As the effects of COVID-19 began to be felt around the world, the impact on the HORECA industry became inevitable. The decisions taken for closing the hotels, restaurants, theme parks, cinemas have led to the disruption of an entire ecosystem. Many interconnected industries have begun to look for solutions to adapt to a completely new paradigm.
The epidemic has introduced many variables, which currently obstruct the perspectives of the hotel industry. Thus, the HoReCa industry was among the first industries affected and will be among the last to recover.
This has always been the subject of restrictions imposed by the authorities. The restrictions taken in order to avoid contamination by touch, have suspended exchanges between cultures, made over the years through tourism. It is expected that due to the restricted movement during the pandemic, the hotel industry must prepare for a significant increase in tourism demand with the end of the pandemic.
Research shows that more attention will be paid by consumers to the safety of food choices and hygiene products, the cosmetics playing an important role here.
Considering the quality of the products and the care for the environment, consumers are increasingly relying on the reliability of the source of ingredients, their quality and the environment of origin.
To support effective control of the epidemic, most of the customers have personally avoided physical shopping of any kind, and have instead relied on delivery services, accelerating the development of online sales and promotions. At the same time, the closure of shopping centers has contributed to increased online sales.
In this context, many companies have refocused their attention to other areas, a situation that is also valid in the case of CAHM Europe. The new focus in the retail direction led to an increase in sales of over 50% in 2020 compared to the previous year, CAHM purchasing new equipment and opening a second production unit.
Basically, improving brand culture and service standards to suit customer needs is essential for some independent hotels as well as for retail. Hotel owners and operators need to review brand positioning to better understand the needs of the target market.
It can also be taken into consideration the optimization of the strategy, the increase of competitiveness in order to respond to the changes of the clients’ needs.
Looking back on 2020, the pandemic has triggered an analysis of the main aspects of the hospitality industry, such as: sustainable industry development, hotel industry recovery, customer safety, market demand and development of the HoReCa industry, customer behavior, but also the risks of resuming activity during and at the end of the pandemic.