People increasingly value personalisation in their trips, transforming them into unique experiences. The sector is facing this major challenge, and this is why the opportunities offered by innovation and technology are going to be essential to help it achieve it.
The hotel sector is facing a profound transformation, so it is crucial to prioritise the study and analysis of the horizon with precision in order to make the most of the opportunities that the future will offer us.
The hospitality market has always distinguished itself by its clear orientation and focus on people, and the customer specifically.
Hotels must be aware of new developments in order to take full advantage of technological opportunities such as Big Data, Smart Data, the Internet of Things (IoT), etc., in order to optimise the customer experience. It is the moment to focus and establish the different strategies of innovation and adaptation to satisfy customers’ expectations.
Technology is not the goal in and of itself, but rather the tool on which we can rely to do things that we haven’t even thought about yet.
Nowadays, the main way to access the Internet is the smartphone; when it comes to travel and tourism, more than half of all people use it for everything related to their holidays. In this regard, incident management through smartphones and mobile applications continues to be an essential trend in view of the digital transformation that is taking place in travel and tourism.
Mobile devices are turning into the main means for making reservations, where the user can choose the characteristics of their room, also acting as an access key and contact with the guest during their trip until their arrival at the hotel. These devices are already a fundamental link between the hotel and the guest, and contribute value to the guest before they even arrive at the hotel.
The application and progress of artificial intelligence systems, chatbots, for the management of communications with the guest and the improvement of the experience, have consolidated in the last year as one of the main trends in tourism and new technologies.
Moreover, machine learning is a data analysis procedure that helps us to make immediate strategic decisions through artificial intelligence. It is based on the idea that systems can learn from data and identify patterns, and are key to maximising the customer’s experience.
The great challenge facing the sector today is to know how to integrate all the innovative solutions and developments that are offered with the goal of creating a business strategy that is able to personalise the offer to each customer according to his or her needs, transforming the travel experience into something unique.