Significant
changes in consumer behaviour have had an impact on almost every industry in
the world, creating fresh new trends and major shifts in demand. In the
hospitality sector, there’s an increasing popularity for holistic hospitality,
wellness, personalised experiences and all things sustainable. In this post, we
uncover six hospitality trends that are taking over 2022 and could define the
decade to come.
Business-leisure
travels and hotel workspaces
Working
remotely has become common for many employees and is expected to be more than a
passing trend. This year, more companies could adopt a flexible, hybrid
approach to working from anywhere. This means that more hospitality venues are
being used as make-shift workspaces for those seeking business and leisure.
Providing a relaxing experience and a comfortable work environment with minimum
distractions is high in demand.
Holistic
hospitality, health and well-being
Over
the past two years, the wellness industry has transformed into a booming market
and hospitality venues are all set to take a large piece of the pie. In
addition to beauty and relaxation services, there’s a growing demand for
bespoke wellness treatment plans, delivered by experts who conduct personal
sessions. These sessions are great ways to increase vitality and healing, deal
with stress management, emotional imbalance and mindfulness.
Digitisation
In
the age of tech, data is one of the fastest evolving tools which helps to keep
up with changing consumer behaviour trends. The right digital tools help you
understand and anticipate your customers’ needs allowing you to offer an
incredible consumer experience. While data gives an insight into customers’ buying
patterns, it is also a great way to receive critical feedback from the
customer.
Personalisation
To
deliver excellent service, you need to put your customer at the centre of your
business. But to think that one size fits all would be a mistake since
consumers are looking for more personalised experiences. As data studies gain
ground, hospitality brands can customise their offerings and promotions while
automatically extending similar services to earlier guests.
Sustainability
One
hospitality trend here to stay is an increase in sustainable practices.
Eliminating disposable plastics and unnecessary paper consumption just won’t
cut it any longer. F&B venues and hotels need to move beyond such efforts
and make significant changes. Choosing ethically and locally sourced products for
the hotel or even reducing energy consumption are some of the easier ways to
start going green. Vegetarian and vegan menus are other options that are
gaining popularity.
An
Evolving Hospitality Education
We expect hospitality
education to take a structural shift in the next few years. Hospitality
business management
programmes will
concentrate more on developing soft skills. Students will be acquiring a
diverse range of skills to be well equipped for a future in the rapidly
changing industry. A combination of nurturing an entrepreneurial spirit and
psychological study of consumer behaviour will position students to understand
their guests. They will be better
prepared to take on the challenges of everyday work if they learn through case
studies, business simulations and experiential learning. Our undergraduate
programme in Hospitality Management and Post Graduate
Programme in Services Management do exactly that.