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The question about who should lead the commercial effort has been a debate among hospitality professionals for a long time. Most hospitality leaders would agree that implementing Total Hotel Revenue Management has been more of a mythical destination than a reality, in part due to the territorial obstacles associated with merging the traditional sales, marketing, and revenue management roles into a singularly focused effort. But now the ultimate reset button, COVID-19, presents most organizations with a unique opportunity to build the organization that matches their vision, without the cost (and pain) associated with dismantling an existing team. The big question is: Who is the ideal commercial leader today and what is the most desirable career path an aspiring leader can take to get there?
We are all aware of the many articles that stress the importance of storytelling by hotels. Today. we see some hotels and brands being active with blogs, posts on social media, and influencer initiatives.. a myriad of fragmented efforts on isolated islands of content. not connected or integrated into hotel websites or consumer booking journeys. That being said, we all agree that a well-executed storytelling strategy allows consumers to connect with a unique hotel or brand experience. What is it that hotels and brands could undertake to turn their storytelling content into an actionable asset-class in the discovery/search and booking journey?
As lockdowns start to lift, hotel bookings are beginning to pick up. Despite ongoing COVID concerns, people are eager to venture out again and this is very good news as long as travel is managed responsibly, with effective preventative measures in place. With positive signs now visible, lodging operators can look forward to and plan for increasing occupancy rates with more confidence. According to McKinsey s research, the pandemic has accelerated digital transformation by 10 years and today s travel consumers have become more digitally and tech-savvy than ever.
The pandemic accelerated digital transformation by 10 years (McKinsey & Company) and today s travel consumers have become more digitally and tech-savvy than ever. Many of today s travelers service expectations are around self-service, around do-it-yourself, from online planning and booking, to preferences for contactless check-in, mobile keys, voice assistants, and communication with hotel staff via messaging. Serious technology implementations are needed to "appease" these exceedingly tech-savvy guests and their exceedingly high technology expectations. At the same time, two other extremely important issues are plaguing the industry today that need immediate resolution: a) never-ending labor shortages, b) unsustainable labor costs. Only through accelerated investments in technology - cloud, mobility, AI, robotics, IoT, and other next-gen technology applications and innovations - can the hospitality industry do more with fewer employees and solve the three major indust