The Hospitality Landscape Has Changed. Here’s How to keep Current in Your Business

The hospitality industry has been around since 15,000 BCE, but over the last 100 years, or more specifically the last 10 years – the hospitality landscape has changed, but it seems to be a little tumultuous. These modernizations and advances in technology and service have provided customers with a new way to experience the hospitality industry.

In today’s article, we’re going to take a look at what specifically has changed, and what you can do as a business to stay ahead of the curve and stay with the times to grow bigger than ever before.

How has the Hospitality Landscape Changed?

The hospitality industry is massive, covering businesses in different areas that all provide services to their customers. Businesses like hotels, food and beverage suppliers, travel, and even just generic services that you provide to an individual.

In the last 10 years, all of these industries have become more streamlined, more affordable and more modern overall. Many people reference this boom in hospitality as the “next-generation” where the younger generation are less-outgoing, more private, and less eager to spend time and money on going away or eating out. Whilst this is true for physical visits, they are more than happy to spend equal parts of time and money on food delivery apps, or AirBnbs for more private stays away.

Technology online has grown massively, and mostly around the way we find, book, and pay for anything within the hospitality industry. Companies like Expedia, where you can find cheap flights, book hotels and almost plan your full holiday from one website, have truly made the experience more convenient for people wanting to go away.

Not to mention, services such as Airbnb allow home owners from all over the world to put their properties up as if they were a hotel, meaning less chained-hotels are being booked out as the younger generation prefer to have exclusivity when staying away. This has had a big impact on major hotel chains, despite them being booked up still.

Even the way we order food and drinks has changed. Gone are the days of long queues and slow preparations for food and drink, with some major restaurant chains such as McDonalds and Costa using self-service kiosks to allow for better revenue, and a more convenient experience for their customers. Not to mention the idea of using food delivery apps such as Uber Eats, Just Eat or the Kayana App that allow for seamless and rapid ordering, payment, and delivery of your favorite foods and drinks all from the palm of your hand.

How to keep up-to-date in the Hospitality Industry

Keeping up in the hospitality industry in general can be a tough feat, as with ever changing processes and innovation of technology. We’ve got a nice list of ways to keep up to date in an ever-changing hospitality-orientated world, so jump into it.

Innovate through Necessities

Innovation in the hospitality industry occurs all the time, and with recent advancements of technology there is no reason as to why you shouldn’t try upgrade the bare necessities. No matter if you’re operating a hotel, café, or major restaurant chain – unless you’re looking to stay outdated.

For Hotels, looking are improving rooms or on-site restaurants using any of the following will allow you to stay ahead of competitors but ensure your customers are happy. They include;

• Digital Room Access and Check-In Machines
• Smart-Technology such as Amazon’s Alexa, or Google’s Nest.
• Fast Self-Service Technologies such as Check-In machines, or Self-Ordering Machines for Food & Drink options.
• Provide both efficiency and convenience such as delivery systems, or self-service kiosks allowing for better revenue and convenience for both you and your customers.

If your business is unable to provide the bare minimum for convenience and offering then it may fall behind, and could be a roadblock for your plans for expansion.

Are you a restaurant or café owner who wants to stay with the times? Why don’t you chat to us about our Kayana Self-Service kiosks that allows you to save time, turn over more business and provide your customers with a better experience overall. Our kiosks are built for you, and can be used in a number of ways. Get in touch with us today and arrange a call to find out more about our revolutionary kiosks.

Convenience is Bigger than Ever

Convenience is bigger than ever before, with more and more people wanting to stay at home and have items delivered, or be able to order through self-service kiosks at a café or restaurant is much faster and easier which will keep your customers happy, as well as keep them returning for years to come.

This level of convenience can be achieved in a number of ways, but may need some extra time and effort on your part to ensure the best service possible. You could;

• Use Self-Service Kiosks for faster customer service, and therefore a better experience.
• Use a Guest-Centric mindset, what is causing people stress or worries, what would they improve?
• Go the extra-mile with customers. Don’t hold-back on service offering and aim to make a difference in your industry.

Are you a restaurant or café owner that doesn’t offer delivery services? Do this! Did you know that millennials and Gen Z are spending the vast majority of their paychecks on self-service and delivery of food, and is actually the second biggest outgoing on an average month after food-shopping. Not to mention that 52% of businesses using online or mobile payment methods noticed it encourages customers to spend more.

Final Notes

Overall, the next 10 years for the hospitality industry in general will be a bumpy ride, but with more modernization and advancements – we can only see it growing into a much bigger industry than it’s been before. We look forward to the next few years, but as always if we can help you implement a self-service kiosk in your business then be sure to get in touch and see how we can help your business.