Azaria Hotel & Apartments, under the leadership of Ayodeji and Adedolapo Fashanu, is at the forefront of this transformation.

By integrating cutting-edge technology with luxury service, Azaria is setting new standards in hotel management, positioning itself as a leader in Nigeria’s hospitality sector.

Azaria has embraced technological innovation to stay ahead of the curve. This integration allows for improved guest experiences, streamlined operations, and enhanced overall service delivery.

One of the key technological advancements implemented at Azaria is the Smart Property Management System (PMS).

This advanced system handles bookings, check-ins, and check-outs efficiently, allowing the hotel to focus on service and guest satisfaction.

The PMS is designed to ensure that operations run smoothly, providing guests with a hassle-free experience from start to finish.

In addition to the PMS, Azaria also leverages AI-powered guest insights to tailor its services to the needs and preferences of each guest.

By analyzing data from previous stays, Azaria can provide personalized services, creating a unique experience for every guest.

This level of personalization elevates guest satisfaction and positions the hotel as a leader in customer service innovation.

Azaria has also adopted contactless technology to meet the demands of the modern traveller. With mobile check-ins, digital room keys, and a virtual concierge service, guests can access services with ease and convenience.

This technology not only enhances the guest experience but also promotes safety by minimising physical contact—an increasingly important factor in the post-pandemic era.

In addition to its focus on technology, Azaria is also committed to sustainability. With increasing consumer demand for eco-friendly practices, Azaria has taken steps to integrate sustainable solutions into its operations.

The hotel is focused on reducing its environmental impact by implementing energy-efficient systems, water conservation measures, and sustainable sourcing for its restaurants and amenities.

As part of its long-term vision, Azaria aims to create a model where luxury meets sustainability. The hotel’s future initiatives include further innovations that align with the global push towards environmental responsibility.

By incorporating eco-friendly practices, Azaria is not only meeting current industry demands but also preparing for the future of hospitality.

Service delivery also remains at the core of Azaria’s success, and the hotel’s commitment to innovation ensures that it stays ahead of competitors.

By leveraging data analytics, Azaria can better understand its guests’ preferences and provide personalised services that cater to their unique needs.

From customised room settings to tailored dining options, every aspect of a guest’s stay can be fine-tuned to enhance their experience.

As technology continues to reshape the hospitality industry, Azaria remains committed to leading the charge. The hotel’s focus on integrating innovative solutions, personalising guest experiences, and promoting sustainability sets it apart from competitors and positions it for continued success.

In the years to come, Azaria’s leadership team plans to expand its technological capabilities further. The goal is to continue enhancing the guest experience through the use of advanced solutions while maintaining the warmth and personal touch that luxury hotels are known for.

The post Luxury Meets Innovation: The Azaria’s Tech-Driven Approach to Hospitality appeared first on Tech | Business | Economy.

• Data breaches, attacks on critical infrastructure or physical assets and increased ransomware attacks keep cyber concerns at #1 with 67% of responses.
• Business interruption, Changes in legislation and regulation, Macroeconomic developments, and Natural catastrophes are joined second with 22% of responses.
• Businesses need robust, resilient operational processes to safeguard their supply chains and ensure business continuity.

Cyber incidents have emerged as the top risk faced by the hospitality, leisure, and tourism sector in 2024, according to the Allianz Risk Barometer.

The report, based on insights from over 3,000 risk management professionals and business leaders, emphasizes the critical need to address these risks to ensure business continuity and protect against potential disruptions.

With 36% of respondents expressing concern, cyber incidents have taken the lead as the most significant and new risk in the hospitality, leisure, and tourism sector.

The recent surge in ransomware attacks has resulted in a staggering 50% increase in insurance claims activity compared to 2022.

Hackers are now targeting both IT and physical supply chains, launching mass cyber-attacks, and devising new methods to extort money from businesses. Consequently, early detection and response capabilities and tools have become increasingly crucial.

“Cyber criminals are exploring ways to use new technologies such as generative artificial intelligence (AI) to automate and accelerate attacks, creating more effective malware and phishing. The growing number of incidents caused by poor cyber security, in mobile devices in particular, a shortage of millions of cyber security professionals, and the threat facing smaller companies because of their reliance on IT outsourcing are also expected to drive cyber activity in 2024,“ explains Santho Mohapeloa, Cyber Insurance Expert, Allianz Commercial.

Investment in detection, supported by artificial intelligence, is expected to enhance incident identification. Without effective early detection tools, companies may face prolonged unplanned downtime, increased costs, and a greater impact on customers, revenue, and reputation.

While cyber incidents take the top spot, business interruption, changes in legislation and regulation, macroeconomic developments, and natural catastrophes jointly rank as the second most concerning risks, each receiving 22% of responses.

Business interruption has moved down to the number two threat for the hospitality, leisure, and tourism industry.

The top two causes of business interruption, following cyber incidents, are natural catastrophes and fire, with machinery/equipment breakdown or failure following closely behind.

These findings highlight the interconnectedness and volatility of the global business environment, as well as the industry’s reliance on supply chains for critical products or services.

