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The PCI Security Standards Council claims that since March, malicious virus-related reports are up 475%. The reason for the uptick is that cybercriminals are trying to take advantage of rapid changes to the payment-card data environment. In addition, 41% of small businesses have said they’ve suffered breaches costing more than $50,000 to fix.

Contactless payment is one of the big changes within the payment data environment. Several restaurant companies – from chains to independents – are offering it because it reduces customers' physical interaction with the restaurant's POS system. As part of this move, some businesses have eliminated credit-card PIN numbers.

Eliot says malicious email is usually the easiest way for cybercriminals to access your networks. The emails typically show up as urgent requests for sensitive information, often pretending to be from the Small Business Administration or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. When the intended victim types in his or her credentials and clicks on a specific link or downloads an attachment, criminals are in.

Anyone looking for easy-to-implement security tips can try these six to start. Reduce areas where payment-card data is stored. The best way to protect against a data breach is to avoid storing any card information at all. With many small operators offering curbside pickup and accepting payment over the phone instead of through face-to-face transactions, it’s important they train employees not to write down payment card details. Instead, have them enter numbers directly into a secure terminal. Use strong passwords. Using weak and default passwords is one of the leading causes of payment data breaches among businesses. Effective passwords must be strong and updated regularly. The most recent guidance is: the longer, the better. Think of it almost as a “passphrase” rather than a password. Use it in the form of a sentence, but mix in different characters within the phrase. It’s much harder to break a long passphrase than it is a short, complex password. Weak and vendor default passwords often result in small business data breaches. Also, don’t repeat your passwords. Update your software often. Criminals look for outdated software to exploit flaws in unpatched systems. Timely installations of security patches are crucial to minimizing the risk of a breach. Whenever updates are available, use them. They will improve performance and close out some of the vulnerabilities cybercriminals are searching for. Enable two-factor authentication. It's so important for restaurateurs, especially where their POS systems or any of their sensitive databases are concerned, to have two-factor or multi-factor authentication enabled. If an instance where credentials are stolen occurs, there will be a second layer of verification the operator can rely on to potentially reduce the chances that information will be breached. Segment your networks. If you are going to store payment data, make sure your POS system has its own separate, secure network. Do not store sensitive documents on public cloud services such as Google Docs or DropBox. If you’re going to store sensitive documents, house them in an encrypted, locked down location.   Be hyper-vigilant. Criminals are going to try to take advantage of this pandemic situation as much as possible. You can protect yourself by not giving out sensitive information, especially within unsolicited emails. Don’t click on links you’re not expecting and do everything in your power to protect all sensitive information.

Incorporating technology into day-to-day operations is essential to minimize human error, maximize service efficiency and improve the guest experience.

Companies must move quickly to meet evolving demands or risk missing the boat.

24/7 digital concierge.

Gamification of travel planning

As people contemplate their next getaway, hospitality companies can leverage gamification — using game design elements in non-game contexts — to turn travel planning from a chore into a guilty pleasure.

companies can capitalize on human motivation.

Beyond novelty, using gamification for online advertising is proven to boost data driving, customer loyalty, brand awareness, user-generated content, online engagement and revenue.

Virtual reality tours

Through the use of VR (virtual reality), companies can now give first-person digital tours of their space to future guests.

VR increases the elaboration of mental imagery and presence, leading to better brand experience,

Going contactless

The adoption of contactless technology like self-check-in, in-room technology, mobile keys and digital payments, increased by 66 percent during the pandemic

many hospitality companies transitioned to contactless check-in/out to reduce staff dependency.

Chatbot as a digital concierge

Hoteliers are scrambling to meet 24/7 guest demands. With fewer staff, chatbots are shifting from luxury to necessity.

This means a 24/7 ability to engage users, answer their questions and fulfill their requests.

IoT for room control and customization

Location-based services

IoT technology allows guests to personalize room settings like room temperature and lighting.

By seeing a guest's location via their smartphone, hospitality companies can offer more intuitive local recommendations. Without needing staff assistance, guests can instantly access local information, such as the nearest grocery store or the best pub in town.

Hospitality tech revolution predictions

he hospitality industry cannot expect a return to normal.

Augmented reality

User-generated content is content created by online users that they then share and can take the form of endorsements, comments, forums, blog entries, social publishing, etc.

voice activation among the younger generation of Web users represents a significant opportunity for the hospitality industry.

influencer marketing, a digital take on traditional word-of-mouth advertising, assists hotels in building their brands and attracting direct bookings.

