We are all on the same boat

When I look back over the past decade and see how the hoteliers business and technology have evolved, I have two conflicting feelings.

On one hand I realize the industry has truly changed. Indeed, the distribution channels mix is very different, the quality and diversity of on-line distribution has improved tremendously and the number of applications that hoteliers can use to improve their operations is more varied and sophisticated.

On the other hand, I recognize the industry is still slow in moving ahead. Much more could be done to address the many changes driving the industry, and this has been confirmed by the many discussions we had with hoteliers. This feeling of somehow slow motion can be attributed to the structural particularity of the hotel business which, by nature, is extremely decentralized and requires a perfect orchestration of all its resources. Hence initiatives such as HTNG which stimulate cooperation between hoteliers and vendors to facilitate the convergence of systems.

In a world that evolves faster and faster, the changes that hoteliers are facing require rapid adaptation. We all know it is not easy, but in teaming up with the right partners, hoteliers can better navigate the new environment and better adapt new industry drivers while transforming their business.

New generations of guest and new guest segments are challenging hoteliers and technology suppliers to adapt to new expectations and guest interaction. It is a reality which will accelerate.

With the opening, and then the very rapid growth of new geographies, global expansion has a true meaning and we all need to adapt to these new territories, buying patterns and languages. Deploying solutions fast and easy is now a must.

Delivering brand value at all steps and to all actors (owners, shareholders, guests, employees) has become a priority which requires excellence in operational efficiency at all levels.

As a technology vendor we must feel part of the hotelier’s success. In such a new context, the old fashion model of supplier and customer relationship is behind us. Hoteliers need to have the right partners on their side to navigate in this complex world. We, as technology supplier, need to understand the changes and coming trends in the world of hoteliers and travelers that will shape the future in order to innovate and deliver the right solutions.

Over the past years we have talked to many hoteliers and actors in the travel space to understand how their world is changing. When we started working on our newly published white paper (Invent the future: the new normal for hotels in 2010 and beyond) we really wanted to get an industry insider view and confirmation on some of the major coming evolutions we had identified over the past years. This report confirms and highlights these many changes.

A technology partner should not only be a supplier who understand processes and propose a solution to execute these processes. A technology partner needs to understand the underlying forces that will shape the future of the industry to propose a forward thinking vision that will allow making a leap and difference. We are on the same boat as our hotel partners and we all have a role to play together to create the change.