Article - Digital Transformation: A Competitive Edge in Tourism & Hospitality - Technology is an integral part of modern travel, influencing everything from trip planning, communication, transactions and beyond. The tourism and hospitality industry is rapidly evolving due to digital advancements. Guests now expect a high level of digital maturity from service providers, with some leading the way in using data-driven and digital tools to deliver innovative and personalized experiences.
Technology is an integral part of modern travel, influencing everything from trip planning, communication, transactions and beyond. The tourism and hospitality industry is rapidly evolving due to digital advancements. Guests now expect a high level of digital maturity from service providers, with some leading the way in using data-driven and digital tools to deliver innovative and personalized experiences.
The statement is clear. The tourism industry needs to go one step further in order to make a significant contribution to building a sustainable future. Yet, many have criticized the current inadequacy of the final objective - respecting the Paris Climate Agreement - and the actual paradigms of the industry, such as unlimited growth and the global distribution of tourism (Becken, 2019). Thus, the call from the UN Secretary-General António Guterres to rethink and reinvent the tourism industry raises concerns about the effectiveness of sustainability to meet that objective.
Almost 3 900 European hoteliers from across Europe, of various locations, sizes and star-rating provided responses covering the source of reservations made during the 2021 pandemic year. Several key trends emerge from the responses, which were gathered and analysed by Prof. Roland Schegg of HES-SO Valais-Wallis Institute of Tourism: