# Drivers of Change in Hospitality

**Publisher:** Amadeus / Cornell / IHG / Foresight Factory  
**Published:** 2019-01-01  
**Category:** Travel tech  
**Type:** Study  
**Access:** Free PDF  
**Official source:** https://sha.cornell.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2019/05/Amadeus-Drivers-of-Change-in-Hospitality.pdf  
**Canonical:** https://tourismintel.ai/reports/drivers-of-change-in-hospitality

## At a glance
- Tech-augmented hospitality emerging as key differentiator; guests expect seamless technology and human interaction integration.
- Traditional room categories becoming obsolete; brand cult status democratizing across hospitality market segments.

## What the report covers
This study, produced by Amadeus in partnership with Cornell University, IHG, and Foresight Factory, examines transformative forces reshaping the global hospitality sector. Based on global consumer research, the report identifies technological advancement and shifting guest expectations as primary drivers of industry change. It focuses on emerging service models, brand positioning, and the operational implications for DMOs and hoteliers seeking to remain competitive in an evolving landscape.

## Key findings
The research identifies three pivotal trends disrupting traditional hospitality. Tech-augmented service delivery, democratized brand prestige, and the decline of standardized room typologies represent fundamental shifts in how guests interact with and perceive accommodation. These changes reflect broader consumer expectations for innovation and differentiation across the sector.

Consumer demand for personalization stands as a defining characteristic of tomorrow's traveller. The report emphasises that 70% of surveyed consumers prioritise bespoke experiences, indicating that mass-market standardization no longer meets market expectations. This trend necessitates fundamental changes in operational strategy and guest engagement approaches.

The integration of technology with human service emerges as non-negotiable for competitive hospitality providers. Guests increasingly expect frictionless technology deployment alongside quality human interaction, requiring organisations to balance automation with personalised service. This dual requirement reshapes staffing, training, and investment priorities across the industry.

The report underscores the urgency for DMOs and hoteliers to adopt data-driven approaches to guest engagement. Leveraging analytics to understand consumer preferences and foster emotional connections becomes central to strategic differentiation. Industry stakeholders who delay this adaptation risk obsolescence as guest expectations continue to evolve.

## Why it matters
**DMOs & destinations** — DMOs must recognise that destination competitiveness increasingly depends on facilitating tech-enabled, personalised visitor experiences. Understanding these three trends—tech integration, brand democratization, and experience customization—is essential for developing effective marketing strategies and destination partnerships that align with evolving traveller expectations.

**Hotels & hospitality** — Hotel operators face urgent pressure to reimagine room portfolios, service delivery, and technology infrastructure around personalisation. The report signals that standardised offerings and traditional room categories no longer suffice. Investment in data analytics, staff training, and tech infrastructure becomes essential for maintaining competitive advantage and guest satisfaction.

**Travel tech & distribution** — Technology providers must prioritise seamless integration of automation with human touchpoints. The demand for hyper-personalized experiences creates opportunities for platforms offering advanced analytics, guest preference management, and omnichannel engagement tools. Distribution channels must evolve to support this personalisation imperative.

## Methodology and limits
This brief is based on the publicly available summary only; the full PDF document could not be retrieved for detailed analysis. The underlying study surveyed over 7,500 consumers globally and was conducted by Amadeus in collaboration with Cornell University, IHG, and Foresight Factory in 2019. The research identifies trends through consumer feedback and industry analysis. All figures cited derive from the metadata summary; additional data points, segmentation details, and methodological specifics are unavailable.

> Note: this brief is based on the publicly available summary of the report only.

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© Amadeus / Cornell / IHG / Foresight Factory for the original report. This brief is an original editorial summary by TourismIntel (https://tourismintel.ai). Read the original: https://sha.cornell.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2019/05/Amadeus-Drivers-of-Change-in-Hospitality.pdf