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THE MEGA TRENDS OF HOSPITALITY Comments Off on THE MEGA TRENDS OF HOSPITALITY 2492

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The world of hotel management has evolved at tremendous pace over recent years, largely driven by technologies.

In simple words these three technologies have single handedly been the enablers and disruptors.

a) The Cloud

b) Social Media

c) The Mobile Revolution

Platforms have made a logical inroad with the creation of sophisticated infrastructures, networks and connections & integrations. These elements are driving the entire industry to re-invent itself. We have seen the emergence of new distribution patterns and options. The surge of OTAs and the loss of market share from intermediary agents and tour operators, whilst direct reservations become increasingly important and strategized by hotel companies.

Social media also play an increasingly important role in driving sales, whilst hotel reputation management has become a key success component. This has given rise to innovative hotel management structures in this 21st century, and these have become totally ‘Guest-Centric’. In other words, it’s all market driven in real time, and guests dictate how quickly these changes are adopted by hotels. Failing to identify these fundamentals will likely drive hotels out of their markets.

The four phases of the hotel management cycle, as we see them at Hospitality Plus are simplified as being –

a) Pre-Booking

b) Reservation

c) In House Operations

d) Post Stay

They need managing distinctly.

So where do we see the hospitality management market going next?

As digital breakthrough speeds up, and we get compelled into implementing complex to manage hospitality solutions, it will become increasingly important to harness people around corporate objectives, corporate culture and the whole digitalization process. No single service will work in isolation, and technologies will continue being ‘people’ driven, demanding more self service solutions.

At Hospitality Plus we have gambled on a few predictions to support our strategies.

These are, in our independent view;

  1. More guest centric solutions and services to enable growth in peer to peer demand. We have gone from a B2B, to a B2C to a P2P environment, and hotels must embrace these changes.
  2. The surge in artificial inteligence have linked customer relationship management tools and yield management solutions. This delivers unprecedented marketing data. The shift from Big Data to Precision Data may even re-invent our industry.
  3. Content management must evolve and be updated continuously. Live videos and up to date photos, often guest generated and loaded, will be the trend. Obviously firewalls exist and will be applied.
  4. We are already seeing a surge in “data security – compliance – anti-intrusion” protection standards globally. These may impair on how we do business in our hospitality environment.
  5. We have moved into a ‘mobile first’ environment and seen the growth of social media influence. These have given rise to other phenomenon in our environment. Hotel reputation management in real time. Reputation impacts severely on rate plans and booking conversions. Guests do not want to be mixed with, or to be perceived as being part of bad reputation organisations. Another branding head ache!
  6. Technologies have also given rise to what we call ‘crowdsourcing – crowd sales’. Again, this is still poorly understood by the industry. Social media and mobile-data communication drives this growth. Its impacts are not properly measured yet. However hotels are warned.
  7. Hospitality ‘Block Chains’ are seeing the day. Stakeholders are being pulled onto inter-connected supply chains.
  8. Enabled by digital solutions and the cloud, more training and perhaps more business process outsourcing will become the norm.
  9. Change management has become the only ‘constant’ and this will likely drive more staff turnover and burnouts.
  10. The race for “more for less” will grow, complemented with additional pressures from open source financial markets.In a transparent world we can no longer afford to operate in isolation.

System talk to each other, and we are likely to see the emergence of growing networks with ‘value exchange protocols’.

Supply chains will become managed by artificial intelligence and the human role will evolve but remain in control.

Mass collaboration with infinite reproducibility will become the norm, and the hotel industry will not be excluded from this disruptive environment.

Who would have thought that the world’s largest taxi company owns no vehicles (Uber)?
Who would have predicted that the world’s most popular media owner creates no content (Facebook)?
Unreal it may be, but the world’s largest retailer owns no inventory (Alibaba).
Closer to our turf, who would have thought that the world’s largest accommodation provider owns no real estate (Airbnb)?

The management of hotels will be: Reinvented, Simplified and Outsourced in many ways.

Revenue & yield management will be automated with AI.

Reservation platforms will manage distribution and many other operational departments will work with third party support.

Hotels will be owned by investment funds and administered by asset managers, who will perhaps engage with multiple specialists to manage their assets.

Hotel management structures and control will evolve.

Blockchain-Digital enablers will continue changing our world.

They are not disruptive technologies as many may think. They are foundation technologies that will create fresh opportunities for hotels.

Make no mistake, the business of hotel management has evolved, but the basic principles of guest satisfaction remain unchanged.

Together, lets embrace these opportunities !

