Hey guys, I've been a fulltime traveller for almost five years now; leaving behind a career in finance and IT sales.
Being a traveller on either side of the pandemic meant a lot of things...good and bad. One definite con has been the increasing price of accommodation, specifically related to Airbnb.
When I first began roaming the world in 2019, Airbnb was my default option for places to stay, and it worked well. Lots of supply. Reasonable prices. Reliable. Safe. Since the pandemic, it's just not a viable long-term solution. So here's how I overcame the challenge of finding a reasonably priced alternative to Airbnb:
1. Often the same accommodation is also listed on booking.com. Compare to see if you can save on costs.
2. Try and contact the owner directly to see if there's an opportunity to save by paying cash in hand. Note: I've had mixed experiences with this one.
3. It's funny how many hosts know other hosts! If you've connected well with your host - find out who their fr...
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Hi everyone - I'm Josh, the Director of Traveltech for Scotland
We're doing a project looking at the role of technology in alleviating staff shortage pressures in tourism and hospitality. (see more here: www.traveltech.scot/projects-database/labour-tech)
Our research to date has identified the following tasks in need of support/augmentation or automation. Are you working on/do you know of any digital solutions or technologies can that help with these tasks?
👉 If yes, post in the discussion thread!
Tasks we think could benefit from sort of augmentation or automation:
Housekeeping:
• physical tasks: making beds, carrying cleaning supplies up/downstairs, cleaning bathrooms, emptying bins
• time-consuming tasks: linen count/ stocking linen cupboards; updating the front of house on cleaning progress across a hotel; stock control
Kitchen:
• sourcing/ordering ingredients and supplies
• preparing ingredients (eg, washing, chopping)
• cooking food
• cleaning up after cooking
• cleaning up after service
Front of house:
• check-in process (including ID check)
• booking and reservations
• answering common queries
• addressing complaints
• coordinating with housekeeping staff around cleaning needs and progress
Management:
• recruiting staff
• onboarding/training new staff
• scheduling shifts
• payroll
• inventory tracking and restocking
• workforce management
Food and beverage assistance:
• taking orders
• service
• cleaning up after service
Also, tell us if we're missing anything! Are there other areas of work/tasks that, if automated or made more efficient could help the hospitality industry cope with staff shortages?
Comments/ideas in the thread below, please!
At Otolo, we believe in acquiring and retaining talent through connections, community, and courses. Like many hospitality businesses, we think that the perception of the industry needs to change, so here are some of our solutions to tackle these challenges:
1) To bring hospitality people together we created our unique platform - which you can join for free - to network, meet people, access insights, mentoring sessions, and more. 👉 rebrand.ly/Join-OTOLO
2) To help support the wider industry with retention we’re launching our complimentary CPD-accredited courses next month for participants to learn from the industry’s greatest experts and build new connections to boost their careers and ignite their passion for hospitality. 👉 rebrand.ly/Join-L2-Course
We are now in the match-making phase of our project trying to use technology in alleviating hospitality staff shortages!
Here is a link to four 'tech' briefs for traveltech companies: bit.ly/3pYFxyp
They are in the areas of:
Staff location and communication [for a Boutique Hotel]
Employee scheduling [for a Traditional Pub / Kitchen]
Kitchen Inventory Management [for a Traditional Pub / Kitchen]
Staff training and communication [for a Country Resort]
If you have (or know of) a solution that would be able to address any of these briefs, message me or email my colleague Will Robb [wrobb2@ed.ac.uk] by 16th March 2022, noon GMT.
We will shortlist 1-2 companies to speak directly with the hospitality business to explore ways of working together. We have some funding to trial the tech with the participating businesses (w/c 21st March 2022).
Cheers!
(feel free to share it with any business you know!)