One way to get strong returns and a steady stream of repeat customers is to collect analytics from online customer testimonials on review websites. This will give you a lot of information about your customers’ preferences, ideas for how to improve your business, and signs of future sales.

Personalized marketing allows businesses to send tailored content to their target clients by utilizing automated technologies and data collection

computer technology, alters a person’s perception of their immediate surroundings.

Hospitality companies in the travel industry can use video marketing to interact with their target market by posting videos on Facebook Live, Instagram, Snapchat, Discord, Reddit, and YouTube.

Content marketing aims to draw in customers by providing them with useful, almost always free, resources to provide them with value and sway their decision-making in your favor.

Remarketing, a powerful marketing strategy, includes targeting potential customers who have previously visited your website or expressed interest in your services.

Video marketing has evolved into an important component of many advertising campaigns

you can showcase many incredible experiences through video.

Marriott was able to demonstrate what guests could expect from their hotel stays while also highlighting the distinctive aspects of its brand personality

content doesn’t have to be text-based to be effective. As such, podcasts have grown in popularity in recent years, particularly among consumers who do not have the time to watch a video or read an article.

hospitality marketing is a very challenging thing to get right, and it can be time-consuming

Renaissance property is made up of six floors with 175 hotel rooms; it also includes a conference center totaling 4000sf, and an 85,000sf full service spa and workout facility

In order to successfully achieve the Renaissance goal of reducing energy costs without compromising guest satisfaction, Pelican needed to implement a cost effective energy management and data monitoring solution that provided accurate, real-time data that Renaissance could easily access themselves

Pelican’s wireless solution included exchanging their old thermostats with 226 of Pelican’s wireless intelligent Internet Programmable Thermostats, one Wireless Gateway for seamless communication between the Thermostats and the Cloud based servers, and one Pelican Property Management Interface to enable communication to Renaissance’s Property Management System

installation took only two installers three days to complete at an active hotel that is rarely under 100% occupancy.

Pelican’s solution takes advantage of two easily measured conditions found at hotels; Occupancy Rate and Average Nights Stay

Business hotels in the US typically see an average of 1.6 hotel nights per stay.  This means that as much as 50% of the time hotel rooms are vacant during the daytime.

Pelican’s simple, but intuitive technology interfaces to both your Hotel’s Property Management System and to the Internet to access the Pelican Site Manager

Initial setup is done via an easy to understand graphical user interface accessible on any Web Browser. Our Cloud Based servers allow you to access your resources and have control of your information from anywhere you have an Internet connection.

allows your authorized staff to have central control via a Web Browser from any Smartphone, iPad or Tablet with Internet connectivity.

This month, GrandStay Hospitality will begin rolling out ZMail and the ZDirect Dynamic Content Engine to GrandStay Hotels and Crossings by GrandStay properties. The electronic communication tools will enable each property to send electronic guest confirmations, pre-arrival email promotions, post-stay satisfaction surveys and more to establish two-way communication between the hotel and its guests. Engaging guests with personalized dialog will spark onsite spending and result in increased revenues and maximum profits.

GrandStay Hospitality will use ZDirect tools to: Manage custom databases Optimize delivery rates for each message via desktop and mobile Create e-Questionnaires on the fly -- including queries for cancellations, meeting planners, and pre-stay requests -- with the ability to edit existing forms or create new ones as needed Analyze statistical reports driven by interfaces to the hotel's PMS and CRS Personalize campaigns that boost brand loyalty and bottom line revenues Build opt-in subscribers Use purchasing habits and shopping preferences to attract the best customers Modify existing campaigns for last-minute promotions Establish a mobile web portal that is fully integrated with the hotel's PMS Leverage text and SMS to increase customer interaction and communication

January 2010, only 40 hospitality properties have achieved so-called LEED

certification.

LEED is a voluntary, third-party green building certification program that awards points to buildings for satisfying certain green building criteria. In order to be LEED-certified, a building has to implement a plan to reduce building operating costs, its environmental footprint, and resource consumption such as water and energy use.

developed by the U.S. Green Building Council

non-profit organization

intended to provide building owners and operators a basic framework for identifying and employing practical and measurable green building design, construction, operations and maintenance solutions

LEED for New Construction and Major Renovations and LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance are the programs which have the most applicability to hospitality projects.

In addition, each rating system, including LEED for New Construction and Major Renovations and LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance, is organized into six credit categories

sustainable sites; water efficiency; energy and atmosphere; materials and resources; indoor environmental quality and innovation in operations.

