What will the hospitality industry look like post-pandemic?
The COVID-19 crisis has had a devastating effect on hospitality industries worldwide, including travel, tourism, events and food & beverage services. Restaurants, cafes, hotels and bars have been forced to close for months at a time in an attempt to stop the spread.
Owners have had to adapt to keep their businesses alive, moving online and providing click and collect services or no-contact deliveries. This calls into question what the future of the hospitality industry will look like post-pandemic. It is likely that, in a post-pandemic world, many of these shifts will remain to some degree. This includes:
Digitising the customer experience
Mobile ordering and booking
The number of Australians using mobile delivery apps is now estimated at 8.7 million, more than double before the pandemic. And this number is only increasing. To keep up, businesses must ensure that their website is mobile optimised, that their business is visible on mobile ordering apps, and that their menu is updated.
Check-in/QR codes
Checking into establishments has been key in contact tracing measures. Post pandemic, businesses may choose to continue using contactless check-in to provide staff and guests with peace of mind. Hotels may choose to install touch screens where guests can check-in without speaking to a staff member.
Self-serve ordering
Fast-food chains like McDonald's have already implemented self-serve ordering at many of their restaurants. However, with the shift to contactless service, smaller businesses should consider it a worthwhile investment. Though they require regular cleaning to remain hygienic, they can protect both workers and customers.
Health screening technology
In some places around the world, restaurants, hotels, cafes, and casinos have already implemented non-invasive methods of monitoring their customers’ health. This includes thermal scanning technology, which scans customers and staff for signs of fever. Though some may view this as an invasion of privacy, it is important to remember that these technologies are already in use in airports worldwide, often unbeknownst to travellers.
Contactless business
Contactless food and shopping experiences have become the norm during the pandemic. Businesses have had to work hard to enforce appropriate social distancing while ensuring customers feel they have received adequate customer service. In the future, businesses may want to rearrange their entry and reception areas to make them more accessible for customers and delivery drivers to pick up orders.
Strict hygiene protocols
Customers are demanding higher levels of sanitation than before the COVID-19 crisis. To maintain customers’ trust, it will be vital that hospitality establishments continue to demonstrate that safety and hygiene are their highest priorities.
The COVID-19 crisis made it clear just how easily viruses and bacteria can spread from person to person. The strict hygiene measures that hospitality venues have implemented will ensure germs are eradicated before they can cause harm. Hopefully, this will also decrease the spread of other illnesses, such as food poisoning, stomach flu, and influenza.
After restrictions have been lifted, food and beverage establishments must continue to follow strict hygiene guidelines. This includes regular wiping of tables, chairs, benches, door handles, rails, menus and contactless check-in points. Deep cleaning of hotel rooms between guests will also be essential, as guests will have higher standards for the cleanliness of their bed linen, towels, bathrooms and bedrooms.
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Photos courtesy from Unsplash: Kai Pilger, Nathan Dumlao, Jon Tyson, Nino Maghradze.
