TECHNOLOGY
ANEW Hotel Ocean Reef.
Technology adoption at the forefront in tourism sector The travel and tourism industry is constantly evolving. However, 2020 and 2021 have become two of the most significant years for change in the sector. While the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic might be seen on a global scale, South Africa’s tourism sector lost an estimated R164-billion in spending by domestic and inbound visitors in 2020 alone. Additionally, the number of jobs supported by South Africa’s tourism declined to 640,000 in 2020 from 1.6 million two years prior. By Clinton Armour, chief executive officer of ANEW Hotels and Resorts.
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linton Armour, chief executive officer of ANEW Hotels & Resorts, reflects on two of the most challenging years in the hospitality, travel and tourism sectors and how technology adoption is key to the growth of the hospitality industry. Out with the old The impact of Covid-19 on businesses cannot be overstated enough. Start-ups, small agencies and major corporations have all been affected, in many instances to a point where the business simply cannot be salvaged. At ANEW, we’re lucky
enough to have a team of dedicated and forward-thinking individuals who found ways to innovate the business to ensure customer retention and satisfaction. The industry is no longer using traditional methods of customer service. Business owners in the hospitality industry have long been automating their processes to improve the customer experience and even productivity within the company. The result is a significant improvement in efficiency in service delivery across the world. It is important for our business to make the necessary developments and advances
10 Business Events Africa November 2021
to stay ahead of the trend. You would like to ensure you are operating at the best you can and deliver a product that will be superior to your competitors. During these times, customer satisfaction is even more critical to our business. It’s been challenging during Covid-19 because we are short-staffed but still want to deliver a great experience to guests. Overall, we’ve managed to deliver our product well and stay ahead of our competitors. In with the new We’ve achieved a lot of technology upgrades during this period, many of www.businesseventsafrica.com
