We must decide what kind of hospitality we want to offer
Stella Tsantila
Co – Founder | Hotel E-sales Specialist
INcrementUM
Some say that the current pandemic will trigger radical changes across multiple sectors; do you see this happening in hospitality? If yes, in which way?
To me it is the end of the world as we know it. But this does not need to have a bad meaning. For the past two decades the tremendous increase in the hotel industry has created a suffocate atmosphere and there have been intense discussions on where this will lead us.
Large hotel affiliations, chains and mergers pushing competition to the limits, renovated old buildings turned to small boutique hotels trying to t in, houses, flats, lofts, villas, cottages along with the all-time classic family – run hotels struggling to keep up with the sign of the times are the “interesting” hospitality mix of our times. Yes, demand increased, yes travel is easier than it used to be, access to information is super easy with the internet specially via all this smart devices we hold in our hands but have we equally improved our quality of services? Have we offered a good product to our guests all these years? Or did it remain mediocre or in best cases slightly above average? Have we managed to escape from the “Sun and Sea” concept? Have we managed to shut out the monopoly of the Tour Operators? Have we even tried to sell our own hotels with our own means? Did we take advantage of the technology given to us? Did we educate our staff & managers to keep up with the new trends?
Until we got the answers straight, the pandemic hit us and re- shuffled the cards and now we must re-write everything from the beginning.
Large islands like Rhodes, Crete, Zakynthos etc depend in their vast majority to the volume of guests brought to them by Tour Operators. Now, that the flights & programmes of the Tour Operators are put on hold, who is going to look after them? How will they sell their empty rooms? Do they have a back up plan?
What I realise these past few weeks is that many hotels have turned to the internet, to digital marketing, to social media campaigns just when the crisis hit us. Probably because they all now realise that you cannot get the message sent to the world if you do not use these means. But, why did we have to wait for the crisis to realise how important technology is, how important the direct online sales are. How important it is to distribute your property & advertise your services in the best way possible. When all this money is spent to renovate the hotel lobby & the rooms, why don’t we invest and spend time & effort to showcase it digitally? No matter how good your merchandise is, if you don’t have a good shopping window, now one is going to get inside & shop. How important it is for a hotel to have its own sales channels & it’s own database. If it’s not a Tour Operator, then it’s definitely an OTA who monopolises and takes advantage of the missed opportunities.
Myconian Avaton – Christos Drazos
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Why does it have to be necessarily this or that? Why can’t a hotel have a balanced mix of all? So, I think that the pandemic has affected in a good manner too the hospitality industry. Even those who were reluctant to change are now embracing new methods in terms of distribution of their product. I hate repeating what is mainly common knowledge but, if only all these years, there was a national strategic plan for tourism in Greece. Would we then, have the same stress as we do now that we must struggle with just 3 potential months of operation? I think our perception of things would be slightly different, don’t you think? We would see & do things differently.
Imagine if tourism in Greece could be 8 or 10 months a year! Imagine if there was an actual plan and Greece could also depend on medical tourism, silver hair tourism, religious tourism, slow tourism, sports tourism. These sectors could extend seasonality. Instead we have based our heavy artillery in All – inclusive and massive hospitality. But massive is now what people don’t need. We have been social distancing even from our loved ones let alone when you think of packed restaurants for breakfast or large check in / check out queues.
I don’t mean to be unfair to those who have invested in their properties and re-branded their business, gave their hotel a character and targeted in luxury sector and not in massive tourism. But, let’s face the fact that hospitality in Greece is either this or that.
Phos Villas Tinos
No middle ground. To cut the long story short we are in front of a very crucial point where we must decide what kind of hospitality we want to offer and advertise it accordingly for the very near future when we will be called upon to welcome our guests again. And since we are in point zero now, there is no better point to start than from the scratch. Of course, hospitality is affected. Travel the first thing you give up in time of crisis. But not only because there are serious health issues or financial issues or accessibility issues.
Let’s all imagine for a moment that tomorrow all planes can take o and take us where we want to go. Would you go? Would you take the plane with the same free spirit attitude as before? Would you book any hotel? Or would you stop for a minute and prioritize on what is important? Would you pack your bags with same things inside? Now, you put disinfectant first and then your bathing suit. Truth be told.
From now on, travelers will be seeking for safety, they will not only look for the best value for money deal or for their once in a lifetime trip so they can tick it o their bucket list. Travelers – and you can even ask yourself if you’d do the same – will be seriously considering the overall infrastructure around the place and inside the place they visit as they will need to feel safe and relaxed. But safe first. New methods for cleaning the rooms, dining, serving, check-in procedures have started taking the place of what we knew so far as ordinary. Hotels must adapt – again – and now is the time because the pandemic may end but the “threat” of infection will be here for a while. Hospitality in general must prepare for the next day as today is the new ordinary and it will be here for long.
Which are the two most important disruptions that you expect to take place in the hospitality industry in the years to come due to the current crisis?
Hospitality in Greece is based on the warm smiles on arrival, the warm hugs, the tap on the shoulder, it’s about shaking hands. We are not stiff and we cannot stay neutral when we greet our guests again. We cannot accept for long to say hello with our elbows or by nodding our heads. Hospitality – and allow me to talk for Greece – is all about the 5 senses. If we are deprived of one, then there is a piece of the puzzle missing. The picture won’t be 100% whole. I am not here to talk about economy or how this crisis is affecting our society. It surely does and in full extend. I mainly believe that hospitality as we know it here in Greece will not be the same. For a period of time, we shall be looking at each other with suspicion, we will be double checking where to seat, where to sunbathe. This is not a normal concept. So I think that the major disruption is around the general concept of what it means to have holidays.
Having said that, travelers may be looking for more privacy, isolation, distance or even self- service. So, how can a hotel unveil and o er its services when the waiter cannot pure the wine in the glass? If the maid cannot tighten the sheets or give an extra towel and guest must pick it up himself?
Touching, mingling, dancing, strolling around, shopping, dining, drinking, talking, swimming, sitting etc., all these remarkably simple things we do on holidays will be limited to only what is necessary. Uncharted waters but, let’s not be pessimistic and let’s keep the positive side of things: it’s human nature to socialize, to travel, to meet new places, to dream, to hope, to long for. So, this is the strength that will take us back to the top.
The first shock is past us. Now, we just need to re-invent a new era of holidays. And who knows? We might make something out of it, even better, even healthier, even more sustainable. We might even re-invent new ways of spending our holidays which will be bring serenity, relaxation, safety & still keep the fundamental elements of what hospitality means in Greece.
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