Accommodation Services and Importance

Accommodation Services

• Involves two services: food and beverage operations (restaurants, food outlets) and accommodation services (hotels, resorts).
• Accommodation is a temporary place to rest during travel.
• Visitors need a place to stay after each day of activities.

Importance of Accommodation

• Contributes significantly to the tourism and hospitality industry.
• Key Areas: Economic, Societal, Environmental.
• Economic Importance: Huge contribution to the tourism industry, revenue of P113.14 billion in 2019 (Oxford Business Group). Encourages employment. Improves foreign exchange for nations.
• Societal Importance: Tourism is about more than basic rest. Evolves to cultural convergence centers (like hotels being places for international conferences and meetings).
• Environmental Importance: Conservation practices (water, energy) encouraged. Activities like tree planting and coastal cleanup.

Lodging Operations

• Accommodation provision processes.
• Crucial for increasing customer appeal and profitability for establishments.
• Lodging operations is an integrated business approach. Four Management Functions: Planning, Organizing, Leading, and Controlling.

Planning

• Developing a comprehensive, understandable plan to reach the company's goals.
• Includes Hotel Marketing Plan, Hotel Operations Plan, Hotel Financial Plan, Hotel Security Plan.
• This is an ongoing process (managers must refer back to plans each day).

Organizing

• Ensuring the right personnel for the right hotel positions.
• Develop Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for different departments
• Establish guidelines and policies followed by employees.

Leading

• Hotel managers act as leaders by understanding their roles and responsibilities.
• Motivate staff, delegate work, provide effective mentoring, and manage conflicts.
• Leaders need clear understanding of employees’ roles and responsibilities.

Controlling

• Evaluating hotel operations periodically to analyze what worked and what didn't work.
• Evaluating staff performance, contribution to the company and achievements of goals.
• Evaluating business processes and procedures, profitability through profit and loss (P&L) reports.

Contemporary Issues in the Accommodation sector

• Safety and Security, Sanitation, and Hygiene: Thermal scanners at entrances, hand sanitizers, mandatory mask wearing.
• Contactless Payment Systems: Increasing use of electronic payment systems in place of cash.
• Smart Hotels: Integration of Internet of Things (IoT) technology to enhance guest experience.
• Virtual and Augmented Reality (VR/AR): Use of VR/AR technology in marketing and promoting hotels.
• Robotics in Hospitality: Robots used for various tasks such as check-in, order taking, and room service.
• Digital Guest Experience and Property Reviews: Importance of guest reviews on online platforms.

Global Trends

• Covid-19 pandemic significantly impacted tourism, leading to substantial decline in numbers.
• Strict travel protocols and border closures largely affected international travel.
• The accommodation industry witnessed low tourism arrivals and significant decline in receipts in 2020.
• Travel patterns impacted by the global pandemic.

Classification of Accommodation

• Classified by function, location, property features, size, rating, and ownership type to better categorize accommodation establishments.
• Size classification : Hotels can be small (under 100 rooms), medium (151-300 rooms), or large (over 300 rooms).
• Ownership classification includes private hotel ownership, local group of hotels, or international group of hotels.

This quiz explores the essential aspects of accommodation services in the tourism and hospitality industry. It covers the significance of lodging operations, their economic, societal, and environmental impacts, and how they contribute to tourism. Test your knowledge on food and beverage operations, as well as the role of accommodations in enhancing visitor experiences.