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The Metaverse and what it means for the hotel industry. It is shifting the way hotels and events reach consumers. It is a new way in providing a different experience for customers in a way they could ever imagine. This article highlights this trend of the metaverse which is picking up and changing the way industries engage with consumers.Many companies are moving quickly to join the community of companies entering into the realm of the metaverse and what its impact has on costumer experience. The metaverse will drive workforce down and increase experience marketing tech touch for the consumer.

This article speaks about the CTO and Airbnb joining forces to embrace the growing demand for Digital Nomads to work and travel, with the "Work from the Caribbean" campaign, a possible win for all involved. With Airbnb, it is a solution to embrace the flexibility of its clientele and the CTO, an opportunity to increase revenue in the Caribbean destination, diversifying the way they do business while offering the sun, sand, and sea. This disruptive innovation will undoubtedly change immigration policies in accepting longer than previously allowed visitor stays and could see reduced nightly rates and discounts. The flexibility of working remotely is an opportunity to increase the 'tourism dollar' in off-peak months, additionally bringing possible investment in real estate for the Caribbean. With the application of research through technology, both entities can devise innovative ways to market to this ever-changing industry.

This article is specifically related to the short-term rental industry (eg: Airbnb) and not to hotels. Property owners are increasingly using technology hardware and software to create a "contactless" experience that will foster a sense of safety and security with their guests but still allow them to personalize the experience. No dramatically new technology cited but interesting to read that property owners are planning to spend more on technology than on additional cleaning measures in terms of their anti-Covid measures.

This article is about the integration of social media in marketing for restaurants, and particularly how that has adapted and changed as a result of the pandemic. The article gives a brief introduction with some statistics outlining the particular usage of social media by different generations and how they make decisions regarding the content they see on that social platform. It then goes into detail about how Instagram is the primary platform that leads to success for restaurants marketing. It then takes a slight turn and explains that many consumers are looking to give their business and attention to entities that take social or other stands and seem to have a genuine care for making the world a better place. It has also been shown that outsourcing of marketing has reduced as a result of the pandemic and the need to save money during the hard times. Additionally, there is something that consumers find appealing about the genuine marketing that an internal employee is able to do on a platform such as instagram. The article concludes that even though the pandemic has been a terrible thing, it has forced restaurants to become more proactive and innovative in their marketing strategies.

This article on "Sustainable Hospitality Technology Made Possible" gives detailed tactics on how properties can lower their energy and consumption costs, and reduce waste which ultimately leads to protecting the environment. As explained in the article, this sustainability shift did not occur overnight, but rather through a progressive process that encompasses corporate social responsibilities and consumer sentiment.

This article explains social media in hospitality and tourism. I really loved the explanation of the SOSTAC method which stands for S-Situation analysis/ Who are we? O-Objectives/ Where do you need to go? S-Strategy/ How you'll meet the objectives T-Tactics/ Details of strategy A-Action/Do your thing C-Control/ How did you do. This method was created by PR. Smith in 1990. It was created for digital strategy, and we still use this method nowadays. This technology helps us define our goals and KPI's as well as understand the buying process, what audience we need to cater to to have a successful following and monetary outcome as well as how to keep that momentum.

This article by Michael Toedt on "Data privacy matters in the hotel industry" speaks on the approaches that can be taken to protect guests' data and their privacy since these practices increase guests' trust and loyalty to companies. Accordingly, it is vital for hotels to securely store guests' information. Thankfully, CDM systems make it much simpler for hotel staff to manage data-related requests from clients, such as updating personal details. They also enable one-click deletions, preventing data disputes.

This article talks about the development of sustainable technology and how it relates to tourism in Barbados. It mainly discusses new technologies and how the country plans to create more business opportunities that promote tourism but also help the economy to thrive. The main takeaway is that the country hopes to become a fully renewable economy by 2030. It has many different natural resources and business opportunities that will allow for the skilled labor that is necessary to do so.

Geo-targeting is a step above geo-fencing and like that of Proximity marketing is a digital marketing technique meant to geographically target consumers within a set of parameters. The purpose of this is that while digital marketing has been around, is being used and the future of it is quite relevant it requires companies to adapt using various methods of marketing to reach the consumer. And geography is an area that is highly required. And unlike geo-fencing, geo-targeting is more generalized in the locale. It is asserted that companies need to have a better understanding of their guests at a basic level than before. "Hotels can no longer take a blanketed approach---understanding where a guest is coming from and the impact of a hotel's digital footprint" is just as important. A reason hotels might want to use geo-targeting is that direct business captures "95% more revenue than that of indirect channels". Interested enough many guests book last minute and that accounts for 72% off mobile bookings. Geo-targeting relies on revenue to determine its success. One issue noted is the use of VPNs can create miss-targeting when users are receiving messages from a location they are not in. Several things to note are prioritizing a focus on existing and prior guests because they cost less than advertising to new guests. Secondly, using CRM can create personalization through guest profiles and add an extra special factor to their experience. One example shown was Denny's and it showed an increase in visits. Geo-targeting is a marketing strategy that can help companies stay relevant.

