Expert’s Voice: Spain’s main hospitality challenges for 2020

Hoteliers need to adapt to new circumstances, making changes in different job positions and according to client demand.

A new year has started and along with it new challenges arrive for the Spanish hospitality industry. David Basilio, CEO of Hosteleo and Marianela Olivares, General Director at Linkers, explain the main aspects that need to be taken into account this 2020.

The year has already started and 2020 presents itself with several challenges that the Spanish hospitality industry must face to continue being the economic reference of Spain.

David Basilio, CEO of Hosteleo and Marianela Olivares, General Director at Linkers, outline the main challenges here:

1. Jobs need to be adapted into a new business concept based on home delivery

The growth and revolution of the delivery concept, has caused many changes in terms of logistics, making this aspect one of the most important ones, when analyzing functions. Therefore, companies and hoteliers need to adapt to new circumstances, making changes in different job positions and according to client demand. According to David Basilio, “Nowadays consumer habits are constantly changing towards shorter stays and fewer costs, that is why hoteliers need to be active and quick in order to take advantage of this new home delivery-like opportunities that will help to consolidate a positive explosion that increases sales in times that used to be, traditionally, low season.”

2. Saving costs

In unstable economic times, transactions tend to reduce and the business priority is to get as much rentability as possible with fewer sales. Marianela Olivares says that all the essential costs need to be analyzed. “A proper sales forecast and a detailed cost analysis of the offered services where quality and client service aren’t affected, are key. Price negotiation with suppliers and energy saving with an environmentally sustainable plan are key elements for our exploration to continue being black and not in red.”

3. Training is a tool for loyalty and recognition of employees

Good professionals are difficult to find. Building loyalty with the workforce is essential to reach the objectives. “The establishments and companies must enhance the training of their workers so that they become more efficient and versatile professionals. This will also work as as a very positive weapon for retaining talent for example, in a hotel or in a restaurant,” says Basilio. He also wanted to highlight the importance of maintaining a motivated team aligned with the objectives of the company where each member performs clearly defined functions. This is an added value that leads to the success of the business.

4. Driving gastronomic trends closer to clients

The tastes of consumers have been turning towards simpler proposals in appearance and with clearly defined flavours. We must look for a memory or a recognizable flavour of the main product, putting more and more emphasis on original, fun side dishes. In recent times, trends based on veganism and other alternatives with which to overcome allergies and intolerances have gained strength. Marianela Olivares says that the client is a loudspeaker. They do not need to be a gourmet or journalist to share their dishes or visits to restaurants; the restoration is already the most popular social option among Spaniards, and for that reason, the diner needs dishes, ingredients and proposals that he understands, have a recognizable flavour and that can talk about with his circles of influence.

5. New technologies

Taking advantage of technological innovation is essential to give the customer a personalized, distinctive and good quality service. “New technologies need to be implemented to the Horeca sector in order to improve the customer experience, and/or the tasks normally performed by workers. The technology that does not provide value for either sector will never improve the company’s results. The management or ownership of the company needs a technology that measures the results, changes and progress,” says Basilio.

This article has been republished with permission from Restauracion News. The original story is available in Spanish here.