(Source : Pexel)
This is no secret that the era of digitalisation is affecting our diverse industries. Focused on a customer-centred delivery of services, the Tourism and Hospitality (T&H) industry is also adapting an ever-changing environment.
Digital technologies and tools are transforming the T&H industry throughout the value chain and its actors.
In January 2018, Daniel Newman, Broadsuite Media Group CEO and Forbes contributor, delivers the “Top 6 Digital Transformation Trends in Hospitality and Tourism” on Forbes.com. For D.Newman, these trends are the ones with the greatest impact on modern Tourism and Hospitality.
In his article, the contributor briefly introduces Mobile integration, AI & Chatbots, Integration of Internet of Things (IoT), Focus on Data, Reputation, as well as Virtual Reality.
For each of these trends, at least one business is used to illustrate the reality within the industry, such as Marriott’s chatbots and AirBNB’s business model. This shows that Tourism and Hospitality professionals from around the world are invested and investing in efficiently adopting the digital trends. The techniques and tools used might be different but the goals stay the same: offer better services and products that are adapted to customer expectations; stay competitive on the market and so on.
In the article, the trends can be divided in 4 categories: Ubiquity, Automation, New realities, Online Information.
UBIQUITY
UBIQUITY
Tourism and Hospitality professionals must work with both the Mobile Integration and the Integration of IoT, as they can go hand in hand in this area. Being available and accessible 24/7 on all usable platforms is now a necessity in order to be more visible and connected to the customers when they wish to.
With the development of AI and tools like Chatbots, the Automation of some services such as online help centres, reservation and more is a reality for many within the industry, from boutique hotels to DMOs. There is still a long way before Chatbots can be efficiently used to hold complex conversations with their human customers. However, this is a trend that is closely monitored and invested on buy a plethora of industries, Tourism and Hospitality industry being one of them with global chains such as Marriott.
Virtual reality and Augmented reality form the third category of digital trends: New realities. The two technologies are used to promote destinations and services as well as to enhance the overall experience for customers following the idiom that a picture is worth a thousand words.
The final category is linked to Data and Reputation. Data is the new gold for Tourism and Hospitality businesses. It enables professionals to adapt their offers to the growing expectations of customers by collecting, analysis and interpreting information on customers around the world. The recent scandals linked to Data (misuse and hacking) as well as the upcoming European GDPR help reopen topics such as data security, B2C trust in data gathering. The financial losses of companies such as Facebook (2018) or United Airlines (2017) following negative media coverage and online backlash also reinforce the idea that businesses now more than ever must work on strengthening their E-reputation (online reputation) and digital communication plan.
D.Newman finishes his piece by a last reminder to tourism and hospitality professionals: the tools should not replace the actual experience.
Indeed, this is a recurring topic in the industry and a central question. Nowadays, those digital trends represent opportunities that are increasingly invested upon. However, some technologies such as the Virtual/Augmented Reality are not as vastly present as technologies linked to Mobile integration and Data gathering and protection.
Thus, to what extent should professionals use those tools without losing their customers to the digital technology itself? Are there areas better off without digital tools in the Tourism and Hospitality sphere?
Comment below!
Posted by Qianyao CHEN and Gaelle BULGARE
SOURCES
Abramovich, G. (2017, June 02). 15 Mind-Blowing Stats About Digital Trends In Travel And Hospitality. Retrieved April 16, 2018, from http://www.cmo.com/features/articles/2017/5/5/15-mind-blowing-stats-about-digital-trends-in-travel-hospitality-tlp-ddm.html#gs.=UPkdOY
Home Page of EU GDPR. (n.d.). Retrieved April 15, 2018, from https://www.eugdpr.org/
Newman, D. (2018, January 02). Top 6 Digital Transformation Trends in Hospitality and Tourism. Retrieved April 9, 2018, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/danielnewman/2018/01/02/top-6-digital-transformation-trends-in-hospitality-and-tourism/#446748b667df
Rezdy. (2017). Travel Statistics for Tour Operators - Learn About Online Booking Behavior. Retrieved April 16, 2018, from https://www.rezdy.com/resource/travel-statistics-for-tour-operators/
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