It’s hard to imagine hospitality service without human interaction. But as the coronavirus pandemic continues to rage around the world, hospitality leaders and managers across industry sectors, from hotels to cruises to restaurants, have had to reimagine the guest experience. Innovative businesses are turning to technology as one means of addressing customer concerns while still maintaining high levels of service. Touchless technology is being used for hotel check-ins, online ordering at restaurants, curbside delivery, and cashless mobile payments, to name just a few activities.
Digital technology has also become more important for hospitality marketing. The ongoing shift from offline to online marketing has accelerated in 2020 as hospitality firms focus on improving the online user experience while also providing critical, up-to-the-minute information on such things as travel restrictions, policy changes, and, perhaps most importantly, new safety protocols like social distancing and mask requirements. Brand websites that once concentrated primarily on service experiences and good deals are now also a crucial source for assuaging customer fears about health and safety.
Keeping up with evolving digital marketing capabilities and practices was a challenge even before the coronavirus; the pandemic has amplified this challenge along with the need for hospitality managers to better understand digital marketing while also coping with budget pressure and declining operating revenues. But when integrated digital marketing is done right, it is both more effective and more efficient.
In this session, faculty from Cornell’s School of Hotel Administration will discuss digital marketing strategy and practice and demonstrate how they impact almost every aspect of the hospitality organization, product, and guest experience.