Consequently, improving business continuity management, identifying supply chain bottlenecks, and developing alternative suppliers remain key risk management priorities for companies in 2024.

Changes in legislation and regulation risks include increased compliance costs, uncertainty, competitive disadvantages, impacts on tourism demand, damage to reputation and image, operational disruptions, and broader economic repercussions.

To ensure long-term success and sustainability, it is crucial for businesses in the sector to understand and effectively manage regulatory risks.

Macroeconomic developments can also significantly impact the hospitality, tourism, and leisure industry, introducing risks such as fluctuations in consumer spending, changes in exchange rates affecting international travel demand, inflationary pressures impacting operating costs, and economic downturns leading to reduced travel budgets and discretionary spending.

These risks directly affect businesses’ revenue streams, profitability, and overall competitiveness within the industry.

Furthermore, natural catastrophes risks to the hospitality, tourism, and leisure industry include physical damage to infrastructure, disruption of transportation networks, safety concerns for travelers, and loss of revenue due to canceled bookings and reduced visitor numbers.

The recovery efforts following such events may require significant time and resources. The occurrence of natural disasters, such as floods, earthquakes, and wildfires, can result in billions of dollars in economic losses for tourism-dependent regions.

This highlights the urgent need for effective crisis preparedness measures and risk management strategies within the industry.

Risk mitigation: how to future-proof your operations

What these risks reveal is the extent to which risks are interrelated and aggregated in the networked world we live and work in.

Faced with loss scenarios that can fall like dominoes, businesses need robust, resilient operational processes to safeguard their supply chains and ensure business continuity.

Business continuity planning (BCP) reviews are essential and must be regularly updated.

Cyber protection should include regular backups, segmentation of data, the right end-point detection and multi-factor authentication.

Data is paramount. Insurers such as Allianz Commercial can leverage your company data to facilitate a tailored risk assessment and help draw up a personalized mitigation strategy.

[Featured Image Credit]

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She made the above assertion as one of the resource persons at a workshop which came with the theme, “Tourism/Hospitality Industry As An Alternative to Oil & Gas in Revenue Generation” on Saturday, 5th August, 2023 at Lekki, Lagos.

Sandra said apart from oil and gas industry which serves as major source of foreign exchange earnings, the tourism and hospitality sector if well harnessed can boost the economy of the nation.

According to her: “In developed countries of the world and some African countries, tourism is a big business and creates employment opportunities for many people. Aside from direct jobs at the sites, those in the hospitality business such as hotels and restaurants also make a lot of money through the influx of tourists.

“Nigeria being a monolithic economy it is our responsibility as critical stakeholders in the Nigeria’s tourism and hospitality industry to advise the government to show commitment and partner the private sector in building the sector.

“Government and other investors within this lucrative and revenue generating space need to work our better ways of handling tourism business in the country and of course Nigerians too need to believe in their own, instead of travelling outside the country for leisure.

“It is really mind-boggling so see that our country Nigeria is losing billions of dollars annually due to lack of focus on the sector, whereas this is a money spinner if really given desired attention.

“According to the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), hospitality and tourism industry is one of the largest industries in the world for socio-economic gains. It is an important component which caters for tourists in any given destination, as such it is a valuable asset of the travel and tourism industry today and that is the simple truth.

“Even a layman understands that that tourism is travel for recreation, leisure, or business purposes even as it is defined as activities of persons travelling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business, and other purposes not related to the exercise of an activity remunerated from within the places visited. However, we must always find out ways on how to turn leisure to wealth creation and deepen human capital development or what I can still call employment opportunity” She stated.

Fielding questions from her audience at the well attended workshop, Sandra who is the Regional Manager at BON Hotels Nest Bodija, Ibadan Oyo State, noted further:

“The focus of hospitality is welfare. It is an aspect of tourism that looks out for the wellbeing of tourists. Service delivery and guest impression are the common dynamics that holds the industry together. In lieu of this, the field of tourism and hospitality is not excluded from the concept of sustainable development given the close relationship between the natural environment and tourism.

“Tourism is vast, its potentials and the values it adds to any nation that is ready to boost her economy is enormous and I appeal to the government and other key stakeholders not to rest on their oars, but to do more in giving the industry its place of pride.

“As we all know, tourism is in different categories. We have Medical, Business and Religious Tourism, etc. Let me speak more about Religious Tourism. From time immemorial, religious obligations have become a fashionable trend all over the world as a means of expressing beliefs and faith in the ability of God to protect and guide

mankind. Religious practices under the auspices of Christianity, Islam and Traditional practices have in no small way contributed to the development of tourism in the world and Nigeria isn’t an exception. People travel from one part of the country to another to attend religious programs, look at the number of people that usually attend programs organized by churches like RCCG, CAC, Winners Chapel, Deeper Life, Synagogue etc in Nigeria. This opportunity must never be taken for granted if we’re truly serious in business and profit making.

“It is a known fact that the Christian pilgrimages to Israel and the convergence of Islamic faithful twice in a year at Saudi Arabia have formed an economic platform for empowerment of the localities and contributed to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the host countries. In Nigeria, beyond several allusions by the government to the promotion of tourism, religion has continued to play a pivotal role in the development of tourism in the country.

