Hospitality and tourism are the most popular industries in the modern world. This sphere has gone through many unstable world situations, and due to this fact, customers’ expectations may change rapidly. Many governments believe that tourism and hospitality expand the economy, and the leaders continue investing a lot of money in this sector. Traveling remains the main source of leisure, and people expect a high level of hospitality in their destinations (Kandampully et al., 2018). Throughout the years, the needs and wants of tourists have changed due to the transformations in global trends. One of the greatest influencers is social media which sets specific trends and creates more role models for many users (Narangajavana et al., 2017). With the invention of diverse mobile applications and websites with artificial intelligence, people can easily evaluate the hospitality rating in the place they want to travel. After watching reviews on YouTube and reading approved sites, people set their expectations where others share their experiences.
To avoid mistakes, tourists prefer to watch the ratings of hotels or air companies before traveling. Technologies and social media help meet their expectations, like a good quality of Wi-Fi or included breakfasts in the hotel’s price. When COVID-19 happened, tourists’ expectations increased because some flights were restricted, and more people became conscious about their health. For instance, social distancing and massive disinfection became the main priorities before traveling. Moreover, some tourists were expecting to receive insurance that may protect them from canceled flights or cases of coronavirus in a hotel. Consequently, the changes in the hospitality and tourism industries are quick, and workers in these sectors need to be prepared for fast-changing trends.
References
Kandampully, J., Zhang, T., and Jaakkola E. (2018). Customer experience management in hospitality: A literature Synthesis, new understanding and research agenda. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management 30(1).
Narangajavana, Y., Fiol, L. J. C., and Tena, M. A. M. (2017). The influence of social media in creating expectations. An empirical study for a tourist destination. Annals of Tourism Research 65, 60-70. Web.