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Faculty Corner Article

digitally transports potential customers to a hotel or a travel destination. This technology utilizes images, sounds
and physical sensations to make users feel as they are present in a virtual world. This technology has a huge
potential as it can make people feel virtuosity of the hotel product as it is going to be availed during visit. The
technology can be a big game changer in terms of decision making for a customer and understanding differences
in level of services, amenities, infrastructure and other facilities shown and offered by the hotel. Some of the
hotel chains are using VR to allow people to experience their hotel. “Virtual Reality is a technology that could
actually allow you to connect on real human level, soul-to-soul, regardless of where you are in the world.” Chris
Milk.
One of the biggest challenges for hospitality industry is sudden increase in demands of seasonal changes,
holidays and other unpredictable events. Being able to allocate resources in an efficient manner, Augmented
Reality (AR) serves to alter a person's perception of physical surrounding through information technology. AR
enhances real world environment in real time. For instance, imagine a wall map in your room, connected to an
AR app, allowing customers to point their phone at a section of map to see about local attractions. Alternatively,
some apps allow users to point their phone at a local restaurant to get the customers reviews instantly. Starwood
Hotel in September 2015 started providing virtual key to guest allowing them to unlock their rooms through
phone. Hotels locations are often used as an important part in AR gaming world. Savoy hotel (February 2018),
London, The Towers, New York, Four Seasons, San Francisco are some of the hotels attracting millennial by
providing a gaming experience of Pokemon-go within and near the property.
Furthermore advantageous digital trend is CHATBOTS, which can deliver artificially intelligent answer for
simple questions and queries made by customer without a human agent. This improves response times and
availability of human staff to handle complex issues. Henry Harteveldt, Travel industry analyst and advisor says
“Mobile has produced a permanent sense of immediacy. It's changing forever how our guests interact with us and
how they expect us to interact with them.” Smart phones are an essential for all nowadays and its use has even
increased multifold. A device which seems to be a solution for all the problems. Mobile Integration with hotel
services can help in catering the need of customers easily through creating a dedicated app for hotel. This may
serve many purposes without any time and place constraints from table reservation in a restaurant to book any
facility with spa, room service etc.
“Blockchain technology, or distributed ledger technology, is just a way of using the modern science of
encryption to enable entities to share a common infrastructure for database retention” Blythe Masters, CEO of
Digital Asset Holdings, A financial technology Firm. This technology in hotel industry is used in relation to
secure digital transactions or payments. It provides stability and security of data recorded for any transaction.
The data is decentralized and traceable, the database can never go offline, or be altered through cyber attack.
Tourism Union International (TUI), the largest tourism company from Germany, is using this technology
through the launch of its 'Bed- Swap' project. It allows TUI to assess demand and move inventories between
different points of sale, in real time. Lockchain is another direct market place provided by Blockchain, which
allows hotel companies to rent out their properties with 0% commission. It is a Booking engine removing the
middlemen.
Technology benefits the hospitality industry in all of its aspects. It can analyze, assess and predict future market
demand patterns in a smart manner. Hoteliers can take advantage of technology innovations and make hotel
services better, efficient and trustworthy. Technological advancement, embracing use of internet, active
participation in using technology and changing lifestyle with increased dependency of millennial on gadgets
demand hospitality industry to apply new digital trend to upgrade consumer experiences.
“Good, bad or indifferent, if you are not investing in new technology, you are going to be left behind” Philip
Green
Vinod Pandey
Lecturer

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