“Many dignitaries have in recent times found Nigeria to be the essential balm to many of their spiritual problems, with many past and present heads of government from across the world visiting Nigeria to seek solution.

Sandra who again spoke about infrastructure deficit within the Tourism and hospitality space has this to say:

“Nigeria’s lack of infrastructures is most pronounced in the rural areas where incidentally most of its tourist sites are also located. Nevertheless, efforts at developing infrastructure to support tourism in Nigeria, paltry as these may be, stakeholders will have to nip these identifiable challenges in the bud as quickly as possibly and our government across board has a major role to play, through budget financing and bridging the deficit gaps, building excellent symbiotic relationships with the host communities and creation of relevant policies and legislations.

“Rural areas are where tourism is expected to have its most impact on economic development given the infrastructure and income it can attract to rural Nigeria to spur economic growth, and development in rural areas and the regions. In this regard, tourism can facilitate the replication of infrastructure to the regions and the rural areas of Nigeria, which are usually the areas which lack the required amenities.

“While tourism presents developing countries like Nigeria with huge opportunity and scope for economic diversification, efforts should be made to manage possible adverse social and environmental impacts. Although the quality of the environment, both natural and man-made, is essential to tourism, this cannot be taken for granted given their complex nature and peculiarities.” Sandra disclosed.

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Following a transformative few years, which saw the entire industry adopt critical technology solutions in order to survive, hotels and venues have grown increasingly adept at offering seamless digital-first experiences.

As they look ahead, however, this reliance on digital technology poses potential challenges to an industry that is built on human-to-human experiences. Aruba worked with global trends agency Foresight Factory to uncover five ways in which hospitality businesses will adapt to evolving consumer demands to offer the perfect balance between the digital and physical worlds.  

1. Hospitality Companies will be Serving Up Presence-Free Options

Building on current contactless trends such as digital check-in and biometric payments, hospitality companies will be able to welcome guests that are not present at their venue at all, using innovative technologies such as augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR) and the metaverse to offer presence-free experiences to “visitors” anywhere in the world.

2. The Guest Experience Will Start Well before They Arrive and Continue Long After They Leave (aka The Rise of Pretail Tainment)

Forget looking at photos or scanning the menu. In the future, guests will no longer do anything without first trying out the fully interactive, immersive digital option.

As the virtual experience becomes a non-negotiable precursor to the real event, companies will begin to offer more creative, elaborate and personalized “pretailtainment” options.

Meanwhile ‘post-stay’ services will also be available, rounding out the total experience.

3. The Guest Experience Will Have Become A Community Understanding

The future will see hospitality companies form fully connected communities of businesses around them, powered by the same network to deliver a total guest experience.

By sharing data, venues will be able to provide food and drink recommendations based on what guests have ordered in other locations or recommend local activities and automatically confirm availability.

Elsewhere community wayfinding and location services could eliminate inconveniences like wait times, by giving venues the ability to accurately track arrival and offer ‘virtual’ queuing.

4. Hospitality Companies Will Cater To How Guests Fell, Not Just What They Say

The best customer service involves giving customers what they want, before they even know they want it.

In the future, automated on-site systems and biometric data will allow hospitality venues to read and react to physical signals from their guests – adjusting music, lighting and scent to match a mood, or catering to the earliest signs of hunger with the help of predictive AI.

5. Data Has Become A Two-Way Street, With Hospitality Companies Expected To Feed Insights Back To Guests

As guests become both more concerned about making the right choices (with a particular focus on travel), and more empowered to do so with technology, hospitality venues must be ready to share data to help inform their decisions.

Additionally, they must be prepared to offer more options that cater to the eco-, health- and ethics-conscious, or risk losing business to more forthcoming and considerate competitors.

“Creating a personalized experience based on data and insights will allow venues to enhance service levels,” said Sanjeev Katwa, Chief Technology Officer, Tottenham Hotspur. “Similarly, AI & predictive modelling will ensure a much more efficient use of the venue, create a sustainable model, and ensure repeat business. Further automation, using next generation technology systems, will assist venues in reading and reacting to guest signals throughout their experience.”

Meeting these expectations requires making sense of collected data quickly and responding accordingly, which is why simply deploying Wi-Fi solutions for connectivity alone is no longer enough.

“Over the course of the next ten years, innovative technology will completely revolutionize the hospitality industry – merging the physical and digital worlds to enhance the customer experience,” said Morten Illum, Vice President, EMEA for Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company. “As the journey expends, guests will expect the same level of well-designed, personalized and engaging interactions – no matter when, where or how they choose to engage. Meeting these demands requires making sense of collected data quickly and responding accordingly, which is why simply deploying Wi-Fi solutions for connectivity alone is no longer enough. “To find the right recipe for success, hospitality companies must ensure that they are set up with a high-performing, secure, reliable and automated network that can facilitate both current and coming digital innovations, and deliver total guest experiences that continue to surprise and delight – whatever the future brings.”

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