The world as we knew it before March 2020 will never return to its likeness. Revolutionary change is coming to all sectors of life experiences. The hospitality industry which was perhaps the 1st to feel the full impact of COVID19 and will be the last to recover from its effects is already bracing for hard, unprecedented times ahead – ‘change is the only constant’.
This Global Pandemic has come just when tourism on the African continent is gaining traction; more quality beds are available, travel has become less expensive for both intra & intercontinentally itinerary. The average holiday experience now extends beyond the boundary of a resident hotel and the deep need for a holistic experience by today’s traveller is now the major motivation. Because African has remained the dominant destination for safari adventure, global hospitality brands have been tripping over to get a piece of this exciting continent. Beside this, business meetings on the continent is on the rise and now constitutes a larger revenue stream for business hotels. But what now with this sudden disruption? Is all lost? Will the stand along boutique hotels on the continent survive what looks to be a long recess in the hospitality industry? What can be done? What should be done?
The big players (corporates, governments, multinationals) are all scrambling for visibility to be seen, to be heard and to have their opinions considered – this is a good thing but how about the others? the front-liners; communicators, marketers, managers, chefs, entrepreneurs, travel agencies, college lecturers, students and even service providers; where do we get a platform to express and share our thoughts, concerns, fears, aspirations and ideas?
“The Utopia of Hospitality” is the forum that is tailored for this purpose; a platform for the front-liners on the African continent to have our say. It is a live broadcast on social media platforms that invites a select panel of hospitality stakeholders to give holistic views on themed subjects relating to the evolving nature of Pan-African hospitality; what we can expect to happen and how best to respond, adapt, cope, flourish and develop best practices.
This forum welcomes opinion-shapers & creative thinkers from various sectors of the industry across the continent to share perspectives and even engage with an audience that can provoke radical views that may prove to trigger the utopia moment in tomorrow’s Pan-African world of hospitality.