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Are SA hotels lagging behind when it comes to technology?

Technology innovation is charging ahead and most sectors are scrambling to stay current. So how is the South African hotel industry faring?

Angus Macmillan, spokesperson for the City Lodge Hotel Group, believes it’s a mixed bag. “Technology is changing the hotel business as we know it,” he says.

Robert Hodson, General Manager for Marketing and Sales at Legacy Hotels and Resorts, believes SA is slightly behind the curve. “We are at the same level of technological use as our international counterparts, but factors such as cost, exchange rates and bandwidth constraints are holding us back. We are not scared to use and experiment with technology.”

Gary Ernstzen, Managing Director of Nu Menu Solutions, which provides Ariane and iRiS software and hardware for the hospitality industry, believes South African hotels are behind European, Asian and North American markets. “On a positive note, South African hotels can see what works abroad, and then use the technology to great effect,” he says.

Expense concerns