TRENDS IN HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY

The hospitality industry is in the midst of a transformation that will affect virtually every facet of the industry. The essence of transformation of the hospitality industry is its evolution from a product focused approach to a more customer focused and brand intensive one. A product-focused strategy is one in which product and supporting services are developed around perceived needs and wants to customer. It then pushes these products to customers through the sales, marketing and distribution systems. In the future the orientation will be customer focused to a level that transcends the physical. It will encompass the emotional and psychological needs and wants of a more precisely defined set of targets customers. Hotels will then use this insight to market a wider array of products and services through strong brand names designed to build loyalty of a customer for his lifetime. Here are some other ramifications of change: High transaction activities like reservations and information will be more automated. Large data base will be act as an interface to give any possible information to the customers and the hotelier. Hotel will catch the customer attentions at relaxed hours, after evening to interact with them and truly understand their emotional and psychological needs. There will be greater personal technology for accurate and quick information and service.

 Self services and mobile technologies will enable guests to creatively interface with any service offers in the property.

Support functions like accounting, human resources, reservations etc. will be centralised at the most cost-effective locations anywhere in the world. For example, a hotel in South Dakota, U.S may have its accounting and credit management done from India.

MEDIUM SIZED HOTELS will be swallowed by branded chains like the Sheraton, Holiday Inn, Ramada etc. while location will continue to be the priority to choose a hotel by the future traveler, brand name will be the next in the preference. Customer expect the brand promise to cover every interaction with the organization- pre-stay, stay and post-stay. Hotel will get customer loyalty if they are able to be consistent in their brand promise. More and more hotel will be franchised to big brand names. It is likely that new brands will emerge with new offers like green hotels or tech-hotels that will meet the needs of new generation. LARGE COMPLEXES The trust of large properties will be to create self-contained communities. Large properties will include the following:

 A hotel with a bar and coffee shop. Clinic for emergency medical attention. Extensive car parks. Olympic size swimming pools and spas. Gymnasiums and yoga centres.

A shopping mall which will boast of designer shops and a food court. People in the hotel will not have to travel into the city to do their shopping.

Recreation areas such as indoor ski-slopes, skating rinks, water parks, wild wadi, etc.

Franchised restaurants of quality, including night clubs with fine live performances, fast food restaurants and specialty restaurants.

Furnished apartments on lease or apartments for ownership and subsequent lease. The residents become the core customers of the shopping malls and other facilities. Crches for infants while parents shop.

RESORT PROPERTIES Resorts will not be owned by typical hotel companies but by real estate companies but by real estate companies who will combine club management with resort operations. Resorts will not necessarily be at a place visionary who will create billion dollar investments in a single resort and generate handsome returns.

HOTEL ROOMS OF THE FUTURE Rooms will be high-tech facilities that will pamper very technological guests ranging from neo-greens to Gen y teens. They comes from latest macro trends like nanotechnology, connectivity, biometrics, etc. Some of the amenities of a high-tech hotel room will be as following: Wall-mounted, 42-inch flat screen HDTV plasma television connected to a receiver with surround sound speakers. Free board band, accessible via laptop or on the TV. Wake-up calls will be recorded by impersonators of famous stars like Frank Sinatra. And Dean Martin and will even sing a song till the guests awakes.

 A floor pad in the bathroom to monitor guest health through the feet and an analysis appearing on the mirror to provide an elective physical medication system. As an add adjunct to the facility will be a fashion consulting systems which take details like hours of work, exercise regimen, lifestyle etc. Light emitting pillows for night reading. Bed retracting to create a bathtub/ shower to save space. Dial-up facilities for any kind of service.

Touch screen unit to reserve the room of choice at the reception.

SURGE OF HOTEL TECHNOLOGY The hotel industry is historically in the lowest quartile of technology with in the service industry. However, IT investment will surge ahead, particularly in reservations, distribution loyalty programs and customer relationship management.

