According to the latest research conducted by Colliers International, personalisation Artificial Intelligence (AI) could increase hotel revenues by over 10 percent and reduce costs by more than 15 percent – with hotel operators expecting technology such as voice and facial recognition, virtual reality and biometrics to be mainstream by 2025.
Further to this, the research estimates 73 percent of manual activities in the hospitality industry have the technical potential for automation, with many global hotel operators including Marriott, Hilton, and Accor already investing in automating elements of their human resources.
Danielle Curtis, exhibition director ME, Arabian Travel Market, said, “It is important to highlight that the GCC is one of the fastest growing regional hospitality markets on a global scale and an innovative technology-reliant industry.”
While automation is forecast to replace a large number of jobs, between 39 and 73 million in the US alone, according to a study by McKinsey Global Institute, the report also states that innovative technology will not be a purely negative disrupter.
“Its impact on hotels and travel and tourism is multi-dimensional, ranging from voice and facial recognition, chatbots and beacon technology to virtual reality, blockchain and robot concierge,” added Curtis.
Throughout ATM 2019, the spotlight theme will be launched as a platform to create awareness and inspire the travel and hospitality industry about the next generation of technology, while bringing together senior travel executives to meet and conduct business with innovative tech providers.
New jobs will be created; existing roles will be redefined; and workers will have the opportunity to further their career with additional training. The challenge, therefore will be preparing for and managing the transition between now and 2030.
Looking to the future, the use of robots within the hospitality industry is becoming more commonplace with Colliers predicting the global sale of guest relation robots to reach 66,000 units by 2020.
Deployed to improve guests’ overall experience in a hotel, these robots offer a range of uses from artificially intelligent chatbots designed to assist with the customer service process, through to robot concierge and butlers which have the ability to deliver luggage, handle check-in and check-outs and deliver meals 24/7 to guests efficiently.
