Hospitality Management
Article | August 28, 2023
Elevate your expertise with these must-read hospitality management books offering a comprehensive guide to enhance your skills, providing industry trends-related insights and live cases & examples.
In the constantly evolving hospitality industry, professionals must stay abreast of the latest trends and insights. Whether you are an industry veteran, an aspiring hospitality worker, or a student pursuing a degree in hospitality management, the right books can provide you with valuable knowledge and direction. The growth of the hospitality industry on a global scale has led to the emergence of a wide range of exceptional books that cover various topics. These include digital marketing strategy, e-commerce tourism, personal experiences, practical advice, and in-depth industry analysis. This curated selection of ten top books on hospitality management offers valuable insights into the industry, allowing you to stay ahead of the curve and enhance your expertise in the field.
1. Unreasonable Hospitality
Author Name: Will Guidara
For professionals in the hospitality and tourism sector looking to advance their knowledge of hospitality management, the book Unreasonable Hospitality: The Extraordinary Power of Giving People More Than They Expect is a must-read. One of the books on hospitality management written by Will Guidara, a former co-owner of the famous eatery Eleven Madison Park, it imparts essential lessons and insights from his journey to turn the struggling business into the world's best restaurant. Guidara emphasizes the transformative power of going above and beyond anticipation through extreme alterations, a strong collaboration between the kitchen and dining room, and remarkable, personalized kindness experiences. This national bestseller book encourages readers to discover the wonder in their work and produce incredible experiences for others with its captivating anecdotes and industry experts' wisdom.
2. Be Our Guest: Revised and Updated Edition
Author Name: Theodore B. Kinni
Be Our Guest: Revised and Updated Edition: Perfecting the Art of Customer Service (The Disney Institute Leadership Series) is one of the essential hospitality management books for industry professionals seeking to improve their customer service skills. Based on the renowned Disney methodology, this book emphasizes exceeding customer expectations beyond mere satisfaction. The book reveals exceptional business strategies that underpin the enchantment of quality service, using insights not typically found in conventional workplaces. Whether one works in hotels, restaurants, or any other hospitality-related industry, reading this book on hospitality management will help envision new opportunities and provide techniques for exceptional customer experiences. In addition, Kinni has published twenty books on topics covering sales, marketing and leadership, targeting hospitality management as the focused audience.
3. First Class Travel on a Budget: How to Hack Your Credit Cards to Book Incredible Trips for Less
Author Name: Zachary Abel
Discover the secrets for five-star vacation on a specific back pocket budget with "First Class Travel on a Budget: How to Hack Your Credit Cards to Book Incredible Trips for Less." In this insightful guide, Zachary Burr Abel shares his expertise in navigating airline loyalty programs, credit card promotions, and hidden travel fees. With actionable advice and humorous anecdotes, reading this hospitality and tourism management book will help professionals learn how to fly first class, find deals on rental cars and hotels, earn airline points, and maximize credit card rewards. This invaluable resource is a must-read for anyone in the hospitality industry looking to elevate their expertise in managing travel and providing exceptional guest experiences.
4. Hospitality Management People Skills and Manners On and Off the Job
Author Name: Lyn Pont PhD
For professionals seeking to start their career or improve their career in hospitality, one of the must-reads hotel management books by Pont is Hospitality Management: People Skills and Manners On and Off the Job. This hospitality book covers various topics, including service, relationships, integrity, communication, personal image, and creativity. Focusing on soft skills and the cultural expectations of guests, Pont provides practical advice and industry insights to help readers excel in their careers. Whether you're a seasoned executive or new to the industry, this treasure trove of information will equip you with the necessary tools to deliver exceptional customer care, represent your organization with professionalism and confidence as well as help you to stand out in the competitive hospitality industry.
5. Strategic Management for Tourism, Hospitality and Events
Author Name: Nigel G. Evans
Strategic Management for Tourism, Hospitality and Events is a comprehensive guide designed to equip students in the hospitality industry with essential strategic management principles. This exceptional book bridges the gap between theory and practical through industry-based case studies and examples, offering a deeper understanding of strategic management in the context of tourism, hospitality, and events. The third edition of this book features updated international case studies covering SMEs and large-scale businesses integrated throughout to show the various applications of strategic management theory, big data, artificial intelligence, sustainability, and innovation. With accessible language and helpful features, this resource is a valuable tool for students seeking to enhance their knowledge and excel in the dynamic field of tourism, hospitality, and events management.
