Q1 - Due to tech advancements, hotels will employ 50% fewer desk workers in 2030 - Should hotel employees be worried about being replaced by new tech?

• Depending on the sector, the current evidence is, yes. Not because it should be this way, but the trending disposition is to remove staff and increase tech, while convincing the customer that this is what they want/need from the hospitality industry. As compared to the more enlightened hospitality forward approach whereby Increasing tech to increase hospitality, grow revenue and improve the service experience.

Q2 - Hotel tech should be part of a strategy to attract new talent to the industry. - Does cutting-edge technology enhance and enrich the employee journey?

• Absolutely. The new hospitality worker expects a smart working environment that enables them to be productive and grow in their roles. Well deployed technology is the pathway to modern job roles and increased scope and impact. Important factors for the incoming workforce who are not willing to do an apprenticeship on reception. It requires a far more creative approach and departure from the current industry tropes.

Q3 - Hotels should be able to deliver a better guest experience with fewer staff - Does technology make good on the promise of increased guest satisfaction AND profitability, while optimizing staff efficiency?

• Well designed and deployed technology can have all of these impacts. Better designed and deployed technology has deeper impact and allows the operator to create competitive advantage throughout the front and back of the business.

Q4 - Today's human stack in hotels is not ready for the upcoming new tech stack - Should organization structures and operational processes be reviewed before thinking of tech revamps?

• Today’s human stack is the same human stack that has constantly been adopting an increasing variety of technology for the last 40 years. They are fully capable of continuing to do so. The industry has only become more technically enabled. Not less. That will continue.

The question that in my view is the follow-up to this topic is how do we maintain hospitality while adopting technology? That is a different discussion and fundamental to the future of our industry. Hospitality is something that humans provide to each other. No piece of technology can achieve this. We are either the hospitality industry or we morph to become something that does not include hospitality in our moniker. Your local ATM doesn’t care about you and your experience with a business.