Hospitality: Trends, challenges and changes in the profile of the corporate traveler

Travel was on hiatus during 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with the application of vaccines and the reduction of cases worldwide, biosecurity measures became more flexible. However, in its most complicated and painful moment that the pandemicall businesses had to find a way to survive and find a way to reinvent themselves.

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In the case of the hotel industry, one of the hardest hit together in the tourism sector, it had to close for months and behind closed doors, offer services for tourists who needed to isolate themselves, as part of the protocols, or provide connectivity spaces to provide training or talks. work remotely. Everything changed.

For Ricardo Dolcemascolo, general manager of Novotel Limaall industries went through a transition period, which was characterized by the capture of new ideas and since the middle of last year a gradual recovery has been developing.

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How did they adapt during the pandemic?

At the beginning we worked with virtual events. We offered our spaces to facilitators, trainers, trainers so that from the hotel they have the technological resources and give face-to-face training to a small group, but in parallel in a virtual way with more than 600 people from anywhere in the world.

Likewise, the concept of Wojo was born, which allows you to enjoy the comforts of the hotel and use the spaces to carry out remote work in optimal conditions.

How much have corporate travelers changed in these two years?

Corporate travelers combine their business trip with tourism. What is known as Bleisure, which combines business and leisure (business and leisure). People travel fewer times a year, but extend their period to carry out work activities and rest. We have given vital importance to entertainment spaces such as the pool and gym. Executives value their time more, prioritize their safety and seek to meet their work goals, reorganizing their annual agenda.

How do you identify the needs of travelers?

We have a service survey that is done at the end of the stay and we see what we can do better. We also have close contacts with all the companies we work with and they tell us about their needs. And lastly, it is our own intuition, understanding what is happening in the market, that is fundamental, a hotelier without intuition is not a hotelier. The host will continue to change. I think that next year we are going to discover more things, more needs of the guest, but I think that at least this bleisure trend is going to continue.

Has the national political environment somehow affected the hotel industry, tourism?

You could say that it could have affected that, but in reality with the pandemic it is very difficult to establish a separation. I think all countries were affected by the pandemic. It could not be differentiated if the political situation in particular in Peru was a turning point at the time. Confusing political situations always bring harm to the industry in general.

What is the expectation for next year?

We have very good expectations for the second half of 2023 and our aspiration is that by 2024 we will have almost normality. We understand that 2023 is still a year of transition. There is a fervor among people to go out and enjoy themselves, I believe that the opportunity lies in offering versatility not only for one area, in the corporate sphere, but also in opening the mind in general. It is a period of adaptation and transition. I am sure that by 2023 companies will have their vision and investments more organized, and that will allow us to evolve.