Cloud Computing for Hotelier

We based our third article on an interview of Anthony Lee, partner at Flatgate LLP. 
This interview, published by Hotel-industry.co.uk, is useful to understand why some hoteliers remain sceptical about cloud computing technology.

Please find below the reference of the article we chose: 

"Cloud Computing for Hoteliers", published on April 2012 and retrieved from http://www.hotel-industry.co.uk/2012/04/cloud-computing-for-hoteliers

1. A technological breakthrough benefiting the hospitality industry.

As a major innovation, the global could-computing market will generate more than 150 billion dollars in 2014.  Anthony Lee defined this new technology as following: “cloud computing means using remote computers to host software and store data which can then be accessed over the internet or other data network “.

Nowadays many hoteliers benefit from placing their key business processes in cloud-based software. As we have seen before - with the case of the IHG group - one of the stakeholders of the hospitality industry has already embraced the use of advanced analytics and cloud computing for economic and operational reasons.

However, there is still uncertainty regarding the benefits and risks about cloud computing. Therefore, several companies remain sceptical about investing in this new technology.

2. How to prevent risks arising from cloud computing. 

Hoteliers must consider some risks when they move through a cloud-based strategy.

First of all, hotels are in charge of ensuring the security of customers’ personal data. A blind trust, based on exchange and interactions, between the provider and hotelier is mandatory.

The supplier of cloud computing solutions has to use secure facilities and must be prepared to hack attacks. As long as privacy laws are at stake, hoteliers have to carefully set up contracts with their suppliers. The contract must be easy to suspend and terminate if necessary. Moreover, the company running the cloud service usually provides an assurance to the hotel, in order to protect its interest in the case of a leak of personal information.

Another concern, linked to data protection, is the transfer of personal data from a country to another. As an example, exporting data from Europe to USA can be a source of risk because law regulations are different. US state agencies can actually have access to customers data without the company agreement.  The risk can be handled by suppliers but once again; this concern must be discussed when setting up the contract. 

ऀTo conclude, for any business, but especially hoteliers, please find the questions to ask the service provider before investing in this tool. The uses for cloud applications, the cloud support, terms and conditions and cloud security are concerns that must be taken into account with a lot of attention.

As long as these risks are measured and well managed through a reasonable contract, hoteliers can start to take advantage of the multiple benefits offered by the cloud computing.  They are now able to extend the life of their existing systems, reduce upgrades costs and finally convert capital expenditure to operational expenditures.

Marie Astrid Barral & Baptiste Lignel

References of additional articles used:

• http://www.hospitalitynet.org/news/4051622.html

• http://www.smallbusiness.co.uk/running-a-business/technology-in-business/2225868/questions-small-businesses-should-ask-about-cloud-computing-cloud-applications-support-and-security.thtml

How the Tourism & Hospitality Industry can take advantage from Pinterest ?

For the people who haven’t heard about this particular branch of social media, Pinterest was been created in 2010, and allows users to share photos and classifiy them within different themes and groups (food, hobbies, fashion, etc). You may wonder how this social media could be advantageous for the tourism industry, so let us take a closer look...
To get a better idea here are some numbers :
Pinterest, has 70 million users (Last updated 10/07/13)
Only 8% of European internet users have a Pinterest account (19/01/14)
Pinterest’s growth in international traffic in 2013 : 125% (24/10/13)

These numbers highlight the fact that even if European users have not adopted this social media yet, Pinterest is growing at such a fast rate that the Tourism & Hospitality industry should rapidly consider it’s advantages !



Pinterest for DMO’s
Destination marketing organizations (DMO’s) represent the entire city and can advise on hotels, restaurants, and activities. Some destinations have already successfully adopted Pinterest to communicate with users, we can take the example of  Visit Savannah with already 12,000 followers after only three months. The destination organized on Pinterest about 50 boards sharing various photos such as «Savannah St. Patrick’s Day», «Savannah Dining» or «Savannah Events & Things to do». By choosing to communicate with visual content DMO’s can observe a real infatuation from Pinterest users, visitors can already picture themselves and pin the places they want to visit, where they might want to stay or where they would like to eat. It is a real attractive way to discover and plan holidays or events.


Pinterest for Hotels
Like DMOs hotels can enjoy Pinterest as a new e-marketing strategy, they can communicate about their facilities, catering options, meeting space or event sector. As an example we can mention the Four Seasons Hotel in Austin who created a Pinterest page with various ideas of day trips, travel tips and upcoming events which allows visitors to organize their trips almost by only visiting this page. We can also comment on the initiative taken by the Austrian Hotel Klausnerhof who decided to communicate about their glacier-hotel in Tyrol and the beautiful places that surround it  through magical photos. Finally The Ritz-Carlton Chicago decided to create their Pinterest page with a specific focus on weddings, their board includes various information regarding the wedding packaging and facilities that the hotel can offer. By pinning and sharing hotels pictures, the Pinterest users allow the hotel to benefit from a wider network and strengthen their web spread. 

Pinterest for Restaurants
Similar to Facebook, restaurants can create on Pinterest different sub-categories to communicate their menus, cocktails or event packages. This new tool represents a real opportunity for restaurants to attract customers, what could be better than pictures to communicate about food ? Sharing photos of your new food menu, your specials and your event set up can really be a new and easy way to market a restaurant.

Even if Pinterest is still not a major social media, the hospitality and tourism industry should follow the movement and take advantage of all this new possibilities to market, share and communicate with users.

Sources :
http://expandedramblings.com/index.php/pinterest-stats/#.UxcA4F4rLfQ
http://maximizesocialbusiness.com/hospitality-industry-pinterest-6246/
http://www.sheilasguide.com/2012/01/18/pinterest-and-tourism-visual-inspiration-for-your-visitors/