How Adaptive is Your Hospitality Business? Thinking Beyond Crisis Management
If the last two years have taught us anything, it’s that all businesses need to be adaptive to the world around them. Of course, with the pandemic in play, many in the hospitality industry have been in crisis management mode and haven’t had a chance to really think about long-term strategies. This industry has definitely been one of the hardest hit by the global crisis and the repercussions are still being felt.
That being said, it’s time to start trying to look beyond crisis management and begin making long-term plans for your business again. It’s time to take the lessons in adaptability from the global pandemic and see how you can apply them to your business for the future. The goal should always be stability with the ability to adapt to changing circumstances—whatever they may be.
Here are some questions to ask yourself as you begin to look at your goals for your hospitality business:
Are You Taking Advantage Of Technology?
If you want to think about an ever changing world, technology is the place to start. It is constantly evolving, advancing, changing and growing. Its impact on our lives is also constantly changing and growing. There are so many ways that digitalization can improve the way a hospitality business is run for both the staff and the guests.
A key area to focus on is the online booking aspect of your business. This is something that more and more people are getting into, especially when it comes to planning holidays and booking accommodation. People are no longer turning to travel agents and would prefer to book directly with the accommodation or through a review platform that allows them to have control.
Contactless technology has also become incredibly important to consider in the wake of the pandemic. Having check-in at hotels be contactless or done without any human contact required has become a major selling point for guests. In restaurants, the ability to order via a mobile app or use a QR code to get the menu is another big innovation that people really like.
Are You Always Innovating?
Staying at the forefront of technology innovations with ideas that make sense for your business is a great way to keep your business adaptable to changing times. It’s important to keep abreast of new technology and digital trends that you could use in your business to improve how your staff operates and how your customers interact with you.
However, being adaptable is not just about technology. It’s also about how your business operates and the services that you offer to your customers. For example, restaurants that started offering takeout and deliveries to their customers when lockdowns took effect were the ones that largely survived 2020 and 2021. Those that weren’t able to adapt their service weren’t able to stay open.
Even without a pandemic dramatically shifting the way the world operates, you should always be on the lookout for changing trends. It’s always good to put your customer at the heart of your thinking when it comes to adapting to the world around you. If you’re constantly asking what your customer needs and wants, you’ll be able to make changes to your business that make sense and keep you relevant.
Is Your Marketing Working For You?
A marketing strategy should never be static. It should be a living, breathing guidebook you use to understand your target audience and redefine your messaging. Most marketing experts would advise that you update your strategy yearly in order to ensure that you stay on top of what is happening in the world.
The most important element of your marketing should always be to understand your customer and what they need from you. This will direct where you focus your marketing efforts and how you craft the message that you send out. It’s essential that you understand the climate you’re marketing in as people will no longer tolerate mistimed messages that don’t resonate with what the world is going through.
In 2022, you should have your own website with a booking portal, your own social media profiles on relevant platforms, and paid media campaigns running. If you don’t have an in-house team to run these elements for you, it’s important to hire a marketing agency or a freelance professional to help out.
Do You Have A Solid Communication Strategy?
Communication is vital when it comes to being adaptive to the world around you. There needs to be a reliable flow of information into your business from the outside world so that you can make informed decisions about any changes you should be making. On the flip side, you also need to be able to communicate these changes effectively to your staff and to your customers.
One thing that came out of the pandemic is that travelers want to know that hotels and other accommodations are always up to date with the current status of events. People want to know that you are in communication with local authorities about lockdown regulations. That you have a reliable source of information about infection numbers and know how to keep things sanitized. As well as that you can disseminate this information to your staff and your guests.
It’s important to take some time to solidify your communication strategy, so that everyone is on the same page. Having clear sources of information that you regularly review will help you to know that you are on top of trends, as well as local and global events. Your business will operate a lot better if you have a clear line of communication and way of communicating anything important to your staff and your guests.
The Way Forward
The last two years have been a rollercoaster ride for the hospitality industry. Now it’s time to think a little bit further ahead and implement new strategies in the wake of a changing world. The way things were is no longer, but we now have greater insight into what the future holds and how to make the most of it.
Author: Ellen Klein
