7 Hospitality Trends to Watch Out For in 2017

Sponsored by emlyon business school

Hospitality management is one of the most happening sectors right now!

From zero waste hotels to the Internet of Things, the industry’s modernizing from the ground up, so you need to keep up to date with all the latest trends to stay relevant if you want to succeed in this competitive and ever-changing industry!

Read on for our list of seven trends taking the industry by storm in 2017! 

1. Tech-savvy millennial customers

According to Accenture, millennials are projected to enjoy a disposable income of US$4.1 trillion a year by 2020… To cater to millennials’ changing needs and taste for technology, leaders in hospitality management have been re-conceptualizing how they do business and investing in new technologies… 

2. Co-living

Dorms for adults, or the city dweller’s kibbutz, co-living has been touted as *the* plugged-in millennial renter’s remedy to urban solitude. As public perspectives about ownership shift, more people are willing to *share* a space with fellow digital nomads, if it means that they get to live and work remotely wherever they like.

Co-living is scalable at all budgets – and ranges from services like PodShare for millennials looking to pay US$50 a night to much more up-scale co-living spaces like Roam, targeting somewhat less frugal renters…  

3. DIY travel

According to eMarketer, 148.3 million bookings were made online in 2014, while 65% of same-day hotel bookings were reserved on a smartphone!

Unlike their parents, most millennials would find the idea of a entrusting a local travel agent with the planning of their trip risible. Not to mention, a total waste of money. Millennials are Do-It-Yourself travelers, eager to avoid planning stress and travel agent scams – and websites like Hopper, Airbnb or Hostelworld let them book everything online without so much as a single phone call.  

4. IoT (Internet of Things)

The Internet of Things, IoT, involves connecting any device that can be flicked on and off (like a kettle or a fire alarm) to the internet. To cut costs *and* meet industry and traveler expectations, a growing number of hotels are using IoT to optimize guest experience and avoid potential safety hazards or energy waste… Pretty cool, huh? 

5. Wellness hotels

From deep forest yoga healing sessions to serving exclusively vegan cuisine, wellness hotels, or feel good hotels, are shooting up across the globe. Their allure? A chance to strip to the bare essentials and learn be mindful and zen for a week or two, for a truly relaxing break.

6. Data science

Big data is changing the face of hotel management. The already data-rich industry captures huge amounts of data every year. Keen to personalize marketing and services, whether in their promotional material, online offers or interactions with guests, hospitality management professionals are increasingly learning to draw from their enormous datasets to increase profits and guest satisfaction!

7. Zero waste

With its thousands upon thousands of discarded single portion jam jars and miniature shower gels, the hotel industry generates millions of tons of waste each year. To combat this, a new wave of sustainable ‘zero waste’ hotels are setting up worldwide. Among them, Dubai’s first zero-waste hotel, The Sustainable City, opening doors in 2017, will recycle water, be solar-powered and even feature an organic farm.

You now know about the latest trends to watch out for in the hospitality industry but you’re wondering how to actually start your career in this thriving sector? Many graduate programs can help you jump-start your career in this industry… and the MSc in International Hospitality Management double degree program from emlyon business school and Institut Paul Bocuse might be the perfect fit for you.

With an adapted pedagogy, hands-on business projects, company visits, courses held in France and China and a four- to six-month internship period, this program aims at helping you boost your career at companies like AccorHotels, Mandarin Oriental, The Ritz Carlton, HI Partners Hotel Investment, JVE Consulting Engineers, Le Chocolat Alain Ducasse Paris etc.

Want to know what’s happening in this year’s MSc in International Hospitality Management cohort? Stay up to date by checking the program’s Facebook page! Students are currently in London for their second field trip, where they will meet with top representatives of the industry and visit key hospitality environments.