Americans are Booking Flights, but are Destinations Ready?

As airline travel begins to rumble towards a rebound, and as more travelers ditch cabin fever for cabin seats, a hopeful, profitable season of tourism seems imminent for a desperate hospitality sector. Hotels and restaurants are eager to welcome guests after a year-long layover, but will they be ready?

Empty airports? Empty seats? Not anymore.

According to a recent article from Entrepreneur, the TSA is reporting its highest screening numbers in a year, indicating a swift rebound powered by postponed vacation time and pent-up wanderlust. Recent performance by airline stocks echo this outlook, as analysts have interpreted gains by United (NASDAQ: UAL) and Delta (NYSE: DAL) as signs that the travel industry as a whole is preparing for "take off."

As we previously reported, the most recent stimulus package emphasized relief for the hospitality industry, specifically for businesses crippled by tanking tourism and vanishing transient guests. This will hopefully provide an improved financial runway for hotels, resorts, bars, and restaurants still suffering from a rough 2020 as owners and operators will need to quickly rehire and reorient workers.

But despite optimistic forecasts, a sudden rush of tourism could arrive with an increased risk of potential service hazards. These dangers could also be compounded by an insufficient amount of time to prepare, even with larger organizations and properties operating at a management deficit from rolling furloughs.

An extreme example of what perils may lie ahead comes courtesy of South Florida. As a recent surge of Spring Breakers emboldened by lax COVID-19 policies flood destinations like Miami, overwhelming crowds have caused a bit of chaos for local businesses and law enforcement. While this may be a unique case compared to what other communities experience in the coming months, it seems as if travelers and patrons are eager to move on from the pandemic even if their hosts aren't as ready.

And as guests arrive, so will their expectations. As members of the hospitality community know all too well, guests tend to overlook or discard uncontrollable factors when it comes to the delivery of experiences -- especially on their dime.

In a recent article from the Associated Press, regardless of what external factors may have resulted in stressed hospitality environments like Miami Beach, travelers expressed the same unfazed critique of service you would expect from a pre-COVID Yelp review:

"Reg Mac... spent $800 on his trip to Miami, which he said was a bust thanks to the 8 p.m. curfew. He’d been looking forward to letting loose... 'I was expecting to go out to enjoy the nightlife,” said Mac, who instead returned to his hotel room to sleep. 'The food was horrible and the service sucked.'"

Even with unemployment numbers showing a decline due, in part, to job growth driven by the hospitality sector, symptoms of operational atrophy and the inherent hiccups of a required ramp-up period could lead to a frantic, tumultuous turnaround littered with poor reviews and service failures.

And while there may be a fierce desire for the hospitality leaders to revert back to the familiarity of operational 'muscle-memory,' despite all of the the pains of the past year, tremendous progress has been made through adaptation. Operational innovation -- and an openness from guests to accommodate innovation -- has been a rare silver lining, as businesses embrace creative approaches to new goodwill practices and policies for the sake of service.

Hospitality operators that continue to utilize digital menus, encourage mobile payment technology, and maintain a steady flow of revenue created by takeout and delivery orders will continue to reduce wait times, eliminate logistical inefficiencies, and provide a dynamic operational structure from which their staff can better operate.

In fact, while many businesses adopted new technology when foot traffic dwindled, many platforms focused on mobile ordering, mobile payment, integrated point of sale were initially intended for periods of peak business and present tremendous upside for those willing to embrace them.

But for the time being, regardless or what issues lie ahead, nothing should feel more reassuring to hospitality workers than the familiarity of wrestling with both excitement and dread for the busy, stressful, and profitable travel season ahead.