Hotels, inns, guesthouses, and other accommodation operators are required to be flexible in responding to fluctuations and diversification in tourism demand.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, domestic travel and workcations expanded, leading to the development of long-term stay plans and teleworking facilities. Inbound demand recovered rapidly after border control measures were relaxed, accelerating the introduction of multilingual support, cashless payment, and cultural experience programs for foreign tourists.
Guesthouses and private lodgings are differentiating themselves by leveraging local interaction and low prices, while hotels and inns are polarizing between high-value-added, luxury-oriented, and cost-conscious options. As labor shortages worsen, self-check-in, outsourcing cleaning, and efficiency improvements using AI and IoT are becoming more common.
In addition, sustainability-conscious initiatives such as environmentally conscious management, local production and consumption, and community collaboration events are becoming increasingly important. In this competitive environment, uniqueness and improving customer experience value, rather than price competition, are becoming the key to securing profits.