This take on proximity marketing is interesting in that it requires a little more thought in implementation because you aren't just narrowing it down to a specific locale, you are creating a wider net to catch people in. That means you have to have a broader understanding of who you are catching which would be multiple targets that may not be alike, but have similar needs. They used the pandemic as an example of how it benefited them to use geo-location, While not marketing to a whole section of the US they targeted a more localized net ( a state away) but not too narrow as to leave out a specific target. It showed some success in that they were able to save money and help bring brand awareness to a different type of consumer. They not only target those locally but "neighbors" and I know that I as a new guest appreciate seeing local people utilizing a product or service and come back for more because it gives me an idea that the product or service or both is appealing to guests. This also helps hinge on the word of mouth of the customer. That is an additional positive aspect of this type of marketing. Seeking local rather than national or global customer-created brand devotion.

Note: my above post is comprised of highlighted excerpts and intended to be in quotes but the editing tab is not working accordingly. No plagiarism is intended and credit goes to the authors of the posted web page. Nelson AS DESCRIBED ; this is the fundamental problem with the proximity marketing process. The fact that this is some sort of "subliminal" type of messaging through push marketing, that not only send out ads but collectively gathers personal data, should be an area of concern for everyone utilizing a smart device. "Our in-app features enable you to reach the right customer and push the right message at the right time and at the right location BLE iBeacons for accurate mobile proximity marketing. Analyze customer patterns, dwell times, measure performance, promotions, track conversions and customer retention & loyalty better understand your customers & increase your foot traffic, sales and revenue."

This article talks about research surrounding analysis of global proximity marketing. The article categorizes several things such as sales, revenue, cost structure, and more. It includes data on some of the most well known companies in the world, including Google, Microsoft, Apple, and more. This research is important because it provides a business overview of the sustainability of proximity marketing and discusses its implications for the marketing and sales industries, which hospitality falls under.

The article explores the concept of "Green IT" to help reduce the amount of energy and e-waste and make it more sustainable. The five principles mentioned in the article are to: Rightsize, consolidate, virtualize, measure and manage e waste, all used to be able to operate a better IT system that works efficiently to reduce energy consumption. Also providing a visual representation of an IT infrastructure to break down how it works and providing ways to reduce power and purchase of each structure. Some ways mentioned where to create a new data centres, installing new printers and purchasing energy-efficient equipment to reduce consumption and also cost of energy. The idea is to become more aware of how to start change and be able to control and monitor the IT used to make it more sustainable and minimize "ecological impacts." Based on the article and the quick evolution of technology, i don't think we can stop the use of IT systems but there are ways to reduce and monitor the amount of IT systems. One point that was not mentioned was "cloud computing" which seems to be an effective strategy set in place to reduce the amount of IT systems used within business. Not only does it reduces the hardware costs but also saves energy from having several systems to locate information.

This paper discusses the role of PMS, POS, and GDS in the hospitality and tourism industry. It identifies key digital literacy and employability skills that students and educators need to develop to better understand and negotiate the changing, digitally focused landscape of the hospitality and tourism sector.

More hotels are now using contactless check-ins by allowing the guest to be able to use their mobile devices as their digital room key. This is great for the pandemic to social distance but potentially risky due to hackers. As long as hotel operators adopt multilayer security strategies then they can provide a safe and secure environment for everyone.

This article gives many tips on how to use social media for advertising purposes. You may think that you know a lot about how to advertise or what to use, but this gives you more ideas as well as better ways ito implement you posts in a better and timely manner so that you know your ROI.

Event technology is forever changing and adapting to current environments. With COVID-19, event technology will be more prevalent than ever. Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality can make the attendee feel like they are in the middle of the event while actually being far away. Facial recognition software allows for streamlining check-in, but also allows for entry to be contactless. As most events have become virtual, livestreaming is very important to bring the event into the living room of those that cannot physically attend. Event apps are becoming more and more popular in that they bring all of the event information right onto an attendee's smartphone and allows them to customize their experience. Attendees can participate from far and wide, so having the information be translated into their language increases their accessibility and inclusion. Artificial intelligence collects user data and turns it into personalized recommendations for their event experience. Games brought into an event increases audience engagement and allows for team building and friendly competition. Event planners have project management software available to them to help streamline their planning and saves them time and money by not having to manually do certain tasks.

This contribution between major event planning companies can really make a difference in the way vendors are found and managed. The new platform will address event planner's concerns and bring new innovative ideas to the sector.