Nevada Governor's Office of Economic Development



Hospitality in the Era of COVID-19: Reinvented by Tech GOED International Division Brief (06.18.2020)Introduction: As the world is looking to reopen after the outbreak of COVID-19, the futures of the hospitality and tourism industries are faced with a large responsibility to accommodate to the pandemic. These industries have been hit especially hard by the pandemic. In Nevada, casinos and hotels were not in operation for over two months and such a closure came with subsequent economic consequences. Over 40% of the state’s unemployment from the coronavirus is marked by employees who were laid off by the service industries. The American Gaming Association calculated that approximately 206,000 employees who worked within casinos lost their jobs. Additionally, while the casinos remained closed, the state lost around $2 million in taxes and fees each day. A local analyst projected that the state, and especially the region of Southern Nevada, may take 18 to 36 months to fully recover from the economic devastation that the tourism industry endured.The economic reality of Nevada’s hospitality and tourism sector, however, are similar to those around the globe. The World Travel and Tourism Council reported that 100 million jobs in the tourism industry were lost worldwide. These industries in every country have been hit especially hard so as the world looks to reopen, governments realize it is in their best economic interest to incentivize travel internationally and domestically to aid tourism in its recovery. Italy has developed an $84 million fund that will go towards vouchers for tourists to use at their hotels and resorts. Switzerland plans on appropriating $200 to each citizen to spend on a holiday within the country and Japan is looking to offer a similar amount in subsidies for domestic travel as its borders are closed. In addition to governmental incentives and vouchers, however, the industry is looking to technology to provide both comfortability and efficiency as their operations change to accommodate to COVID-19. To ultimately minimize the spread of the virus, businesses adopting means that will help facilitate safe, hygienic practices to their guests and employees.Testing: As the pandemic develops, it has been commonly accepted that testing is important and necessary to best understand the coronavirus. In the context of the hospitality industry, safety is the foremost concern so the industry could benefit from staying informed on the health status of those who enter their facilities. This technology is already being instituted by the tourism industries in other regions such as Iceland and Madeira. These tests are being offered for free and are highly encouraged by the sector to be utilized. In Cyprus, if a visitor is to catch a case of corona, the government plans to pay for all accommodating costs, such as food, stay and medical fees, while they are treated for the virus. Antibody Tests: Antibody tests have been garnering widespread attention to better understand and test an individual’s exposure to the coronavirus. Antibody testing assesses a blood sample for antibodies that have been identified to respond to a virus and having those antibodies implies the individual has fought off that virus. The issue with antibody testing for COVID-19 is that it has yet to be proven that antibodies of COVID-19 in the blood actually signifies immunity. This is because antibodies are produced within one week of infection and the coronavirus is still too new for researchers to understand the longevity and durability of its related antibodies.Additionally, there are concerns about the accuracy of the antibody tests. While they average to be about 90% accurate, that statistic is not dependent on the design of the test but more so dependent on the prevalence of the virus in the sample population. Meaning, in populations with less exposure to the virus, the test that is 90% accurate will generate more false positives as it yields the same number of mistakes regardless. This confounds the effectiveness of the test and the number of cases it confirms.Despite all of these problems, antibody tests are validated by the FDA, CDC, and EU, however, they have yet to be fully approved. Medical researchers are working hard to develop multiple designs that could legitimize them during this pandemic as it would be extremely helpful to learn and indicate one’s immunity status. In Spain, one hotel is not only requiring a negative test result before entrance, but is also providing free antibody tests. They believe that supplementing the standard PCR testing with the offering of an antibody test will further give guests a peace of mind as well as give the hotel employees full accountability of who is entering.Temperature Checks: If testing is not viable, temperature checks are a more feasible and quicker alternative for business owners. Hotel groups in both China and India are conducting and recording temperature checks of all prior to entry as a means to gauge an individual’s level of risk. This is made possible through thermal scanners and infrared thermometers that can noninvasively take one’s body temperature. These checks are supplemented with preliminary health questions as