The Hotel Chains Alliance has presented its project to the tourism sector of Lanzarote by its secretary and president of the EuroFintech cluster, Fernando Gallardo, with the aim of working together in the technological and strategic development of the tourism industry on the island.
The event, which took place in the emblematic Islote de Fermina, was inaugurated by Benjamin Perdomo, CEO of the Art, Culture and Tourism Centers (CACT), who highlighted the importance of Lanzarote as a meeting point for tourism and culture, recalling the words of César Manrique about "the need to think about what we are, what we want to be in the future and be completely different from the rest. Initiatives such as the Hotel Alliance show us the way to achieve this."
Next, Fernando Gallardo, secretary of the board of the Hotel Alliance, took the floor and recalled that "during the pandemic we were generating working groups with hoteliers from all over Spain and the Lanzarote group was one of the most active. From these meetings of business people from the tourism sector, the desire for inter-company collaboration arose, the true germ of this Alliance."
The presentation, which lasted for two hours, began with an initial question about "what can we do against inflation, rising interest rates, labor shortages and the uncertainty that threatens the tourism and travel industry after the summer? What will we do when the 'champagne effect' of tourism fades away?" For Fernando Gallardo and the Hotel Alliance, the answer lies in the projects undertaken by the Alliance in several directions.
Specifically, cost optimization is very necessary in a scenario as variable as the uncertain one of changing tourist flows, last-minute reservations, consolidation of average stays, energy price increases, new digital habits and increasing volumes of tourists.
On the other hand, the automation of services is, in the long term, "the only way to solve the problem of labor shortages, increase the quality of customer service, gain efficiency in routine internal processes and ensure the fulfillment of tasks 24/7/365", together with hyper-personalization, that is, "the offer of tourist experiences adapted to each client through the clustering of last-minute reservations and the consolidation of average stays".
Emphasis has also been placed on the importance of energy efficiency, since "it is essential to use consumption metrics, and modernize the distribution equipment, the structural modifications of buildings and architectural envelopes, the rationalization and good sustainable practices of customers, as well as rates adapted to consumption with dynamic prices".
The attitude and training through the redefinition of operational tasks with little value has also been highlighted, along with the improvement of working conditions, the rotation and mobility of employees and the narrowing of the seasonal gap, among others.
Finally, Fernando Gallardo, has advocated for promoting business concentration to achieve globally relevant organizations, larger volumes for better negotiations, increasing processes of merger or inter-company collaboration to achieve a unit of action against the next tourist challenge: develop a strong exporting industry of technology and talent.