Once the essential prerequisites are satisfied, developers can thereafter chose which optional credits to pursue in order to obtain certification. Certification levels start at Certified and increase to Silver, Gold and Platinum designations.

first hotel to receive LEED Platinum Certification was the Proximity Hotel in Greensboro, North Carolina

Proximity Hotel uses 39% less energy and 33% less water then a comparable sized hotel. In addition, the Proximity Hotel was able to recycle 87% of its construction debris

By using highly reflective concrete and/or open grid pavers, hospitality companies can help reduce the summer cooling loads for their building, which in turn reduces energy use and pollution generation.

installation of 100 solar panels on the roof, which heat about 60% of the hotel and the hotel restaurant’s water; use of geothermal energy for the restaurant’s refrigeration equipment; and installation of the Regenerative Drive model of the Otis’ Gen2 elevator which reduces net energy usage by capturing the elevator’s energy and then feeding it back to the hotel’s electrical grid

Many hospitality companies have already introduced green initiatives, such as the use of compact fluorescent light bulbs, offering linen and towel reuse programs as well as various recycling programs

Not only are these green initiatives environmentally responsible, but should a hospitality company at some future point seek LEED certification, these green initiatives would earn them points in furtherance of the certification process

Paving Parking Lots with Highly Reflective Materials or Open Grid Pavers

purchased 40% of the building materials and 90% of its furniture locally and even restored 700 feet of an adjacent stream. Proximity’s most impressive features, however, include:

Installing High-Efficiency Plumbing Fixtures

Landscaping with Native Plant Species

native plants reduce more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere than traditional mowed grass due to their extensive root systems and increased ability to retain and store water

Green Cleaning – Using Sustainable Cleaning Products, Materials and Equipment

A green cleaning program may include the use of Green Seal Certified household cleaners, Green Seal Certified laundry products, micro-fiber cloths, and dual motor vacuum cleaners with HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) filters that prevent particles from becoming airborne. Green Seal is a non-profit, third-party certifier

third-party certifier

Using Local Materials and Goods

While not every hotel or hospitality company may be in the financial position to seek LEED certification or undertake costly capital expenditures, there are numerous green initiatives that each and every hospitality company should be considering to improve their efficiencies while also attracting green conscious consumers

A simple Google search of “hotels” and “green initiatives” returns more than 27,000,000 hits

make the strategy actually doable

Establish goals - Customize your social media site - Create unique content - Optimize content for your goals - Follow Through Online and Off - Track Data and Use the Results

MGM Resorts is among an expanding number of hotel operators looking to capitalize on growing environmental awareness among travelers by getting their hotel owner-developers to invest in systems that cut energy usage, save water and reduce waste.

The trend in consumer green consciousness has grown important enough among travelers that Sabre Holdings, one of the world's largest GDS operators, has taken notice. Last month, Sabre launched its Eco-Certified Hotel Program, making it what the company claimed was the first GDS to break out a list of "environmentally responsible accommodations."

MGM Resorts has cut its electricity usage by an amount that could power more than 12,000 homes.

Caesars Entertainment (formerly Harrah's Entertainment) set a goal of cutting its carbon emissions by 10% between 2007 and 2013. So far, the Las Vegas-based company has replaced 65,000 halogen light bulbs with LED bulbs, which use about 90% less electricity, and has recycled more than 60,000 pounds of soap for Clean the World, a nonprofit that sanitizes the soap and sends it to low-income areas of the U.S.

The trend in consumer green consciousness has grown important enough among travelers that Sabre Holdings, one of the world's largest GDS operators, has taken notice. Last month, Sabre launched its Eco-Certified Hotel Program, making it what the company claimed was the first GDS to break out a list of "environmentally responsible accommodations."

MGM Resorts is among an expanding number of hotel operators looking to capitalize on growing environmental awareness among travelers by getting their hotel owner-developers to invest in systems that cut energy usage, save water and reduce waste

T he approximately 5 million hotel rooms in the U.S. rack up almost $4 billion in energy bills a year, or about $800 per room annually, according to Ashley Katz, spokeswoman for the Washington-based Green Building Council

"We have had the Travelocity Green Hotel program since 2008 and noticed increasing demand and supply of green hotels," said Leilani Latimer, director of sustainability initiatives at Sabre. "Additionally, there is increasing interest on the corporate side as more and more businesses are integrating their overarching sustainability programs into their managed travel programs and looking for significant ways to promote sustainable procurement practices

"It's very difficult for hotels to be truly green by their nature," said Bjorn Hanson, divisional dean of New York University's school of tourism and hospitality management. "Daily cleaning consumes chemicals and energy, and public spaces are 30% to as much as 70% of the square footage of a hotel and must be lighted, cooled and heated."