As more hoteliers and hospitality players are catching on to the advantages of data analytics, more and more data is being collected, harmonized, and shared. With more data, more people and programs are required to process all of the new information. Let's see how this is changing the industry.
Data scientists are under a lot of demand in many industries, but they also come at a cost. According to this article, data science jobs are the highest paid in the IT industry, including roles like data scientists, data analysts, data architects, data engineers, statisticians, and so on. As more data roles are becoming necessary in the industry, education is becoming even more important to ensure top quality employees. As mentioned in this article, the need for technology and AI is inevitable in both hospitality and education. Without educating hoteliers on the importance of technology and data, it will only deter the development process and future integrations that are coming, whether hotels are ready or not. Training staff in technology and adopting a data culture for hotels is crucial in preparing for the future.
With new hotel technology circulating the market and as more hotels adopt these new products, hotels are beginning to produce beneficial results for their property. For instance, Best Western has started using artificial intelligence to personalize their ads, according to this article. Through a campaign that produces personalized
travel recommendations to its audience, Best Western has created a way to attract more people to its website and increase the amount of bookings on its platform. With forward-thinking marketing campaigns like Best Western’s advertisements, hotel are able to use these new technologies to increase loyalty to their properties. New technology should be boosting loyalty, as seen here, through a few core requirements that support loyalty. With technology that includes data integrations, consistent data access, omnichannel guest solutions, and simplicity and efficiency, hotels are able to improve their customer loyalty and relationships.
Once a hotel decides to become a data driven property, they begin a technological evolution as they adopt more advanced technologies. As mentioned in this article, the next step in the evolution is to become AI-driven. While both approaches ultimately lead to improved business decisions, the article shows that the AI-driven model better leverages the collected data through consistency and objectivity. By combining both models, hotels can utilize the advantages of each model and make better decisions for their businesses.
