Latest Technology in Hospitality Industry
Hospitality is a word derived from the Latin word “Hospes” means a visitor. Hospitality means extending a warm welcome to a visitor, offering a home away from own home.
The Hospitality Industry is vast sector, which includes all economic activities that contribute to and depend upon travel or tourism directly or indirectly. This sector includes hotels, resorts, clubs, catering system, etc.
Hospitality is one of the oldest businesses of biblical times. It was first begun with Europe and Switzerland who developed special accommodation and services for travellers.
In late 1800’s the concept of tourism and hospitality spread over all the country seeking cultural and natural exposures on guided tours in the Swiss alps, train rides, wellness tourism, etc.
The new Hospitality concepts and innovation changing the hospitality industry and grows and evolves with technology and trends in 21st century.
The soft skills such as critical thinking, agility and adaptability, effective communication, imagination and curiosity are the skills developed in the industry.
Smart technology is changing everything. The hospitality Industry is leading a charge in adoption of smart business technology. Hospitality technology describes a wide range of IT, e-commerce, technology solutions to increase automation and decrease staff workload in the hospitality industry.
Nowadays, the hospitality industry is helping business streamline their processes, reduce costs, lower staff loads, increase revenue generation potential and customer experience delivery in the field of operations, guest experience and marketing.
Technology advances have played a significant role in the widespread adoption of voice search, augmented reality, artificial intelligence and internet of things. Contactless payments, mobile check -in have emerged in various hotels, restaurants, resorts, airports, etc. and helping them in the reduction of friction and waiting times.
The coronavirus pandemic has accelerated some behaviours especially concerning hygiene. This pandemic has strong impact on contactless payments technology, mobile check-in, cleaning technology such as robots cleaning, etc. These have minimized the direct human to human contact.
Some of the latest technology discovered in hospitality industry are:
- Online Booking
The most apparent technology in the hotel industry is hotel online booking. The internet access the information easily and transparent. Information such as check-in,check-out times, facilities available in hotels, rates, deals of hotels etc. allows guest to take informed decision. Many popular websites such as booking.com, agoda.com, many hotel chains of websites are used to access information.
- Voice Search
Voice search is growing technology trend in the hospitality industry. Many guests are turning to voice search in many activities like for searching and booking hotels online, using smart speakers in hotels, allowing for control of in-room devices, to automated order taking to restaurants, cafes, etc.
- Contactless Payments
This technology trend is becoming compatible with increasing payments, and customer satisfaction. Also offers the advantages of using contactless payments in hotels, restaurants, cafes, resorts, etc.
- Robots in Hotels and Restaurants
The most exciting technology is developed with the rise of robotics and the use of robots to perform task provided by hotels, concierge role in Hotels, welcoming guests, providing information to them, cleaning rooms in hotels through vaccum cleaners.
- Check-in/Check-out
This is another technology which serves the need of face to face interaction and helps to improve customer interaction during check-in and check-out.
- Recognition Technology
This technology is emerging rapidly in the hospitality industry and becoming quite interesting where biometrics are used in the new age of seamless authentication. This technology is used in hotels to unlock the rooms. This will be used in seamless purchases with payments being authentic by touch in future.
- Artificial Intelligence
The computer-controlled robot to perform various tasks associated with intelligent beings. In the modern age, customers are expected to interact with various hospitality companies across various digital channels and receives rapid responses.
- Internet Of Things (IoT)
The network of physical objects which are embedded with sensors, software and other technologies for connecting and exchanging of data with other devices or system over internet.
An example in the hospitality sector is internet enabled thermostats which adjust room temperatures during check-in and check-out times automatically depending upon climate change. Other examples are electronic key cards which are used during check-in /check-out facilities using NFT Technology.
The use of technology in the hospitality industry has helped to speed up operations and helped travelling process more enjoyable and efficient. The technology not only helped large chain of hotels but smaller companies in the industry. The hospitality sector is highly competitive and is important to move on with the times. Customer expectations are always shifting on the basis of new technologies introduced.