Hospitality Technology

Location-based marketing allows organizations to target customers at a personal level with online or offline messaging based on their physical location. LBM use a smartphone's GPS technology to track a person's location. Geo-fencing marketing uses real time geo-location data to target users within a geographic area and deliver content based on where they are or what locations they've previously visited.

Location, timing, relevance of the ad is the most important using location-based marketing. All phone these have a GPS implemented on their phone and can provide a location. Companies can make immediate offers to individuals if they are in proximity of the businesses. In hospitality, restaurants can give discounted offers to people walking near the restaurants.

This article investigates the purpose of biometrics and how they can be put to use in the hospitality industry. Biometrics are often seen as the most secure method of identity verification, but with that comes the fact that this information is incredibly private and an very high security risk for the company holding it. It also discusses some of the challenges and difficulties companies may face in their implementation. It specifically focuses on different pieces of legislature that may limit the use of biometric data and what this means for employee and customer safety. This article concludes by acknowledging the fact that if biometrics continue to rise in technological prominence then a federal law should be put into place to designate its use.

This article talks about a situation the Radisson Hotels had on 2018, they confirmed a data of breach that exposed personal details of small percentage of members rewards. It was first reported by a Business Traveller after receving an email that his details has been compromised. Radisson took incident and did an extensive investigation to prevent future breach of data happening to their customer.

Technology as with anything has the pros and cons. Whatever we put on the world wide web is at risk to be hacked, this is the harsh truth. By simply purchasing online or self check out, we are vulnerable. The sad thing is that hotels worldwide has the traffic of visitors and stores a wealth of information, a field day for hackers. As technology increases so is the need to employ cyber security and perhaps inventing high tech robots to guard information should be coming more to the forefront. Daily there are people developing codes to break in.

In my industry (property management) I get asked all the time why not to just use Quickbooks. This is the best primer I've found for it to date.

Conscientious travelers want to stay in conscientious hotels. The hotel industry has developed the "GreenLeaders Program" to recognize hotels and B&B's that engage in environmentally friendly practices. The top reasons why the hospitality industry is going green: (1) long-term monetary savings, (2) meeting the needs of eco-conscious travelers, and (3) conforming to new environmental regulations.

E-waste (electronic waste) has continually risen due to technology being part of our everyday lives. Upgrades for technology happen e very year and so the life span of devices becomes shorter due to new technology being available. Only 29% of e-waste is recycled in the U.S. There has to be better solutions to combat e-waste. The concept of circular economy can help with the e-waste problem.

This article discusses how new developments in technology are changing sustainability initiatives. However, in contrast to many of the discussions this week this article is not talking about sustainable trends in the technology industry but rather how technology can help encourage sustainability in other markets as well. For example, in this case the article is discussing how developments in apps and online sharing have created a whole new network of people buying and selling used and repurposed items on line. These kinds of applications are rewriting the meaning of a "new" item and helping to increase the useful life of items and decrease the amount consumed. Often times it seems people shop simply for the novelty of purchasing something new and exciting purchasing a used item from someone else can create this same feeling as it will be a new item for the person purchasing however this is a more sustainable supply line as the items are not simply thrown out after one period of usefulness. This new second hand market is also highlighting how much longer of a useful life many items have beyond that of their first owner.

This article is based on how we can improved e-wastes on doing little changes that will benefit on our future. Most of the e-waste is not recycle properly, we buy things after things and more after more, every time a new technology comes up there is the motivation on buying what is the lasted cool technology, and what about what we have , where does it go ? to the trash or recycle, but we do not know where that recycling goes, I believe learning more about it will help on our routine of how to recycle better and help with this process to proceed right.

