels and restaurants all over the world.
Global economic growth, low unemployment rates, and the thurst of the Millennials for international travels have fueled the Hotel Industry. Before the pandemic, the only worry the companies had was finding enough employees.
New trends were rising, as the World population grew wealthier, and the demand for luxury properties was through the roof.
The occupancy rates were very high, and the daily room rates were an all-time high. A new generation of tourists were looking for outdoor activities, an eco-friendly environment, and sustainability. The effects of globalization were all over the Hospitality Industry, and the management could no longer ignore it.
The forecasts were for continued growth through the 2021-2022, and the companies were investing in new properties and renovations.
Now everyone is scrambling for survival.
The Hospitality Industry employs millions of people, and while before the pandemic, there was a high demand for more workers, now millions of people are without a job.
Hotels and restaurants are closed all over the world.
But what the future holds?
Unfortunately, there is no clarity about the Coronavirus situation, and the near forecast for the food and beverage industry is bleak.
There is one certain thing, though: once the global pandemic is over, the global growth will continue, and the Industry will flourish once again.
Nothing can stop the modernization, the technology developments, and the desire of the people to travel.
-The global wealth has been rising for decades.
-The world population has been growing.
-The longevity of the people has been rising, and all that brings more business to the Hospitality!
More and more luxury hotels and restaurants will be open in the future! Many well-paying waiter jobs will be available. That will increase the demand for experienced, knowledgable staff. Now is the time to prepare for the good times by learning new skills, new languages, and getting the right experience.
What seems impossible right now will be a given in a few years! The globalization process will open for you many doors in the future! Working in the USA or Europe will be as easy as finding top jobs near you.
Once again, there will be so many Hotel jobs that the companies will compete for employees with better offers.
The robotization of the Hospitality jobs will never happen! Maybe some low paying, less skillful jobs will be taken by robots, but this will never happen in a la carte restaurants or luxury hotels.
How the future of restaurant service looks like, I doubt anyone knows, but it will require changes way beyond safety and sanitation protocols. We will have to invent new ways to serve our guests and meet their expectations.
As of right now, we are seeing lockdowns easing in the United States and Europe. We are seeing an increase in new cases on both continents as well. There are reports indicating that hotel web traffic shows early signs of positive trends, as prospective guests eager to return to travel tentatively book stays for the latter part of the year.
Hotels and airlines are offering free cancelation policies and that should help increase travel reservations.
Recently, The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) introduced ‘Safe Stay’, an industry-wide, enhanced standard of health and safety protocols.
Guest’s safety will be the primary concern for the hotel industry in the near future. The guests will view hotels under a microscope with perceived cleanliness and safety measures as primary factors in their decision to book a property.
While specific procedures may differ across properties, many properties will look to adopt the following changes:
Cleanliness
- Appoint a ‘Cleanliness Manager’
- Promote ‘cleaning protocols’ to guests
- Upgrade cleaning products and increase the frequency of disinfection and upkeep
- Enhance food and restaurant safety and sanitary processes
Safety
- Screen guests and employees for COVID-19 symptoms
- Maintain physical distance/barriers between guests and employees
- Require masks or protective equipment for staff and where applicable, guests
- Prohibit employees and guests who have recently traveled or visited high-risk areas
Contactless
- Leverage self-service and contact-free technology and services where applicable
- Digitize in-room and on-property items like menus, information, brochures, etc.
- Reconsider or revise some amenities and offering to avoid contact
Training
- Hold frequent meetings to clarify employee responsibilities and have ongoing training
- Prepare an action plan for event response procedures when alerted of a COVID-19 case
Historically, global events such as the coronavirus pandemic are a catalyst to industry transformation and innovation. Change is imminent, but so is our industry’s revival, and hotels will undoubtedly rise to the occasion.
Original source: https://www.hospitalitynet.org/opinion/4099946.html
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