Hospitality in historical Perspective

Over the past few years, the global hospitality industry has confidently held the palm of popularity among both large investors and small and even novice entrepreneurs. After all, the main feature of the hotel business is that its growth does not stop even during the global economic crisis. Whatever the economic situation, the middle class around the world does not refuse to travel during the summer and Christmas holidays. In addition, due to the globalization of the economy, economic ties between countries, industries and companies are developing and strengthening. These main trends determine the prospects of the hotel business, such as the development of the existing hotel industry and the development of its new segments. The distinctive features of the hotel business in Russia and the CIS countries are the revival of the industry after the collapse of the USSR, the development of European standards of service quality and the establishment of new international relations. As for Russia, the most active hotel industry is currently developing in the capital, St. Petersburg and the pre-Olympic resort of Sochi — these cities attract large investments today and account for about 70% of the industry's turnover. At the same time, positive growth trends are evident in Western Kaliningad, the far East, industrial Krasnoyarsk, Irkutsk and other localities in the Baikal water area, as well as in major industrial centers of the country, where new modern hotels are appearing. Domestic hoteliers have already realized that the prospects of the hotel business are small 2-3 — star hotels that are in the greatest demand and already accept about 80% of guests. This sector is particularly well developed in Saint Petersburg, where investors buy residential buildings or huge communal apartments in the historical center of the city and create hotels in them after reconstruction. Moscow's hotel industry players, who are spoilt for customer attention, find the small hotel sector unattractive and prefer the construction of large hotel complexes, buying franchises of world — famous chain hotel giants such as MARRIOTT, Hyatt, Hilton and others. Fortunately, world tourism and the hospitality industry live not only in the capitals, but even more in the charm and impressions of the Outback. Tourists from all over the world primarily go to places where there are convenient transport links, interesting sights and conditions for comfortable living and recreation. Russia is interesting to foreign travelers for its history, unique culture, excellent conditions for winter and summer sports, and, of course, business people are interested in joint business opportunities. . This will be a powerful catalyst for the most promising prospects for the development of the hotel business in other cities. Entrepreneurs and investors in the industry will only need to correctly determine the direction and prospects of the hotel business, paying special attention to the segment of small 2- 3-star hotels with the shortest payback period. You should choose your target audience of potential customers depending on the specifics of the city.

Traditionally, the tourism industry serves two conditional groups of travelers: middle-class people who came to relax, have fun and get acquainted with the sights of the country or city during their vacation; business people who visited the country or city for business purposes. Depending on whether tourists belong to a particular group, their requirements for the hotel also differ. Classic tourists spend most of their time on recreation, excursions and entertainment, spending a minimum of time in the hotel. They are less interested in the attributes of comfort, they are quite satisfied with a clean and cozy hostel with a minimum of amenities, but with a low cost of living. For business travelers, business category hotels are preferred and the requirements for comfort in this case are much higher. The hotel for business travelers serves as a place for business meetings and conferences, and a temporary home where they can comfortably relax after work, business dinner or excursions in their free time. The price does not play a special role for him. When choosing a hotel, both groups of tourists primarily prefer a convenient location, walking distance or convenient access to major transport hubs, historical and architectural attractions, resort facilities and beaches. The second important factor in choosing a hotel is its decent appearance and a standard set of modern amenities. Finally, the friendly staff, level of service, availability or proximity to a restaurant or bar, as well as the presence in the Arsenal include wireless Internet will decide whether the guest is a customer of the hotel. Competition in the hotel segment is very high, and the demands of guests are also growing, so the only way to success and the development of the hotel business is to improve the quality of service and flexibility in meeting the rapidly changing needs of guests.