UPENDING IN A POST-COVID WORLD

Interactive technology will be the key to dealing with issues related to the pandemic—from social distancing to hygiene and contactless check-in and dining

- NISHA SHUKLA

The hospitality industry has been witness to constant innovation and disruption, from economic slowdowns to one of the worst—COVID-19, which has shut down the world. As we try to figure ways in which we can deal with the pandemic and open up for business, the needs and wants of a traveller will evolve and change.

Post-COVID (AC) recovery will most likely include integrating new-age technologies related to booking engines, mobile apps, digital concierge services, automated check-in and check-out and keyless entry systems. A report by Software Advice’s Guest Preferences for technology uses in hotels states that 60% respondents were more likely to choose a hotel that allows guests to check-in and open doors with a smartphone than a hotel that doesn’t.

Nothing can be truer in the After Covid (or AC as it is being referred to increasingly) world. Not just automated technology, even the demand for interactive technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), virtual reality (VR), chatbots and Internet of Things (IoT) will not just be options, but necessities.

Coronavirus has upended the hospitality industry and savvy hoteliers across the world will use this downtime to identify technologies that can help them thrive in the post-COVID environment. As Harish Chandra, Chief Technology Officer, Sarovar Hotels and Resorts, says, “Post the meltdown of COVID crisis, we will see slow growth for the initial few months. Travellers will be worried about their health and safety issues. There is a requirement for up-gradation, technology adaptation and training for the staff. We are in the process of creating clear SOPs for various areas, keeping manual and atomized sanitation in mind.”