Blog August 29, 2017

4 hospitality trends that are here to stay

The hospitality industry is all about providing unique experiences in new environments that feel like home. But these experiences must be revamped regularly to keep up with the changing needs of patrons and guests. Whether it’s interior décor, food, technology or business models, changes in hospitality are always certain and necessary. Paycorp has compiled the following trends to help you stay on top of all the changes in the hospitality sector.

Bleisure

The bleisure (a combination of business and leisure) trend has been growing for years and is approaching its peak. Booking.com reports that 49% of its business travellers extend their trips to take in the local sights and attractions. Companies also include bleisure travel as an employment perk to attract top talent. Now restaurants, hotels and resorts specifically cater for the trend by offering complete packages that include sightseeing and activities. Hospitality businesses can offer culturally rich and memorable experiences by partnering with other local tourism businesses.

Co-living

Millennials have sparked a new wave of communal living experiences termed co-living. In response to the urban housing crisis in the US, young professionals are learning from the sharing economy and choosing shared accommodation. The trend isn’t just for residential housing because it has caught the attention of hoteliers who are struggling to compete with the accessible pricing of Airbnb and its peers.

It has also created opportunities for a new type of hotel – one where the emphasis is on meeting, working and interacting with new people from all walks of life. Roam, a “network of global co-living spaces” offers travellers the freedom to stay in London, Tokyo, Bali and Miami and only pay for one lease. PodShare combines two concepts – pod hotels and hostels – and modernises them to create affordable shared spaces called pods. The space is so communal in PodShare’s pods that there no doors except for bathrooms and showers.

Staycations

An uncertain economic climate has had an inadvertently positive impact on the South African tourism industry. Holidaymakers who can’t afford expensive overseas trips are opting to holiday locally – so-called staycations. “While the continued favourable exchange rate for international travellers is set to positively influence the increase of inbound tourism to the country, there is a clear shift of domestic travellers seeking local holiday destinations in South Africa, especially towards the end of the year over the holiday period,” says Josiah Montsho, general manager at the Pepperclub Hotel and Spa.

Ethically sourced food

According to an Australian study conducted by OpenTable earlier this year, 81% of the customers surveyed said they preferred meals that were ethically sourced. Consumers are becoming more conscious of the origins of the food they eat and are expecting that the businesses they patronise have clean supply chains. This means choosing locally grown, seasonal and organic produce; Fairtrade-certified coffee, chocolate, sugar, nuts and dried fruits; animal species that aren’t on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species; and organic and biodynamic wines.

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