Hotel and food trends outline the new setting shaped ranging from lodging preferences, gastronomy orientation and everything in between.
New year, new page in tourism, the “key strength” of our country.
The main hotel and food trends that prevailed in 2022 and that apparently interest us for the upcoming 5 years or so, focus on mentality change in the stages of a travel journey.
The human factor comes back to the fore and drives events by breaking stereotypes of an obsolete status quo.
Outlining the new hotel & food trends, we asked by Executive Chef Konstantinos Koveos and Group Coordinator Dimitra Dolianiti to refer to those worth investing in.
Konstantinos, you are an Executive Chef in hotels in Glyfada, with significant extra-professional activity in the promotion of Greek gastronomy abroad and a writing career. What are the dominant food trends?
To interpret trends, we must first realize that everything around us is changing. The motto of the new period calls for shift to sustainability.
The profile of the entrepreneur who decides to invest in the tourism industry will be regulated by this very philosophy. We therefore outstrip waste of resources, raw materials and start implementing a more environmentally friendly framework of action.
I gather that you are also referring to the infrastructure of many businesses “trapped” in the 1970s and 1980s.
Precisely! With the arrival of international chains in a small country like Greece, I wonder what will be the response of Greek businesses in terms of competitiveness.
Unfortunately, even at present we observe several firms strongly refusing explicitly to proceed with renovations due to costs, to enrich their services and to take care of finding, training, supporting and developing their personnel.
Hustle and bustle has been observed in the labor market over the last 5 years. Could the requests to fill job vacancies be met?
Definitely not, although I’m quite an optimist by nature.
The gap of employment cannot be easily surpassed by people without proper tourism education.
It is completely different to love your country or the country that hosts you and completely different to work in a firm with formal qualifications (hard & soft skills) you do not possess and above all hard to learn (no matter how much you want to) during a high season.
I would be happy, however, within the frame of solidarity and professionalism, to witness business representatives (Hotel managers) developing their own initiatives to train their uninstructed personnel instead of demanding it from their subordinates.
Farm to table, slow food, olive oil bar, local cuisine. These are terms that have generally been projected on streaming platforms (Netflix, Amazon Prime) and we have come across relatively few Greek businesses. Do they have a place in the hot food trends that will concern us?
Different concepts that can be matched as they have a common feature: emphasis on quality and support of the local community.
Undoubtedly, occupy an important position in the hot food trends that will concern us.
Streaming platforms such as Netflix and Amazon Prime are gradually increasing the range of their popular shows since their international audience is “athirst” to know, taste, experience up close everything new and unexplored.
What is the nutritional profile that will prevail?
More and more people will adopt a healthier lifestyle and wellness with an emphasis on vegetarian and vegan diets. Organic vegetables, fresh fish, quality cuts of meat and generally food rich in proteins and low in fat will be the main types of consumer purchases.
Dimitra, you are a Group Coordinator in a central Athenian hotel, while your former occupation in the Reception, Guest Relations and Sales departments offers insight into the hotel trends of 2023. What do we expect in the new year?
Changes on many levels.
In almost every traveler’s review, there is a reference to the level of relaxation, calmness, quietness, good sleep that staying in accommodation offered them.
Let us think about the difference between a hotel that has not properly defined its workload and customers complain loudly to the staff as they cannot enjoy their stay, and a hotel that respects its customers by serving this desire among other things.
In addition, there is a strong shift in travelers’ preferences to qualitatively combine their work with leisure travel (bleisure).
Experiences of the sort, especially those that give way to creativity (art deco accommodation), connect us with nature and are intellectually challenging will be a trademark in 2023 as well.
Good news for luxury travelers is the formation of a new generation of luxury yachts by global hotel brands, with the Ritz Carlton leading the way, with the motto of exploring new places.
Every business can, by analyzing sales data and based on its target markets, draw valuable conclusions about the course, profitability and enrichment of its products.
Above all, as Konstantinos correctly cites, to improve the “bad texts” not only for its customers but also for its employees.
You mentioned relaxation. This could also be achieved with Wellness services right?
Αccurately. In combination with a healthy lifestyle and exercise, I believe that Wellness services can play a very important role in self-discharging every traveler and why not through special programs & tips to stay fit when returning home.
What will be the role of technology in the tourism industry?
Catalytic once again. With solutions that allow customers to unlock their rooms with their mobile devices saving time and of course money for any business, I believe that such digital key solutions are already a slippery slope.
Furthermore, new payment methods such as Apple Pay, Revolut, Payzy support the mobile transactions of every traveller, easily, quickly and above all contactless. So, I firmly believe that this is an area that tourism businesses can develop.
What is the position of the all inclusive model in the hotel trends of the new year?
The all inclusive model will continue to be among the important hotel trends of the new year, but its role will be slightly different.
More upgraded and in conjunction with the local community (signing agreements with local actors) so that visitors can have an expanded (and not just generalized) point of view of each host region as well as their participation in activities outside of their lodgings.
About the authors
Konstantinos Koveos is Executive Chef at London & Athens Coast Hotels.
Vice President of Chef’s Club of Attica “Acropolis” & author of Cooking@Home.
He is consultant Chef of Patrinorama magazine & Panhellenic Evzin
Dimitra Dolianiti is Group Coordinator at Novus City Hotel.
She has worked in Guest Relations, Front Office & Reservations departments.
She is content editor of the Panhellenic Evzin Magazine published by Patrinorama
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