Technology has touched every aspect of our lives. With the rise of mobile devices and cloud computing, the impact of technology is deeper and deeper than ever. The advantages of technology can be seen in many aspects. Not only does it change our life standard, it also changes the way we conduct our business. One of the industries has witnessed many of the changes brought by technology, such as 'smoke-free industry': hospitality and tourism.
Technology has touched every aspect of our lives. With the rise of mobile devices and cloud computing, the impact of technology is deeper and deeper than ever. The advantages of technology can be seen in many aspects. Not only does it change our life standard, it also changes the way we conduct our business. One of the industries has witnessed many of the changes brought by technology, such as 'smoke-free industry': hospitality and tourism.
With the arrival of mobile devices, social networking, online bookings and new payment methods, technology has entered the hotel industry - ever deeper than ever. Some technologies add to the experience - both to hotels and guests, but it comes along with challenges. The hospitality industry is unlikely to catch up with the rapid growth of technology. Therefore, any business that can confront with this challenge and take advantage of it will achieve success.
Moreover, high-tech mobile devices are also used to keep track of inventory, to-do list, or even are used in the same way we use them at home: calculate the ingredients for the dish, controlling materials in stock.
Technology allows customers to find where they want to go, evaluate and decide whether to spend money on it or not. Technology also allows restaurant owners to be more productive with software and hardware. With a better knowledge about technology application, the hotel industry also has a bigger chance to break through. However, if it’s misused at the wrong time, it will also ruin the business as it did with any other industry. So that hoteliers and restaurateurs need to consider carefully both opportunities and challenges to be able to stand stably in this new game.
However, beside the benefits there are always potential risks and challenges.
That Ipad, the smartphone replacement paper menu cannot be applied to restaurants built on thick old-walled buildings. The thick and solid walls will create countless 'dead spots' for the wifi wave, making use of these devices difficult. Instructing staff to use well-trained software is another issues. In addition, the service style is considered by many restaurants as core value. Therefore, managers refuse to replace them with machines because they will lose the original style that customers expect.
Above are some of the opportunities and challenges that technology can bring to business executives in the hospitality and tourism industries. Technology delivers unbelievable success but can also destroy everything if we do not know the application and use it properly. Therefore, business executives need to decided wisely how much they want to apply technology to their business.