Preface

All over the world, technological advances are being made at the speed of light, and the hospitality and tourism industry is growing and changing just as quickly. Customers can get a special rate when they follow a hotel on Twitter. They can book tour reservations online with a simple click. Cruise destinations around the world can be explored without leaving home, and bloggers on different continents share dining recommendations. Travelers can even plan a vacation that allows them to commune with nature while printing e-mails from their smartphones.

In order to stay competitive in an international market, businesses must adjust to these emerging social trends and respond to the ever-changing needs of their customers. The traditional focus on customer service and guest loyalty has become intertwined with rapidly progressing technological enhancements infl uencing all areas of the industry, including sales, marketing, human resources, and revenue and asset management. The result is a visitor experience personalized to each specifi c guest, through strategic data collection, market trend research, and the capabilities of integrated online self-service. This means knowing what matters most to consumers and recognizing emerging innovations that will be the next big thing for the next generation of customers.

Health issues are another growing concern within the hospitality and tourism industry. How do local health concerns impact tourists to other countries? How do tourist sites impact local health? The answers to these two questions cannot be separated from one another, since they intertwine. Tourists must be protected from disease exposure, while local populations must be equally protected from the possible negative impacts on health created by a resort or other tourist destination.

We live in an interconnected world today, and this reality has enormous bearing on the hospitality and tourism industry. Considering these impact and meaningful trends, the future of the industry will depend on a skilled workforce that can react quickly to rapid changes at the forefront of global culture.