It goes without saying that the pandemic and ensuing economic downturn, bigger than the 2008 recession, and the chaos caused by fluctuating demand, had a significant impact on the hospitality industry in 2020 and 2021, no doubt with lasting effects. Some innovative responses to this extraordinary situation, such as trying to lure customers back into the hospitality industry and reassuring visitors that it is safe to enjoy a hotel stay, have accelerated existing trends in the hospitality industry and triggered the lasting change.

In the meantime, a social change has taken place, also due to the change in values ​​after the acute phase of the pandemic. While 2020 and 2021 has seen significant increases in the popularity of stay-at-home, hygiene protocols and contactless technologies, which are now firmly integrated into the daily activities of hospitality businesses, some new trends are emerging. The increased consumer awareness of all things sustainable, useful, healthy and wellness has set new standards for hotel companies.

Here are some of the trends of 2022 in the hospitality industry. Let’s discuss.

‍

1. Hospitality Tech will become more integrated.

The hospitality software market is filled with niche solutions that aim to improve operations in a variety of ways. While this is a positive development, trying to juggle too many technology solutions can quickly become cumbersome and costly. Integration solutions that allow different technology tools to work together from a central interface should significantly improve this situation.

Integrated resorts that leverage multiple integrated systems across the resort enjoy benefits like finding new opportunities to cross-sell and upsell and create the kind of multi-service resort experiences that appeal to modern guests. On the operational side, the next generation of integrated technology stacks will make it easier for training new hires, allow teams to mentor or book guests as needed, and see all your data in one place.

‍

2. Contactless Operations are becoming a necessity.

Resorts should look to mobile and contactless enhancements to the booking experience. Mobile capabilities have become a must for guests to manage their stay on their own time and without outside involvement. Sticking with an analog approach can also easily overwhelm guest services and operations teams, especially during pandemic labor shortage times.

Gen X, Gen Y, Millennials and beyond expect a contactless, mobile-friendly experience from booking to checkout. These guests are less likely to pick up the phone to make an inquiry or send an email. They want a simple, no-fuss experience to get what they need from the resort.

‍

3. Resorts Pushing To Reclaim Their Inventory.

The “love-hate relationship” between travel providers like Expedia and inventory providers (like airlines, resorts, car rentals, etc.) is likely to change as resorts upgrade their tech stacks. There is always a cost involved in putting your inventory in someone else’s. or in someone else’s market.

By upgrading their tech stack and working on their own direct channels and user experiences, hotels and resorts can begin to reclaim some of that inventory and take back control over how they sell it. Through direct channels, hotels and resorts can easily create personalized promotions and offers, manage real-time pricing, and keep guests informed of changes to their reservations.

Ultimately, restoring your inventory is about improving the bottom line.

‍

4. Cryptocurrency.

Resorts World recently made headlines for its partnership with Gemini, a cryptocurrency exchange that facilitates the sale and storage of digital assets. The partnership will allow guests to pay for certain services using cryptocurrencies.

While this is still a new area and unlikely to see widespread adoption across all target markets any time soon, cryptocurrencies will continue to grow in popularity for generations. Recent research shows that one in four millennials owns a lot of cryptocurrencies.

‍