INNOVATIVE TRENDS IN THE HOTEL SERVICE SECTOR IN THE FACE OF MODERN CHALLENGES

Abstract

The article explores innovative trends in the hotel service sector in the context of new challenges facing businesses today. The main challenges of modernity that encourage hotel businesses to implement innovations include increasing market competition, changes in customer expectations requiring a high level of personalization and the latest technologies, rapid technological development, the need for environmental sustainability, the necessity to comply with international standards, and adaptation to crises such as pandemics or wars, which demand the quick implementation of new solutions to ensure the safety and viability of businesses.

An analysis of scientific approaches has identified the main areas of innovative activity in hotel services, which are aimed at optimizing various management and administrative spheres (digitization of business processes, process benchmarking, strategic planning), improving customer and guest interaction efficiency (use of mobile applications and platforms, digital marketing, service personalization, payment diversification, etc.), enhancing hotel services and client safety through new technologies, and ensuring environmental sustainability. It has been established that digital technologies play a crucial role in the innovative development of hotels, enabling optimization of all the above-mentioned areas of innovative activity.

The article demonstrates that innovations not only provide competitive advantages and improve the quality of hotel services, but also serve as a key tool for adapting to changing and often unstable conditions. In wartime conditions, hotel businesses are forced to implement innovative solutions such as investments in modern security systems, repurposing for humanitarian aid, digitization and automation to maintain efficiency, as well as economic adaptation through new business models with flexible rates and stable income even in difficult conditions.

It is substantiated that, for the effective implementation of innovations in hotel services, it is necessary to justify an innovation strategy that will determine the optimal combination of solutions, specify directions and methods for achieving goals, and assess their effectiveness in economic, social, and environmental contexts.