Author: Philip Taylor CEO

Hospitality-Plus.Travel

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Mauritius B2B Hospitality magazine, a quarterly publication and blog for the industry professionals. Want to reach the hospitality decision makers in Mauritius/Rodrigues? Contact us +230 57 94 64 37 or info@hospitality.mu

5 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT ORGANIC FOOD PRODUCTS 0 387

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A key aspect of maintaining a healthy lifestyle is being mindful of what you eat. That said, choosing organic food products can go a long way towards giving your body the essential vitamins that it needs to stay in top shape. Indeed, organic food products have become popular over the recent years due to the perception that they’re generally safer to consume for most customers. Specifically, organic produce is said to contain no harmful chemicals or pesticides, while organic meat is advertised as containing no synthetic growth hormones. 

If you want to start incorporating more organic food into your diet, you should learn more about how they can keep you healthy. To help you understand more about organic food products, here are some interesting things you need to know:

  1. Organic food products are not made equal. If you plan to shop everything organic, it pays to know that there are three types of organic food products. If the product label says it’s “completely organic,” it means that it is 100% truly organic and guaranteed to be chemical-free. However, if the product label only says it’s “organic,” the food may only be 90-95% organic since some conventional methods may have been applied during the growing and processing of the product. And lastly, some product labels will simply indicate “contains organic ingredients.” This means that there were some non-organic ingredients used in the manufacturing of the product.
  2. They’re generally healthier, but not all the time. Organically-produced fruits and vegetables contain higher amounts of vitamins, minerals, as well as antioxidants. Meanwhile, organically-raised animals have leaner meat, which is better for our cardiovascular health. However, it’s best to note that some non-organic food products may be more nutritious than organic ones—especially if they’ve been fortified. Fortified foods are those that have been imbued with nutrients that can’t be found in their organic counterparts. For example, fortified milk products are more nutritious than organically-produced milk since they contain higher levels of vitamin D.
  3. Organic farming helps save the environment. Organic farming is considered to be more environment-friendly than conventional farming. This is because it helps reduce air, water, and soil contamination due to the lack of chemicals and pesticides used. By staying chemical-free, organic food production also helps maintain biodiversity and preserve the local wildlife. Furthermore, it helps prevent global warming since most organic food products are only sold locally. This is because the reduced need for long-distance transportation translates to lower carbon dioxide emissions.
  4. Organic food products taste better and fresher. Some people are put off by the belief that organic food products have a blander taste. But since they are made without any chemicals and preservatives, they can actually taste better and fresher. Also, the organic way of producing fruits, vegetables, and crops allows them to contain higher levels of antioxidants, which are believed to help maintain the natural taste of these products. 
  5. Know the dirty dozen and clean fifteen. If you can’t afford to always buy organic food products, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) has released a shopper’s guide known as the “dirty dozen and clean fifteen.” In the dirty dozen list, it contains the list of fruits and vegetables that you need to buy organically since non-organic ones increase your risk of consuming too much chemicals and pesticides. Among the produce that made it to the dirty dozen list are strawberries, spinach, kale, nectarines, apples, grapes, peaches, cherries, pears, tomatoes, celery, and potatoes. Meanwhile, the clean fifteen list refers to the list of fruits and vegetables that are safe to buy non-organically. This includes avocados, sweet corn, pineapples, frozen sweet peas, onions, papayas, eggplants, asparagus, kiwis, cabbages, cauliflower, cantaloupes, broccoli, mushrooms, and honeydew melons. If you afford to go purely organic, then these are the types of produce that you can consume while still making sure that you’re maintaining a healthier diet.

While organic food products are better for your health, they can be quite expensive since their production requires greater labour input. Without the help of chemicals, produce such as fruits, vegetables, crops, as well as the animals themselves grow more naturally and slowly. This can make them more difficult to grow or raise in general. As a result, organic food products usually cost 30-40% more than non-organic food. So if you want to eat organically, be smart with your shopping choices to keep costs down. One way to help make this happen is to always buy organic produce when they are in season.

CATERING.MU BY CHEF FABIO 0 337

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In our last edition, we had the pleasure to feature and interview Chef Fabio from La Table Du Chateaux. We were invited to taste his delicious menu such as the 7 Hours Lamb Roast and his exquisite outside kitchen which is cooked on the traditional “Feu De Bois”. Another of his latest achievements Catering.mu was launched earlier this year, he now offers to the general public his outside catering services and you can have them be the “Co-Creators of your Special Event”.  Specialising in Weddings, Corporate Functions, cocktail receptions, seated dinners and many menu options to fit your needs and budget, using only quality, fresh and seasonal ingredients. Catering.mu provides the very best in food services. Their staff, working with us for more than 8 years at La Table du Château, is skilled in development and presentation of food and can cater for all different tastes and special diets. We create menus that add ease and elegance to your day. Catering.mu is ready to make your day memorable with our dedicated Event & Banqueting Manager Doushina, who will look after all your event needs. To treat your guests to five-star impeccable service and top notch food during your next event.  Ask for your quotation visit Catering.mu.