Social media, which have grown exponentially in the past
two years, will continue to be a force, but the big electronic
development for hotel distribution and operations is mobile
devices, particularly those with radio frequency identification
(RFID) chips. Because of the remarkable plunge in the cost of
RFID, we anticipate that this will break out as its own trend soon
enough, and the combination of RFID and mobile apps will allow
guests to use their smart phones to book a room, check in,
open their guestroom door, and settle their folio – all without
direct contact with your staff. Even without RFID, guests’ use
of mobile devices will create opportunities for innovation by
hoteliers, including new services and operating efficiencies.
Most critically, the dominance of electronic distribution as
summarized in trends 1 and 2 will solidify the major trend of
access to, and transparency of, information.
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