Hotels from all over the world are now realising the importance of diversity and inclusion. But numerous hotels still have no clue what guest inclusivity is.

In this article, I am trying to voice my thoughts about this hot topic with solid insights. Read on to understand how the world is moving towards more inclusive hospitality. And it’s time that accommodation providers must start to embrace diversity and inclusion (D&I).

What is Guest Inclusivity and Diversity in the Hospitality Industry?

The best way to explain this is by thinking of humanity as a family. What happens in a family is that everyone has a place at the table.

It is the same concept for guest inclusivity in the hotel industry; including and embracing people from various backgrounds, ensuring that every person feels welcome when they walk into your hotels. It doesn’t matter if someone is specially-abled or comes from a different community, everyone should get equal access to opportunities and resources in the hotel.

The Current Scenario of Guest Inclusivity and Diversity

Before I talk about the current scenario, let me tell you about my experience while researching this topic.

I have heard about diversity and inclusivity before, but not from the point of a hotel. So, I thought of reaching out to a few hoteliers and asking about their take on guest inclusivity in hotels.

To my surprise, while one gave some really interesting insights, others were not aware of how this is relevant to a hotel. And I don’t blame the hoteliers for it, this topic was actually under the rocks for a long time.

However, now that people are talking about it, I think it’s the responsibility of the hotels as well (the ones who have already adopted it) to voice for guest inclusivity and diversity. Because the more we talk about it, the more people are going to know.

Further, there’s one interesting thing that one hotelier said and I quote:

This is a very complex and sensitive topic. I have seen hotels being vocal about it and using it to build a brand as well. 

But then, when it comes to walking the talk, they aren’t doing much. And despite that, people are still cheering for them, making reservations with them, and whatnot.

On the other hand, I have also seen hotels that are highly guest inclusive, they treat each and everyone with the same level of respect and humility. The only thing is that they have not marketed that side of their hotel. And that’s why people are not aware of them. Or maybe the hotels themselves don’t know that they are guest inclusive.

Do you see the point here?

I feel this really needs to be talked about, at length, right now.

I was listening actively when he was saying this. Because it actually makes sense.

Insights from a research by Accenture

In 2019, Accenture did a survey on inclusion and diversity in the hotel industry. Here are some interesting insights:

• 82% of travellers value feeling welcomed and being treated fairly.
• 56% of travellers say it’s important that the company they book with is committed to I&D practices.
• 50% of travellers are willing to pay a premium of 5% to 20% to book their travels with a company that values I&D.
• 75% of travellers will switch providers if their preferred company doesn’t offer them a welcoming environment or treat them fairly.

The above stats clearly show the importance of diversity and inclusion for hospitality businesses.

Regardless of gender, age, abilities, ethnicity, or sexual orientation, hotels must keep an open mind and start serving a more diverse demographic and cultivate a sense of belonging.

How Can Hotels Leverage Guest Inclusivity and Diversity?

This whole talk about guest inclusivity in hotels might be a little overwhelming for you.

I understand that things can’t be transformed overnight, and that’s why I am not suggesting you to hurry and start tweaking your hotel business strategies.

However, you must understand that the importance of diversity in the hospitality industry is real. So, you must start now — one step at a time.

1. Start by assessing your hotel’s current strategy

The first and foremost thing to do is assess your current operational strategy. Take a close look at all the aspects.

Maybe start with the type of guests you have been hosting from the get-go. If you have had guests from different communities, try to find how their experience was, the type of services they availed, etc.

The bottom line is to understand the essence of your hotel. This will give you an idea of the market you were missing out on, thereby, enabling you to better penetrate and service target markets in different communities.

2. Develop an inclusion strategy

The need for a diversity and inclusion strategy in the hospitality industry is something that can’t be overlooked.

Developing an inclusion strategy doesn’t mean you’ll only open the doors for a certain number of guests. Do not do that!.

The sole purpose of your strategy is to determine where you need to invest your time, efforts and capital.

For example, invest only in the services and amenities that your new set of target guests are likely to avail.

This will help you refrain from overdoing and overspending.

Furthermore, the strategy should also focus on providing a sense of purpose and encourage commitment across the organization. Every staff must align with the hotel’s commitments towards guests from various walks of life.

3. The hiring aspect

If you scroll up and read the stats from the survey, you’ll see that people have also said that they want companies (hotels) to have all-round D&I value. And this also includes ‘hiring’.

Usually, hotels hire people who are a good ‘fit’. But fit to what? The hotel.

That shouldn’t be the case when you’re tapping into guest inclusivity. You must focus on hiring people with different experiences, and from various communities and domains.

4. Voice out your efforts to the world

If you’re doing something great, let the world know about it.

This is where marketing comes into the picture.

As shown in the Accenture survey results, people nowadays are paying close attention to hotel’s and their activities. When you spread the word about your initiatives towards inclusivity and diversity, you’re more likely to gain clout. 

Not just that. It is also said in the beginning. Hotels that are already adopting D&I must talk about it often to educate the world.

5. How About Having a Chief Diversity Officer?

Hiring or appointing a chief diversity officer is actually a great idea.

It is not always possible for a hotel owner or manager to keep an eye on whether the hotel and the staff are abiding by all the D&I values and rules.

But when you have a CDO, you have someone who is an expert taking care of D&I. CDOs serve in an executive-level leadership role and have a strong background and expertise in dealing with D&I hurdles and ensuring everything works in alignment.

Not to mention, a CDO can also help in eliminating conscious and unconscious bias; and is accountable for compliance, advocacy, education when it comes to guest inclusivity.

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