Lines between work and travel will become blurred: Hospitality trends for 2023
The lines between work and travel will become more blurred in 2023 thanks to new hybrid and remote working formats, reveals EHL Hospitality Business School.
With companies, such as Spotify, implementing ‘working from anywhere in the world’ policies, the hospitality industry is expected to witness more ‘bleisure travels.’
Bleisure travel is a mix of business and leisure travel where an employee travels for business reasons from Monday to Thursday, and then extends their trip for a mini-holiday often with their spouse or family in tow.
“Remote working will continue to influence how people travel, highlights Lionel Saul, co-author of the study. The line between work and travel will be increasingly blurred. Tourists tend to spend more time exploring a location while working if necessary,” says Lionel Saul, research assistant at EHL Hospitality Business School.
Alongside this, the hospitality industry is expected to see tourists wanting less alcohol, opting for mocktails and alcohol-free beers and spirits instead as individuals become more health conscious.
Tourists also wish to have the opportunity to eat ‘zero-kilometre food’, as they are increasingly looking to have a connection to the land where produce is sourced, as well as being more sustainability friendly.
Another trend we’ll see in 2023 is the increase in traveling by train. This form of travel is seen as more peaceful than the crowded airports and soaring flight costs as a result of the pandemic.
As a result, many train routes in Europe are being reinstated, and launches of new overnight trains to make traveling around Europe easier than ever.
Whilst the main purpose of taking the train is to get from point A to B, companies are also offering services to make the train the destination itself, for example culinary activities.
Finally, the key trend that will be noticed in 2023 is that sustainability will be the main direction of hospitality. It will drive major investments, and the hospitality industry is expected to develop and adopt more sustainable solutions in all its activities.
With 4 out of 5 tourists choosing sustainability as an important factor in their purchasing choices, it has become vital for hotels to switch to environmentally-friendly processes and services – and ensure that these initiatives are visible to their customers.
Researchers at EHL advise businesses in the hospitality sector to look closely at these trends to ensure their business is aligned with the changes taking place in 2023.