well. Both of these options are viable methods to procure temperature from a distance. Additionally, an American company “Janus” offers businesses contactless kiosks and correlating apps for temperature checks. First, the user would fill out a questionnaire via the app on their phone. Next, they would scan the QR code produced at the kiosk to take their temperature. Within five seconds the Janus will indicate through the user’s phone whether they are allowed entry or not. This technology is especially ideal for larger venues with heavier flows of traffic as it can conduct up to 1,500 temperature checks per hour. While temperature checks cannot fully indicate if an individual is infected with COVID-19, these technologies offer fast, quick ways for businesses to be safer and more considerate of the health status of those that they are letting in. Contact Tracing: While many governments are looking towards creating apps to contact trace the spread of the coronavirus through the movement of their citizens, the hospitality industry can also utilize similar technology specific to their operations. New Zealand is mandating through policy that the hospitality industry register all guests in conjunction with their contact tracing app. This is to be done digitally through either QR codes or scanning government IDs upon entry. The intention of this requirement for the hospitality industry in particular is to create a registry of visitors that can supplement their app as it is voluntarily downloaded. Digital check-in are effective technological systems that can further contact tracing efforts within the industry.Contactless Operations: Technology is especially essential for transitioning the industry to make more of their daily practices contactless. This transition begins with making check-in and check-out remote. Instead of interacting with a front desk employee, hotels are looking to virtual check-ins and even virtual room keys that can be accessed through mobile apps. Furthermore, hotels are looking to make as many physical interactions as contactless as possible. This implies virtual TV remotes and automated doors that can be controlled through apps and voice activated light fixtures and elevators that will function through voice assistants. While these changes seem large, the technology to make these changes already exists and is worth the investment as they ultimately provide a safer hotel.The Hilton, for example, is offering control of such contactless changes in one place through their app “Hilton Honors.” The app connects the features of the room in allowing the user to control the lighting, room temperature, and access the TV remote through it. This is to minimize physical contact with “high-touch” areas. Restaurants and room service within hotels will similarly need to change their operations to follow the measures taken by the hospitality industry. Thus, technology can be just as transformative for the food service options as well. With digital menus, the menu can be accessed on a guests’ phone. Additionally, apps are being developed within restaurants and hotels to make reserve seats to ensure social distancing in contexts of dine-in seating or lounge chairs by the pool. These options make it easier for both the facility and the guest to enjoy their experiences safely. Artificial Intelligence: Service robots have been introduced to the hospitality industry prior to the pandemic but are now being considered much more considerably in the new era of minimal contact. Their utilization was becoming more mainstreamed in Japan in certain service sectors, but robots were much less common in the West. As travel restrictions are being lifted and hotels begin to reopen, the adoption of artificial intelligence in hospitality is being fast tracked as robots can minimize the spread of the virus through assuming jobs that put both employees and guests at risk of infection. As mentioned, Japan is at the forefront of integrating artificial intelligence and Tokyo has especially done so during the pandemic. The city has utilized its vacant hotels to hold COVID-19 patients as their hospitals become overwhelmed. In doing so, the government has also introduced robots to take on more responsibility at these locations. The tasks mitigated to the robots range from customer service to cleaning. In the former realm, the robots are to greet and interact with the patients in place of employees to minimize exposure. To deal with the latter, a separate robot functions to sweep the building with autonomous technology that registers the floor plan after one full use. Japan plans on extending the use of robots beyond these hotels specific to coronavirus patient care so that they can continue to take on both sanitation and hospitality roles as hotels begin to reopen. Cleaning Measures: The Lodging Access Systems, an American company that supplies keycards to hotels around the country, are now offering antimicrobial keycards. These plastic keycards were developed as a safer, cleaner option in response to the coronavirus. In considering how frequently keycards are used and shared, a new antimicrobial layer was created to add on keycards as that technology specifically kills and inhibits the growth of germs.Antimicrobial technology