6. Setting the Table: The Transforming Power of Hospitality in Business
Author Name: Danny Meyer
One of the bestselling hospitality and tourism management books, Setting the Table: The Transforming Power of Hospitality in Business, is a book by Danny Meyer, an acclaimed restaurateur behind successful ventures like Union Square Cafe and Shake Shack. Meyer shares his invaluable insights on developing a dynamic philosophy called Enlightened Hospitality, which focuses on fostering strong relationships within the organization and delivering exceptional customer satisfaction. It is one of the influential hospitality management books that draws from real-life experiences and teachings applicable to anyone in the hospitality industry or any business sector. This motivational work, considered a landmark in the field, provides valuable lessons for managers, executives, and staff, enhancing their effectiveness and deepening their appreciation for achieving excellence in their work to improve hospitality experience.
7. Operations Management in the Hospitality Industry
Editor Name: Peter Szende, Alec N. Dalton (Editor), Michelle (Myongjee) Yoo
To improve operations and enhance hospitality management expertise, the book titled ‘Operations Management in the Hospitality Industry’ is an essential resource for the tourism and hospitality experts. This book covers various topics crucial to operational success in restaurants, resorts, and other hospitality establishments, as well as equips readers with fundamental techniques and tools for analyzing and improving operational capabilities. With its comprehensive approach, incorporating key theories, frameworks, and industry examples, the book offers valuable knowledge for students preparing for their careers and working professionals.
8. Event Management for the Tourism and Hospitality
Author Name: Bonita M. Kolb
If you are looking for a comprehensive guide, Event Management for the Tourism and Hospitality Industries is a book designed to equip readers and practitioners in the hospitality industry with the essential knowledge and skills for planning, managing, and evaluating events. This book covers various topics, including visitor segmentation, budgeting, promotion, and post-event assessment, while addressing contemporary issues such as environmental sustainability, cultural diversity, technology, and community engagement. Through international case studies, readers will gain real-world insights and learn how to connect events with local heritage and culture, delivering personalized experiences to visitors. It is one of the best hospitality management books that includes a practical approach and detailed event plan outline.
9. Tourism Management
Author Name: Stephen J. Page
One of the best books for hospitality management and tourism by Stephen Page, Tourism Management provides a thorough understanding of the fundamental principles of tourism. Currently in the 6th edition the book offers a global perspective on the industry, and will not only benefit students pursuing a degree, diploma, or simply studying the subject, but it will also help professionals in the tourism industry. This book includes content on contemporary issues affecting businesses, enhanced sustainable development strategies to overcome climate change challenges, and a section with different perspectives from China and South America on using taxation to limit travel air behaviour. Furthermore, it combines textual content and features case studies with diagrams, and images, offering valuable insights into the evolving landscape of tourism management.
10. Hospitality Management: A Brief Introduction
Author Name: Roy C Wood
An easy-to-operate introduction for students of hotel and hospitality management and hospitality studies, Hospitality Management: A Brief Introduction offers a concise and comprehensive overview of the hospitality industry, making it an essential read for students new to the industry. Authored by Roy Wood, an expert in academia and practice, this book covers key areas such as employee relations, accommodation and food management, marketing and sales, industry strategy, management roles, education, and future trends. By drawing on a range of established research and incorporating the perspective of the hospitality consumer, Wood provides readers with a well-rounded understanding of the industry's realities and challenges. This book is a valuable resource for anyone studying or working in hospitality management.
Summing Up
The hospitality industry is transforming rapidly, driven by technological advancements, changing consumer expectations, and emerging trends. As we look to the future, hospitality professionals must proactively stay ahead of the curve and elevate their expertise. These hospitality industry books empower readers to navigate the evolving landscape, embracing innovative practices and sustainability and delivering exceptional guest experiences. By advancing their knowledge and embracing essential insights and strategies, hospitality professionals can position themselves for success in the dynamic world of hospitality management operations.
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Hospitality Management
Article | July 18, 2023
Global travel agencies are striving to maintain a competitive edge in the market. They are relying on big data to analyze the current state of the market, automate work processes, and better understand customer needs to streamline their businesses. Big data is now an important part of the future of the travel industry because it helps:
Accurate decision-making
Customer demand forecasting
Service personalization
Travel marketing
Optimization of pricing strategies
How is Big Data Sourced?
The following data sources are used to gather big data:
UGC Data
User-Generated Data (UGC) is the most affordable data to obtain and includes textual data gathered through questionnaires, social networks, and image data.
Device Data
Device data gives access to GPS data, mobile roaming data, bluetooth data, RFID, WiFi data and more. This data is harder to obtain and is expensive.
