Ahead of the upcoming Hotec Europe conference, which is scheduled for Oct. 26–29 at the Anantara Vilamoura Algarve Resort in Portugal several industry insiders will be sharing their insights on how the hotel sector is adjusting to new normals. Hotec is sponsored by Questex Hospitality (parent company of Hotel Management).
Katerina Tzanakaki, industrial engineer at development firm Temes S.A.—developers of Costa Navarino in Greece—shared her thoughts on how the hotel company is adapting to new normals and where she finds inspiration.
How has your segment of the industry changed in the past 18 months?
The country of origin of our guests, the length of stay and the type of accommodation were the main changes noted in the past 18 months. The loss of the U.S., the U.K. and the Scandinavian countries affected the performance of our hotels. Guests selected mostly larger rooms and bungalow type accommodation to ensure independence and enhanced security and the length of stay was seven days minimum.
What kind of new strategies have you developed to adjust to the new normal?
We invested in advanced hygiene measures and protocols and we educated our staff to apply our new strategy. Our marketing departments also analyzed the market segments and focused on markets that could generate influx of new tourist segments.
What are some new trends in the industry that you think will have staying power?
The majority of hygiene protocols will remain and the criteria of the guests for selecting a hotel will also have staying power.
Where do you look for inspiration? Do you look inside or outside of hospitality?
Although I am in the marketing department, hospitality is an industry interconnected will all sectors of the economy. So inspiration comes from hospitality.
What is the most valuable thing you learned over the last 18 months?
Fast reaction and flexibility are the key elements to encounter unexpected facts.
Applications for Hotec Europe are still open for buyers and suppliers.
Stay tuned for more insights from industry leaders ahead of Hotec Europe.