How technology has transformed the skills demanded of the future hotel manager
Carlos Díez de la Lastra
Digital transformation has become a global reality. Today we talk about telework and online training in a hyper-connected world full of smart devices. We have made a leap of three decades and this is just the tip of the iceberg. Today’s work models, production systems, the ways we relate to each other and even the ways we enjoy our leisure time continue to change. We live in one of the most important VUCA environments (volatili-ty, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity) in our modern history, probably because of its impact, its absolute global reach, and the challenge it poses to all communities.
In the midst of transformation and uncertainty, some of the most positive news trends emerge. The crisis has given us the opportunity to internalize that it is essential to bet on talent, innovation, entrepreneurship and models that really build values based on equality, sustainability and cohesion. It is subsistence, and tourism is no stranger to this trend because tourism is a reflection of our society. We see it in the new travelers who are more conscientious. They are looking for environmentally friendly hotels, committed to the local economy, and with transparent communication. There is no turning back.
Tourism is in constant transformation, but it will not stop sustaining its essence in the customer experience. Customer service management is not only maintaining its im-portance, but the very technological pressure that tends to unify and standardize its solutions. This places much more value on something that has always distinguished the managers we train at Les Roches - the excellence in behavior and customer service management.
Our responsibility, as an educational institution, is to ensure that our students are pre-pared to lead the change and face the future challenges of one of the most powerful industries in the world, which has once again shown us, in an incredible way, its resili-ence. We need to instill this same resilience in our classrooms.
It is not so much a question of providing technical knowledge as one of activating the gene of innovative entrepreneurship and highlighting people’s ability to manage emo-tion and customer experience. In the coming years, the search for talent will intensify and this new reality will require more hybrid and complex profiles, capable of providing a strategic vision. People who are flexible, adaptable and with the ability to analyze and solve problems in an agile way in uncertain environments.
Therefore, in addition to management skills, multicultural and linguistic knowledge and theoretical learning, solid ethical principles and a strong collective commitment must be added, which is the basis of emotional leadership. But above all, and this is perhaps the most important point, we must turn professionals into curious talent, with the motivation and the inten-tion to constantly improve, be resolute, intuitive and possess the ability to identify tech-nological advances and know-how to integrate them into the value chain. We must not forget that some of the technological tools that we teach today in the classroom will become obsolete in a decade, perhaps sooner.
The SPARK Innovation Sphere by Les Roches project is just one example of the work that can be developed from Spain if we activate the synergies of all industry players. It is a project that will be a vital player in the new digital ecosystem of tourism. Our goal is to involve experts, leaders, innovators and companies in a great challenge: to generate a catalyst for innovation that integrates technology and humanity, transformation and service excellence.
Conceived as a bidirectional platform nourished by the talent of a multitude of coun-tries and cultures, Spark turns Les Roches into an open innovation environment made up of different work areas.
Its goal is to inspire while becoming a place to co-create, test and evolve experiential technology solutions. It will ignite by becoming a space for brands, companies, and suppliers to share market trends and evaluate the impact of technology and innovation. As a business incubator, Spark is composed of teachers and experts from different areas who are helping new entrepreneurs to turn their tech-nological idea into a reality within the tourism sector. It is also a space with new teach-ing modules aimed at acquiring the best knowledge to compete with guarantees of success.
Our partners are an example of this future; from Astroland, an interplanetary agency born in Spain, which has created the only subway station analogous to Mars that exists on Earth, to Macco Robotics, a company from Seville that develops robotic solutions that are already transforming the restaurant industry.
We are facing an incredible challenge, because it is undeniable that every adverse situation is also the beginning of something new. It is in our hands to change the course of our economy and the history of tourism. Let’s suppose we are in Switzerland in 1800, when the concept of hospitality was born. We can learn and build a strong tourism des-tination by relying on training, entrepreneurship and innovation, or we can let others take that place. At Les Roches we are clear about what our bet will be.