Hotel industry adapts to changing lifestyles, societal trends

Thankfully, the hospitality industry has recovered from the tumult following Sept. 11, 2001, when travelers throughout the country canceled reservations and refused to leave home during such anxious times. Total travel expenditures in the United States last year approached $800 billion.

A recent study by Deloitte & Touche reveals some interesting trends in how that $800 billion is spent. In a survey of 4,600 American consumers between the ages of 21 and 65, 73 percent indicated they had taken at least one business trip in the last year. More than 84 percent had taken at least one pleasure trip. However, it appears we spend more days away from home on business (an average of 15.1 days) than we do vacationing (an average of 9.3 days).

More than 24 percent of business travelers report their travel policies have become more restrictive in the past year. More than half of us use the Internet to make business-related travel plans; when planning a leisure trip, we go online 66 percent of the time.

More than half of us extend those business trips and tack on a few days for pleasure travel. Even more of us (70 percent) take a family member or friend with us on those combined trips. We also tend to spend more for lodging when our boss is paying the freight.

Hotels are reacting to the strong growth in the combined business/pleasure trips by ensuring that they offer amenities that appeal both to the businessperson and the companion along for the trip. Previously leisure-only establishments are enhancing their business services; business traveler hotels are introducing more recreational and entertainment options.

The hospitality industry is also seeing an increase in mini-vacations. Seems climbing the career ladder equals higher salaries but less time to enjoy the benefits. But the slight shift away from the more traditional two-week trips offers businesses in the hospitality industry some opportunity to create package deals and integrated arrangements to enable travelers to maximize the time away.

With the aging of the Baby Boomers, the cruise industry is expected to continue to grow, and within that, the popularity of theme cruises, such as culinary and wine; jazz; health and wellness; and golf-themed trips. Hospitality-related industries would do well to keep the changing physical abilities of older travelers in mind in designing facilities and activities.

High among concerns in the hospitality and travel industries are security and privacy. By the nature of the services they provide, travel workers and employees of hotels and restaurants have access to huge volumes of confidential information. In addition, wireless networks, which are being incorporated into hotels in record numbers, are easily penetrable. The use of credit card and social security information and the lax security on the part of many companies in failing to delete old data are creating tremendous privacy headaches for businesses and consumers alike.

In restaurants, new technology is beginning to appear that encrypts credit card information instantaneously and transmits it to banks within a matter of hours.

Another trend in the hospitality industry is that employers are requiring more education from employees, even up to the level of post-secondary education and specific training in hospitality and food-service related industries. Experts recommend college students interested in hospitality careers attend schools that offer co-op programs to ensure they have a broad base of actual experience on their résumés.

And, as a reaction to the learning preferences of today’s younger generation, a great deal of hospitality training is available either online or via podcasts. That way, employees who work unusual hours can more easily receive the training they need.

Employers in the hospitality industry recommend that prospective employees learn to manage their job search online, posting their resumes and areas of interest on career Web Sites.

The industry will begin to see higher pay and more benefits to secure and keep high-quality workers, particularly managers. In addition, employers in the industry are moving toward more flexible schedules. Historically known for long, often stressful workdays and workweeks, hotels, resorts and restaurants are trying harder to develop better lifestyle and career packages that enable employees to have a life away from the workplace.

Finally, the hospitality industry is going green, with many large chains reducing laundry, using post-consumer materials and introducing compact fluorescent lighting.