With travel resuming after the COVID-19 outbreak, the hospitality industry is poised with new safety measures and protocols in an uncertain environment.
As more and more countries open their borders to travellers, the hospitality industry prepares to face one of its biggest challenges as more tourists head overseas after spending months in lockdown.
There’s No Going Back
While the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic appears to be behind us, the travel industry is not underestimating the lasting impact the border closures and the extensive lockdowns have had on the travel sphere. Hotels, restaurants, and other travel-related companies simply cannot return to business as usual as the threat of the virus is still in the foreground.
Changing Habits
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If the hospitality sector is to thrive in this post-pandemic environment, it must gauge the changing habits and behaviours of the travelling public as concepts such as social distancing and no contact check-ins have become a reality for travellers around the world.
Safety First
One aspect the travel sector cannot ignore is that health and safety should be at the forefront of all of their endeavours to attract customers back to their usual holiday habits. This may mean using less manpower and letting digital technology step in to provide a safer environment. These are just some of the aspects that current hospitality management degree curriculums by colleges and establishments such as the Asian Institute of Hospitality Management will introduce to industry newcomers.
Travelling Closer to Home
Another trend the industry must grapple with is making destinations that are closer to home more appealing and affordable to travellers as most tourists are still too apprehensive to travel too far from home base.