We quickly move to 'next' as far as technology goes and rarely think about how to get rid of it when obsolete. In the Caribbean for example, there are not may recycling plants for e-waste, in fact, many rarely do recycling on a whole. In the Turks and Caicos, disposing of a television or a phone is as simple as throwing it in the trash among everything else. What happens next? It goes into the landfills and there they lie. Imagine the toxic waste from over 40,000 inhabitants on a small island. While moving with the crowd seems to be the way of the world, I believe government entities must act swiftly in ensuring e-waste is disposed of correctly to preserve this island and its inhabitants for generations to come. The technology should not outpace the disposal thereof.

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 shows the 11 Key Trends that are disrupting the travel industry and what businesses need to stay on top of in order to stay relevant. I found the concept of voice activated things in the rooms interesting. As someone who has her own "smart-home", I struggle with the debate of Alexa always listening to my children, and the ease of me saying goodnight and all the lights turning off without me having to get up. I remember reading about a lawsuit that came about regarding the legality of Alexa recording children without their consent, so I wonder about the feasibility of this technology inside the rooms themselves.

The metaverse became more relevant to the travel industry during covid. This is a great way to discover new places, and can transform tourism marketing. Interactive virtual worlds can create excitement for a destination or attraction, and build interest for actual travel later on. Changes in consumer behavior must also be considered, as the culture of the new generation of travelers is currently being cultivated.

China is going to be selling a lot fewer alarm clocks to Marriott as travelers rely more and more on their mobile devices. Since this article was published in July 2021, Marriott has since made it official that alarm clocks are no longer required in guest rooms. The mobile phone has made the alarm clock requirement obsolete. The majority of travelers view this as a positive change as travelers complain about the cleanliness of the alarm clock, being awakened by the previous guest's set alarm that hotel staff does not cancel, needing space on the nightstand for their own mobile devices, and the glare of backlit numerals interfering with their sleep at night. Owners appreciate the cost savings, yet their hotels may experience an influx of wake-up call requests in the absence of the alarm clock; however, most phone systems allow guests to set their own wake-up call through the telephone without operator assistance.

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.

For this article I want to focus on the room technology aspect. We have become so dependent of our devices at home that sometimes going to hotels is not as pleasant as before. In this article, we can see how hotel chains are changing to cater to our needs so the daily routines are not affected. One example is how Hilton is partnering with Netflix allowing you to sync your Netflix Account with the Hilton Honors app so you can go and use the room tv to keep watching your favorite programs. So no more using your computer or ipad to keep binging on your series while you are in a hotel. The other interesting part is the use of tablets and apps that mimic our regular apps for food ordering within the hotel avoiding the need to call for room service or doing lines at restaurants.

This article discusses not only the future of hospitality technology, but the impact it will have on the industry, All of the technology advancements mentioned will change how hospitality businesses operate. For example, cybersecurity is becoming a really important investment for these businesses to make because hackers have been stealing guest data and information. Tech advancements are being placed around privacy of consumer data, when that never used to be a major issue

This article palms out 8 disruptive hotel technology trends to follow. The explosion of SaaS, APIs going mainstream, room technology innovation, privacy and cybersecurity, the struggles of OTAs, WiFi 6, big data and digital hotel companies. The article illustrates that technology is driving the hospitality industry by explaining new technology trends that enable hoteliers to operate more efficiently and offer guests the opportunity to personalize their experience. But it also means hoteliers must focus on data security and ongoing training when implementing the technology guests expect.

This article emphasizes the different methods and approaches cruise ships are taking to become more sustainable in the future. They are doing so by pursuing innovations like renewable resources, regenerative travel, providing energy solutions, and more. They are seeking to reduce carbon emissions by 40% by 2030. One of the methods described in the article is that cruise ships are now integrating liquified natural gas (LNG) fueled ships which produce zero sulfur emissions and reduce greenhouse gases by 20% when compared to regular ship fuel. Cruise lines have already started to introduce this kind of innovation to newer ships. Ports are also taking initiatives to become greener by having solar-powered terminals, smart waste separation, electric transportation, etc. Cruise lines are also working with organizations like the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) to make sure that culture, environment, and destination laws are enforced and protected.