Transaction Data
Web search data, web page visit data, online booking data, etc., constitute transaction data. Advanced web services such as Google Analytics can help collate this data.
The sourced data is analyzed using artificial intelligence, machine learning, and natural language processing (NLP).
How Is Big Data Changing the Way Travel Companies Operate?
With the help of big data, you can increase your performance, get deeper customer insights, and offer an excellent customer experience to travelers. Let us briefly examine how big data can help you achieve all these objectives.
Optimize Your Revenue
Optimize your costs and accurately predict short-term and long-term revenues. Through customer experience metrics, you can also analyze your profit potential, correctly forecast peak period demand and offer relevant services to customers at the right time. As a result, protect your agency from unexpected expenses and make the most of customer demand.
Recognize & Capitalize on Trends
Historical, real-time data and a standard analytical approach help you understand the changing trends in the tourism industry. Then, you can swiftly take measures to adapt to these changing trends and capitalize on the ones that contribute to revenue. Bleisure is an excellent example of such a travel trend.
Improve Your Marketing Campaigns
Big data processes large amounts of information on your target audience and helps you see which marketing campaigns can succeed based on long-term forecasting. Consequently, you can prevent any unexpected losses while executing seasonal marketing campaigns. Additionally, big data collects information on your competitors and target audience in real-time, so you know the kind of marketing campaigns you need to execute to remain ahead in the race.
Enhance Brand Reputation
Big data considers customer reviews and comments to help you understand which aspects of your business need improvement. Internally collected feedback and big data analysis can create a standard to improve the brand reputation of your agency.
Conclusion
Big data in the travel industry is more than just a trend; it is a tool for better understanding the market situation and each customer in general (potential and existing). All of this lays the groundwork for a more personalized approach and accurate prediction of what customers want, and contributes to an elevated customer experience and an increase in revenue.
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Hospitality Management
Article | July 24, 2023
In recent weeks, call centers have struggled to keep up with consumer complaints about a large number of delayed and canceled flights. As a result, some are turning to automation, specifically an artificial intelligence program based on advanced natural language processing (NLP). In April 2022 alone, the US Department of Transportation received 5,079 complaints about airline service, a more than 320 percent increase from the same month three years prior.
Travel Industry Chasing Task Automation and Personalized Customer Service
Customers cannot reach customer service representatives without struggling, waiting as long as eight hours because of cancelled or delayed flights. This situation makes call centers seek the help of conversational AI solutions that offer task automation and personalized customer service powered by NLP. NLP improves linguistic interpretation skills and response rate.
In contrast to a traditional interactive voice response structure, which walks callers through a series of menus, modern conversational AI solutions immediately ask callers how they can help and quickly get them the right answer.
With the help of an AI-powered solution, call center employees aren’t overwhelmed by lower-level, less complicated queries and can rely on AI to do mundane tasks that consume their time. In addition, customers can help themselves through the automation. Any complex, emotionally-driven conversations are directed to human contact centers automatically.
An Airline Uses Mosaicx to Enhance the Customer Experience
Intrado, a company that provides an artificial program called Mosaicx, helped an airline client decrease its call abandonment rates by 60%. The solution supports 20 languages, so global clients can be handled seamlessly.
AI-powered Call Centers will be Common in the Travel Industry
Businesses are swiftly adopting AI-powered conversational solutions to address the spike in flight cancellations and delays due to pilot shortage, the Great Resignation, and the permanent shift to remote working.
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Travel Technology
Article | May 5, 2023
Learn how adopting advanced travel technology services can improve your operations in the digital age and evade business complexities. Embrace these technologies for better business growth.
Contents
1. Overview of Travel Technology
2. Importance of Technology in Travel Management
2.1 Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
2.2 Virtual and Augmented Reality
2.3 Software and Its Application
2.4 Automation, Analysis and Reporting
2.5 GPS Tracking and Emergency Assistance
2.6 Expense Tracking and Management Tools
2.7 Mobile Wallets and Digital Payments
3. Challenges and Considerations
3.1 Privacy and Data Security Concerns
3.2 Integration with Legacy Systems
3.3 Employee Adoption and Training
4. Conclusion
1. Overview of Travel Technology
Technology has not only influenced the lifestyles of human civilization but also completed them to live with it. With proper technology integration in business travel, they can thrive in today's digital world. The travel technology serviceslike artificial intelligence, machine learning, virtual and augmented reality, software applications, automation, GPS tracking, emergency services, expense tracking, and digital payments enhance travel management.
