Hello everybody! Welcome. Today is Friday. And Happy New Year 2022. We took a little break and now we are back in the new year.
Ok, so today is going to be a very important topic, it’s a touching subject for almost everybody right now, which is how to overcome this COVID-19 and how we are going to come out of this soaring.
So, let’s first break down the whole situation and then we’ll take a step by step look at ways things can be improved and what we are facing exactly. So let’s get into it.
Ok, so, it’s two years later guys. It’s two years later. I was talking to a client earlier today from 2019 and we were just kind of comparing notes about how our conversation was different from when we first met till now. And what is the new normal? And why the hell are we still talking about this? I’m sure everyone knows somebody that has Covid right now, right at this moment. And it doesn’t seem like it’s slowing down at all. So, what are we going to do? And how are we all going to deal with this?
So, today we’re going to go into top concerns brought by Covid, actionable tips and ideas and technological initiatives for you in the hospitality industry.
Ok, so. Ok maybe if you are in Miami it’s a little bit different than if you’re in other markets in the US or in Europe. And right now in Mexico, I know they've just stopped, they put it in a yellow zone, which means that people now need to… not go out, you know, refrain from going out. So, it doesn’t seem like it’s going away. And what is the… You know, how are we going to deal with this uncertainty?
Ok, so let’s take a look at the landscape now. The top concerns. When are we going to be fully operational? And how will the landscape be different? The labor market also is in issue. So many other combating factors. So, these are the top concerns that we’ve laid out and please mention if you think we’re missing something or if you have something, or something else that you want to add to this list.
Wage increase. Business travel is basically done. Inflation. And then the need for digitalization, the need for automation.
Ok, so… Obviously the hotel industry, the tourism industry is hardest hit and these are the things that people are doing now. I spoke with a client in Thailand and he’s converting his whole hotel to senior living because there’s no other use case for it right now. Even though the people are allowed to go to the country, people aren’t coming. So, what he did is he took all of the staff… All of the most loyal staff that had been with him for a while… He has three hotels on a beach in Thailand and he placed them all into one hotel and he converted the two other buildings now into senior living facilities.
Obviously check-in/check-out procedures. So, no more front desks, no more traditional (ERROR: NOT AUDIBLE)... anyhow… But now there’s even a bigger need for this kind of digitalization.
Ok, flexibility measures. Allowing flexibility for cancellations, allowing flexibility for shorter stays. Keep the money inside the booking, give them the flexibility to do whatever they want with that booking. And then of course (ERROR: NOT AUDIBLE)...
Even though it might be said as seamless, it’s not seamless. There’s a lot of work that still needs to be done on the technology to connect the core with the mobile apps with the integrations that are necessary in order to make it a… Really like a one-shot seamless experience.
Ok, so, what are some initiatives? So, obviously digital transformation is still at the top of the list. Hotels are moving forward in different rates and now people have to start thinking about critical applications that are going to improve their operations. So, the industry is not moving as fast as it could, but I’m hopeful that eventually people are going to get there. Also there’s so much new technology that people could tap into. For example, with us we have a new infrastructure called Second Generation Packaging, which basically enables us to deploy the package to you in the most optimized way possible, with all the updates, with the website, with the mobile apps, all in one-shot, all on the same codebase, including the POS. This has many, many advantages because you don’t need to rely on outdated code from one app while another part of the app is updated, but then there’s a conflict.
So, this is a good time for everyone to think about these changes, implement these changes, start looking at the solutions and really, really taking steps into action.
Ok, contactless check-in/check-out, touchless digital menu, ticketing, personalized guest, membership/loyalty programs, booking engine. Even though these are buzzwords that we’ve heard for a while, all of these things can be drastically improved.
Smart tech is the only answer, guys. Smart tech is the answer that is going to… At least it is not going to solve the issues, but is definitely going to make things a lot easier for you to manage your business, reopen safely, find ways to produce revenue by being flexible with the policies, with the rates, with updates through your booking engine, with your POS… And all these other core components of the systems that you need to operate.
So, I’m hopeful (NOT AUDIBLE) going to come back, I’m hopeful that… You know, we are all probably going to get Covid and then just be done with it. So, everyone just needs to be hopeful and know that there’s a bigger force out there that we know… Can… You know, we have to just think about the substance in our minds and we can create a better reality outside.
So, I’m very hopeful guys that occupancy will go up, the tech is just getting better and better. And is just going to be there for you to adopt.
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And have a great weekend, guys. Happy New Year everyone!
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