The Business of Hospitality

From 2020-2022, global hospitality was shaken to its core. The Covid-19 pandemic brought
the travel and leisure business to an unexpected and sudden halt. The traumatic effect forced
insiders to assess the systems and efficiencies allowing the lodging and restaurant sectors to
survive. In many areas around... read morethe globe, smaller hotels or local restaurants permanently
closed. The pandemic, it is commonly believed, likely accelerated the inevitable.

For those businesses which (tried to) survive, operators and owners of lodging and
restaurants had no choice but to review systems and make changes. All aspects of the
business and operations were affected: from human resources to technological needs (digital
keys, digital tipping, retention of the human element), to travel demands (rising costs,
continuously changing travel patterns, transportation issues). The state of the industry is still
in flux. But we have learned a great deal, and we continue to pay attention to contemporary
issues so that hospitality remains relevant in people’s lives.

How does hospitality transcend traditional lodging and restaurants into other fields? How do
sustainability, wellness, technology, and other societal changes also impact hospitality and
guest preferences? At Boston University’s School of Hospitality Administration, we’ve
redefined “hospitality” and the “business of hospitality” as “experience innovation.” This is
intended as a double entendre: how do we create remarkable and innovative experiences for
positive human interactions? And how do we respond to it and actually “experience the
innovation?” We find hospitality must exist in all service businesses that involve interactions
with people: retail, sports, senior living, healthcare, and even the workplace. Hospitality
should be all around us, so we can live our best lives. So how do we practice the business to
stay progressive and meaningful?

This collection of talks, presented by academic and clinical practitioners in various aspects of
the hospitality business, shares multiple perspectives of how hospitality today is moving
ahead, and not “going back to normal.” If we go backwards, we’ve learned nothing. And while
hospitality has an uncomfortable reputation for not progressing as quickly as other industries,
in fact, the industry has learned to adapt. And we continue to adapt, as we still find ourselves
in this unusual and revolutionary period of uncertainty. Despite the recent “shake-up,”
hospitality still thrives, and we are ready to innovate for a new generation of business.