RESERVATIONS OF THE FUTURE Future reservations system will be the following:

 It will support multi-currency and multi-language features to meet the requirements of global operations. Rates will be converted automatically from the local currency to any other currency. Guests and travel agents can easily determine best available rates for any length of stay. Hotels can analyse the sources of reservations and open or close unprofitable channels. Most hotel will be the member of Global Distribution Systems. Guests will have direct access to properties and be able to book rooms at rates without travel agents commissions. Reservations systems will have more efficient search engines. The system will be able to block rooms, preparing rooming list, room sharing information, deposits and other booking facility etc. Agents can handle complex operations such as routing instructions, shared reservations and loyalty program membership, discounted rates and amendments etc.

CHECK-IN OF THE FUTURE The future guests could be issued a bracelet upon check-in that will enable the guest to pay the food, drinks and services without needing the wallet. The property manager can check what services they use, where they are spending more money. The management can track valuable assets, allocate staff real time based on the guests needs and ensure more security. This is possible by the use of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology. RFID uses radio waves emitted by bar codes and captures by readers to identify things automatically and in real time. The RFID payment system makes it extremely easy for guests to purchase high martin items such as drinks, food, specialized services and hotel merchandise.

INNOVATIONS OF THE FUTURE Space Hotels: space hotels are a reality in the not too distance future. American motel tycoon Robert Bigelow has already launched the first inflatable habitat module named Genesis 1 in 2006. the next module launched in 2007 called Genesis 2. Which include: airships, hydro polis, pod hotels, capsule hotel and love hotels. The brief information is as follows:

POD HOTELS: are those that can be moved to any spot on the globe from the back waters of cochin to the glaciers of the Antarctic. Pod hotels are temporary, licensed, prefabricated, self-sustaining, transportable facilities that can be located anywhere on the planet. A pod would be fabricated off-site, then transported to a select location and assemble on the spot. The hotel would generate its own operating power making use of solar energy, the walls will be changeable mood images. Guests would arrive by helicopter. CAPSULE HOTEL: is a new innovation for the economic traveler. A capsule hotel is a hotel system of extremely dense occupancy. Guests space is reduced in size to modular dimensions. Luggage id usually stored in a locker else where in the facility. Privacy is achieved by a curtain at the doorway but noise pollution can be high. LOVE HOTELS: Is a new concept for romantic couples who belong to joint families and need privacy to be intimate, they may also be called romance hotels. The distinguishing features are multi-complex entrances designed to enter and leave without being noticed, windowless rooms, bills settled by pneumatic tubes, automatic cash machines.

MARKETS OF THE FUTURE China, India, and the Gulf States will experience substantial growth. In India and china both domestic and international travel is booming due to the lower airfares and emerging middle classes keen to travel for the first time.

The United States will continue to abound in tourismDeloittes Tourism, hospitality and leisure company claim that total travel and tourism spend in the US, both domestic and outbound. PROFESSIONALISM

People entering the cooking profession were considered as those who were unable to succeed academically, this has changed dramatically. Hotels and restaurants have changed the physical face of the profession. They require high professionalism to manage the challenges of hoteliering. Today more accomplished students are opting for hotel management or culinary schools. Everyone recognize that the service industry is the one of the future. Most restaurants will have to adopt food safety programs as Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) as a promise of safe operations at their workplace. They will have to display such certification to give the customer the confidence that its food is safe and of high quality.

GENERAL NOTE Hotels of the future will see a major transformation. They will either be self-contained communities or small Boutique hotels. Those in the mid-range will be absorbed by hotel chains. Resorts will be owned by real estate companies that will combine hotel and club management. Technology will play a major part in reservations, check-ins, billing and guest histories. Large investments will go into out-of-way properties such as the Hydro polis or space hotels. Hotels will go green and will work along sustainable tourism. Professionalism will be evident in the growth of dining. Food technology will respond to lifestyles providing exotic foods in the living room.

FUTURE DINING TRENDS Globalisation: has seen another trend- the movement of chefs across the world. Food shows on television has brought chefs and their expertise into homes. Chefs have introduced their ingredients, recipes and cooking methods in new destinations implanting their cuisines in various cities worldwide. This has educated the local populace and even converted their taste.