This article evaluates the importance of technology in the travel management sector. Using artificial intelligence, software tools, and digital channels is vital for travel business growth. With advanced technology, businesses enhance customer experience, convenience, support, and retention. For example, the technology-based 24/7 customer support and risk management services for an emergency can respond even when the employee is absent. Such automation is the future of travel management services.
2. Importance of Technology in Travel Management
2.1 Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
Upgrading artificial intelligence solutions increase the reliability and effectiveness of the travel management company's services. There is a vast implementation of AI and machine learning in the tourism sector. Corporate travel technology assists businesses with administrative tasks and customer services. It provides enhanced personalization, valuable advice, and speedy response in the employees' absence. In addition, many hotels and resorts use these tools for better services and brand awareness.
2.2 Virtual and Augmented Reality
Virtual and augmented reality enables hotels and travel-related businesses to enhance the physical environments to encourage customer engagement in local sights and hotel rooms. Customers highly research travel purchases as they require detailed information before arrival, and even after their arrival, it renders relevant information 24/7. Therefore, adopting AR and virtual reality in the travel industry is a must to cope with changing customer lifestyles and behavior toward technology trends. Modern customers often use smartphones, so using augmented reality apps is easy to use.
2.3 Software and Its Application
Travel management software provides users with a platform for planning, purchasing, and recording travel expenses. Travel agency uses this software to simplify purchasing decisions, centralize records of employee travel expenses, and control travel budgets with digital transformation.
2.4 Automation, Analysis, and Reporting
Automation optimizes travel routes according to the choices of the customers. It manages the inventory and analyzes the business travel, maintains the travel reports, and predicts the increase in demand for a particular period. Even with the latest innovation in business travel technology, artificial intelligence like ChatGPT can integrate seamlessly to automate different tasks of businesses from applications like chatbots and others.
2.5 GPS Tracking Its Emergency Assistance
The technology-based solutions for travel businesses ensure the workforce's well-being, safety, and security. With constantly evolving travel risks, enterprises need a permanent solution that can adapt to changing travel circumstances and customize to the needs of companies and customers. It provides not only updated information, location, and incident monitoring during travel but also critical event response for safety, as well as suggesting alternatives to the traveler's existing plan.
2.6 Expense Tracking and Management Tools
Travel businesses generate a vast amount of data on financial transactions, which can become tedious to manage. To address this issue, travel tech companies offer solutions to organize, monitor, and analyze travel expenses while ensuring compliance with policies. In addition, based on past travel experience, it predicts future travel of business travelers.
2.7 Mobile Wallets and Digital Payments
Mobile wallets and digital payments are influencing the growth of travel businesses. The leading travel technology company provides a profitable, convenient, and secure experience to customers. Many use mobile devices for payment using different applications, making it easy to purchase through a simple scan or click.
3. Challenges and Considerations
3.1 Privacy and Data Security Concerns
With the increasing amount of sensitive information being collected and shared, travel management companies must follow all applicable privacy laws and regulations. In addition, they must take precision to protect data from unauthorized access, breaches, and cyber-attacks. It can involve implementing strong data encryption and access controls, monitoring systems for suspicious activity, and ensuring that all employees get training in best practices for data security.
3.2 Integration with Legacy Systems
Many travel companies have invested heavily in legacy systems, which are difficult to replace or upgrade. However, failing to integrate new technologies can lead to inefficiencies, huge data collection, and missed opportunities. Incorporating new technologies involves developing new APIs, migrating data to new systems, or adopting new technologies that work alongside legacy systems.
3.3 Employee Adoption and Training
Employees must get training on using new technologies and learn the resources they need to succeed. It can involve providing ongoing training and support, establishing clear communication channels, and developing incentives for adoption. Travel managers must address any concerns or resistance from employees and work to build excitement for new technologies. Technology and travel are reliant on each other for their business growth and enhancement.
4. Conclusion
The usage of the advanced latest technology in the travel management industry is evolving rapidly. Travel businesses integrate the travel technology company to enhance responses and customer experience and stand out. Modern customers demand personalized travel experiences with 24/7 support of GPS tracking, travel monitoring, optimized travel routes, and quick alerts in emergencies.
Techno-savvy customers rely more on digital payments and prefer mobile wallets for travel booking. Travel businesses must integrate digital channels to retain and attract these customers. There are particular challenges while using advanced travel technology, like privacy and data security and aligning with legacy systems. In addition, travel managers must encourage employee adoption and training for new technologies.
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