There is no sector of the world economy that has not been badly hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the hospitality industry is one of the hardest knocked down sectors from the viral outbreak. Analysts think that this industry may not recover to pre-COVID-19 levels until 2023 or even later.
Bookings have plunged, hotels have shut down and international tourist arrivals have plummeted. But this challenge is temporary, and with time the pandemic will be over – but how can the hotel industry recover? Here are some proactive steps that can help in providing actionable answers to this question:
Step Up with Cloud Technology
If there is anything that the pandemic has shown us all, it is the importance of working online or from home. Remote working is now the dominant trend everywhere. As a result of swift advances in the technological world, telecommuting is now more popular in the hotel and travel sector. Hoteliers now use cloud technology to handle various tasks and processes remotely. With computers and sophisticated software programs, they do not even need to be present physically to carry out these duties.
By adopting cloud-based property management systems (PMS), hoteliers can now carry out tasks and meet their clients’ needs seamlessly. Even though these PMS systems are not recent, the pandemic has made many hotels and recreational hubs start turning to them, and the benefits are there for all to see.
Make the Best of this Period
Even though the coronavirus has placed many things in a pause mode, it can still work out for good. The fact that hotels cannot work fully now does not mean all is lost. Instead of just waiting for the pandemic to be officially over, hotels can swing into action and embark on proper renovation and maintenance. This is the best time to do things like these because once the pandemic is over, it may not be easy to get these things sorted.
Get property management or asset improvement experts and schedule everything and get them done. This will be one of the best moves because once the pandemic is over and you want to start business fully, the guests will be more than delighted to see thoroughly renovated and excellently maintained hotels. If the hospitality industry is to recover correctly once the pandemic rolls over, it should use it to do deep cleaning and overall maintenance of their facilities.
Target the Millennial Population
Studies have shown that the millennials are the ones who are most interested in getting out of this phase and traveling across the globe once the pandemic is over. Although they are as concerned as everyone else, they are the ones who are most prepared and audacious enough to travel the world. They are some of the hospitality industry’s biggest consumers, and this trend is not going to recede.
Once the restrictions are lifted, millennials will be the ones to start traveling almost instantly. They are energetic, vibrant, curious and resourceful enough to travel the world – and they make constant use of the services of the hospitality industry in the process. For this industry to bounce back on time, there has to be a target and focus on the populace’s millennial section.
Perfect Food Delivery
Even during the pandemic, there are things that hoteliers can do to maximize sales from hotel restaurants. Marketing campaigns and sale strategies should be deployed to ensure that people get their food deliveries. Special discounts, deals and offers can be added to spice up everything.
Concierge applications should be perfected so that food deliveries can be done even without any verbal orders of any kind. This is an essential aspect of the hospitality industry and hotel chains that can figure this out stand to gain the most.
Stay on Top of the Information Game
Governments, ministries and health organizations keep reeling out loads of information and updates on the coronavirus pandemic during this period. As a responsible hotelier, make sure that you are well informed and fully updated on all the events. This will allow you to strategize better and know which techniques to deploy for the greatest effect. Being informed about the pandemic status means you will be more prepared for recovery when it is all over.
Conclusion
Although the coronavirus pandemic has unleashed severe devastation on the global economy, especially on industries like hospitality, not all hope is lost. The epidemic will undoubtedly be over at some point in time, but it will be left to businesses to stay afloat and recover.
Nothing lasts forever and that applies to Coronavirus too – but businesses will have to remain smart and proactive to be sustainable, viable, and profitable.
