The hospitality and tourism industry has been greatly affected by the pandemic. Since the ease of travel regulations, the number of travelers has increased significantly as they make up for lost travel time during the pandemic. This travel resurgence has allowed the hospitality and tourism industry to advance in their operations and has led to several emerging trends within the industry.
Blending Work and Travel
The pandemic has changed employees’ working style. Working remotely has been common for the past few years and companies and employees have realized that it works well. This has become more than just a passing trend. Indicating that the hospitality and tourism industry, especially hotels and the food service industry, is adopting this trend and changing their facilities by providing more office spaces with plug sockets and free Wi-Fi in order to accommodate so called, “bleisure travelers” who travel and work at the same place at the same time. Since 2010, hotels creating office spaces has increased 21% and is expected to double what it was in 2020..
Hotel Smart Rooms
Due to the prevalence of technology, many consumers have come to expect access to smart devices as they travel. Thus, many hotels are creating rooms with smart devices in order to provide convenience and meet guests’ expectations. Examples include smart TVs, wireless charging, smart controls, keyless entry, and so on. Implementing such technology into guest rooms require minimal changes to existing room structures which allows for increased guest satisfaction and fulfilling current trends.
Sustainable Tourism
Sustainability is now a key buzzword no matter your industry, with both consumers and businesses alike seeking it out. The importance of sustainability has been discussed for quite a while, but it has never had this much attention. Many consumers expect businesses to go green and the hospitality and tourism industry is no exception. The industry has been exploring sustainable activities for some time, but with current trends a renewed emphasis has been placed on making the industry sustainable. Guests expect hotels to do more than just reuse towels. They want hotels themselves to be sustainability in all aspects of their businesses. From physical sustainability such as using solar panels to restaurants having menus that are locally sourced. As such it is expected that the “trend” of sustainability is here to stay.
In order to best understand current trends and learn about how to prepare yourself, earning a degree in global hospitality and tourism at Eastern Kentucky University is a great step in advancing a hospitality and tourism career.
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Earn your bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited university that has been an online education leader for over 15 years. Complete the form to learn more about how you can earn your bachelor’s in global hospitality and tourism. You can also pick up an in-demand certificate in gastronomic tourism or sustainable hospitality along the way, giving yourself a competitive edge in the job market.