When we talk about launching and creating a new hotel project, it’s important to consider values such as innovation and sustainability. But what is innovation? It is the creation or modification of a product for release onto the market. Thus, every time we innovate, some change or improvement occurs that simultaneously replaces part of what existed before.
A hotel—or any business in a sector other than tourism—begins to innovate when it is willing to:
- Implement new manufacturing, logistics, or distribution processes
- Make progress by implementing new organizational methods in the business.
- Improve the product or service you offer.
- Change the way you market your product.
Within this context, the hospitality industry is one of the most significant international sectors, and it has been accelerating its innovation efforts in recent times.
Table of Contents
Innovation in the Hotel Industry
The hotel industry has a number of distinctive features and characteristics that must be identified in order to interpret and recognize the innovative activity taking place within it. Alongside issues such as the impact of the Internet and the introduction of information technology within the sector—areas where there is widespread and recognized innovation—there are numerous aspects of the business undergoing continuous improvements and changes, many of which are unrelated to technology. We are in the midst of a transformation process in which the ability to innovate and adapt to new market conditions and demands has become one of the fundamental values and objectives of hotel organizations. This transformation is driven by trends specific to the tourism sector in general and others more specific to the hotel industry, such as:
- Demographics
- Health
- Culture and Education
- Leisure
- Experienced Tourists
- Lifestyles
- Information Technology
- Transportation
- Safety
Why Do Hotels Innovate?
The reasons or goals that drive an organization to innovate are diverse, and multiple factors come into play—factors related to both market demand and trends as well as the organization’s internal operations. In the case of the hotel industry, the customer is clearly the focal point and primary target of current innovation.
Along the same lines, it is also worth noting the importance of innovations aimed at increasing revenue once the guest is staying at the hotel. Ultimately, this goal translates into the development and offering of an increasingly broad, diverse, and imaginative portfolio of products within the hotel itself.
Hotel sustainability
The growing environmental awareness, in the social and business spheres, is already driving the demand for sustainable destinations, increasing the importance of the regional component of destinations and the need for better management policies for such destinations.
Sustainability as a central pillar of hotel management is one of the key concepts of recent times. Sustainable hotels always seem to inspire greater trust and goodwill in us, but is sustainability alone enough to create a positive brand image?
The first thing we must keep in mind is that there is no such thing as a 100 percent sustainable hotel. Once we understand this concept, sustainability must be viewed as an effort aimed at implementing actions that address the social, environmental, and cultural aspects of hotel management.
Sustainability is part of a comprehensive project
As a corporate value, sustainability can be one of our strengths, but we must not leave it solely in the hands of the hotel. Within our hotel’s set of values, sustainability must be just one of them and should be addressed in parallel with the other quality measures we wish to implement in our management. If our hotel highlights its overall advantages—including its sustainable features—we will enhance our brand image and achieve a higher level of customer loyalty.
Finally, we must keep in mind that for sustainability to be comprehensive, we must address environmental and social issues together.
