Taking Service Online: The Importance of Digital Literacy for Hospitality & Tourism Professionals

Published on: April 11, 2023

For pretty much all of human history, wherever people go and gather, there's a need for hospitality. Whether they're enjoying a meal, resting at a lodging outside their home or exploring someplace new, people have an innate desire to be welcomed warmly and made comfortable. From that need, the hospitality industry – professionals specializing in service – was born.

Today, most people are looking for authentic experiences when they travel, where they can immerse themselves in the region’s culture. No matter what inspires visitors to explore, the hospitality industry must deliver service, attentiveness and an overall dedication to providing a welcoming and positive experience. These are the elements that define hospitality and likely always will.

As society changes, the hospitality industry continues to evolve with it. For example, the internet and smartphones have brought some significant changes to the world of hospitality. However, the need for talented and caring people to provide service and care hasn't changed. Now more than ever, hospitality and tourism professionals are needed to strategically balance technology and guest experiences. 

How Technology Impacts Hospitality and Tourism

There are plenty of examples of technology being used to positively impact a customer or visitor's experience. Consider restaurants: customers used to have to call a restaurant up to make a reservation. Now, many places allow you to reserve seats online. Some places may even text or email future customers after they book a reservation with a link to an online form. The restaurant then uses the info provided in the form to further customize and improve the diner's experience. 

QR code menus are another example. Rather than printing menus (and reprinting when those menus change), many establishments are now opting to put their menus online and have customers access them via QR codes handed out or left on the table. Some restaurants even allow you to pay your check online rather than by handing cash or a credit card to a server. 

This digital revolution isn't just impacting restaurants either. In hotels, the check-in process used to be entirely handled at the front desk when guests arrived. Now, many hotels give their guests the option to check in online. Many hotels even use digital technology to upload room keys directly to a user's phone rather than giving them a card or key at the front desk.

When it comes to travel and tourism, visitors are now planning their vacations around what they see online. As such, ensuring that online information is accurate, authentic and up-to-date is an absolute must for destination reputation management. 

And of course, there is social media. It has revolutionized how customers can interact with establishments. It's also a great way for businesses and organizations to communicate with their audiences, highlight their products and services and remove the fourth wall to allow guests to experience a place without first visiting. 

There is almost no part of the hospitality and tourism experience now untouched by technology. Therefore, industry professionals need to be digitally literate. 

The Importance of Digital Literacy and How it Creates Opportunities for Exceptional Service

In the context of the hospitality and tourism industry, digital literacy can best be defined as having the ability to utilize and communicate on different platforms, including applications and social media. Organizations and businesses have large and varied audiences they need to communicate with. Understanding how those different audiences engage with and use digital technologies is important in providing a guest-focused experience. A digitally literate hospitality and tourism professional can use technology to better meet the needs of guests, diners, visitors, their coworkers and their community.  

That means that hospitality and tourism professionals have even more opportunities – online and off – to deliver great service to customers. It also means that there are opportunities for hospitality workers in nearly every business sector. Hospitality work may have traditionally focused on hotels, restaurants and cruises, but today can also include careers in health and wellness, weddings, event planning, sports, aviation, destination marketing and much more. Additionally, each of these can also include crossover careers such as finance, marketing and sales, security, banking and even health care. After all, no matter what business they are interacting with, people expect a good and comfortable experience – especially when they've been promised customized care and exceptional service online.  

Become a Digitally Literate Service Professional at Husson

Succeeding in one of these rewarding careers requires a strong foundation in business, as well as passion, dedication and adaptable training so that you can face any challenge in this constantly evolving industry. Fortunately, you can build that business foundation, along with essential skills in both service and digital literacy with an education from Husson University's School of Hospitality, Sport, and Tourism Management. 

As a Husson student, a full two-thirds of your classes will be in business and business management, because ours is a true business degree. One-third of your classes will be focused on hospitality and tourism fundamentals as well as digging into the technology that's changing how the industry operates. You'll have incredible and unique opportunities to put technology to use in your own training. At Husson's iEX Center, for example, you'll be able to use augmented reality and virtual reality technology to get hands-on training in virtual environments. Special simulator programs give you the opportunity to make management and service decisions and see how they play out, building confidence and quick-thinking abilities that will serve you well wherever your career takes you.  

So don't wait any longer. Apply now to Husson and get started on learning about the latest innovations in a truly timeless field!