COVID-19 and Hospitality: How Emerging Technologies are Saving this Relationship

With the growing changes and developments in the digital world, many industries and businesses need to adapt to these changes to stay in the competition. After a decade, every industry needs to upgrade its business processes, the same is the case with the hospitality and food & beverage industry.

Many hotels are adapting actively to technological changes, and this interest has increased furthermore with the advent of COVID-19. This pandemic has turned many industries upside down, and hospitality is no different. But as travel is resuming, the hotel industry has started to integrate new and innovative ways to overcome the downfall caused by this epidemic.

The advent of emerging technologies in the hospitality business

To survive this pandemic, businesses need to update their business operations and adapt to the process of digital transformation. Many organizations from the hospitality industry are adapting to the below-mentioned emerging technologies to automate and streamline your hospitality experience and travel.

We have prepared an overview of the current digital transformation trends in the hotels and what technologies are being added and where:

1.      Internet of Things (IoT)

According to a survey, the number of current IoT connected devices is anticipated to reach the 21.5 billion-unit mark by 2025. Here are a few ways in which the Internet of Things can be embraced by the hotels:

1.1   Check-in

Transforming the check-in experience with IoT by letting the customers do self-check-ins. These features help reduce the wait time and provides complete access to the room to the consumer through their mobile apps.

1.2  Smart rooms

With the help of IoT, the guests can manage their room amenities such as lighting, thermostat setting,       and media devices through their mobile apps.

1.3  Voice Control

Voice control is another exciting and innovative feature provided by IoT. With voice control, a guest can easily take advantage of devices such as Alexa and Google home. Voice control can also provide automated order tracking in restaurants and cafes, which would reduce the waiting time.

2.     Artificial Intelligence

With Artificial Intelligence, the consumer experience can be taken to a new level, with increased consumer satisfaction.

2.1  Chatbots

Chatbots that are powered by Artificial Intelligence, can help the guests to get assistance regarding rooms, saving up on the staff’s time. These chatbots can track the user’s cookies to analyze consumer data such as shopping lists, spa/salons, and food choices to provide a more personalized experience.

3.     Blockchain technology

The potential use cases of Blockchain technology in hospitality industry are numerous, while some of them are already being used in a transformative manner. Here are a few of them:

3.1  Secure Payments

This is the most obvious application of Blockchain technology in the hospitality industry. Acceptance of payments in cryptocurrency could help make the entire payment system transparent, safe, and global ledger.

3.2 Loyalty Programmes

With Blockchain technology, loyalty programmes can be easily created and distributed through digital tokens. This would make it easier for consumers to access their points and redeem them.

3.3 Baggage Tracking

The use cases of Blockchain extend to things such as luggage tracking. The centralized nature of Blockchain technology can help to easily track the luggage and overcome the logistics issues.

4.     Mobile Apps

Mobile Apps are one of the most convenient ways to connect with your guests, during their stay at y0ur hotel. Mobile Apps help to explore many possibilities to improve the consumer experience. Android app development organizations & iOS app development organizations would help you to get the best of these advantages.

4.1  Booking

One of the quickest and safest ways to book a hotel room is with a Mobile App. You can easily keep a record of your bookings, and it also provides you with personalized payment methods.

4.2Communication

You can easily communicate with the hotel staff with the help of a mobile app. The staff can also easily respond to the guest’s requests and update them with the required information.

4.3 Staff productivity

Hotel managers can increase the efficiency of their staff through mobile apps. They can mark the attendance, track the staff, and create task lists for each member through these apps.

Conclusion

Digital transformation has already arrived, and it is the future of every industry including the hospitality industry. In the upcoming decades, if the hotels don’t adopt these technologies they might get outdated and lose their business. Summarising the above-said points, it can be confidently stated that emerging technologies would provide many advantages to this industry.

So, it’s high time to adopt emerging technologies and make your business immune to a pandemic such as COVID-19.

Debut Infotech is a leader in the mobile app development organization, providing you a range of services from launch to maintenance for your Mobile App.

Get in touch with us now at info@debutinfotech.com to enjoy our vast technical expertise in developing Apps leveraging the new technologies for the hospitality industry.