is also being used in coating solutions and LED lighting to further stunt germ growth and protect itself from bacteria on highly touched surfaces. The coatings are activated under LED or UV light and actively work for up to a year. The LED lighting is specific light technology that utilizes LED to create an inhospitable environment for germs to grow within. These lights in particular are safe to be used continuously and in doing so hotels can ensure less bacteria within their facilities.Ultraviolet light room sanitizers are being widely encouraged for hotels to adopt so to reinforce their missions of even safer cleaning practices. UV light is an effective disinfectant as it destroys microbes’ ability to reproduce themselves. UV-C was originally developed in Shanghai to disinfect public transit and was soon adapted to also disinfect medical equipment. Seeing the strength of this technology, the hospitality industry is looking to adapt UV-C to better clean the HVAC systems as well as kill the germs in the air. UV light disinfection comes in many forms: UVC can be integrated in the buildings air ducts, UV lighting can activate antimicrobial coatings on surfaces, or UV light can even be emitted by robots that are mobilized to zap areas clean. Regardless of how it is utilized, UV light has been a pivotal addition within hotel cleaning practices since the coronavirus. Electrostatic sprayers have also been embraced by the hotel industry. These give off a positive charge to the disinfectant so that the chemical is more evenly spread and totally on the surface that is aiming at. It is important, however, that hotels be especially mindful of how they use these technologies. While these disinfectants are better at killing germs, they still need to be used responsibly and within reason as they are stronger than typical chemicals. Final thoughts & recommendations: Technology is not only the future of the industry but is also the solution to the situation the industry is at face with now. The coronavirus has called for a “new normal,” one that hotels and restaurants will have to adhere to maintain their business as well as to provide feelings of comfort for their guests. Technology can assist hotels in minimizing employee and guest interactions and facilitate better cleaning practices. The Nevadan tourism and hospitality sector need to incentivize tourists, especially those from the East Coast and other countries, to return to our casinos and hotels. Ultimately, technology can better prepare and transition hotels for survival during this pandemic as well as offer that incentivization. Tech can provide confidence and assurance to visitors that Nevada cares and prioritizes safety and is reopening its industries in the most hygienic and mindful way possible. All of this is necessary to position Las Vegas and - in a broader context – Nevada as the safest place to visit and being entertained. Matt Maddox, The Wynn CEO, wants to institute rapid PCR swab tests that can provide someone’s status within 15 minutes of being tested. This technology, which is currently being developed and used in China, would make it easier to monitor the safety of the Wynn’s guests. He especially wants to use the tests to open up for mass gatherings, such as conventions or concerts, sooner than later. Such testing would make it possible for the Wynn to offer these types of events by autumn of this year rather than waiting for 2021. This aligns with the broader picture of testing Nevada should invest into these industries. Testing, if not mandated by casinos and hotels, should be offered for free by the businesses so that employees and guests can have easy access to such technology. Temperature checks offer some information as well as antibody tests are being considered by governments as viable ways to test and record one’s exposure to coronavirus. Technology will continue to develop to better indicate a visitor’s immunity status so to inform the business’ allowance of entry or not. But even the best technologies shouldn’t be an excuse of wearing face masks. They are an extremely feasible solution to institute that when used by the majority of people within a space can prevent the spread of COVID-19. Although they have become a contentious topic amongst political bodies, the medical community provides strong support for mandating masks in public spaces. The city of Jena in Germany required masks to be worn in public as of April 6 and saw a 25% decrease of new cases after the policy was instituted, in comparison to that of other cities. Furthermore, a study conducted by a team of researchers from several American universities looked at the spread of coronavirus in Wuhan, New York City, and Italy as they all had been devastatingly hit by their outbreaks. Next to other mitigation measures, such as social distancing policies and stay-at-home orders, mask wearing is most effective in stunting wider spread. As the CDC has established that the virus transmits through the air more than infected surfaces, the study reinforces that masks can help prevent spread of droplets via coughing and atmospheric particles. The team also projected that over 66,000 were prevented by face masks in New York City and 78,000 were in Italy within a month of the instituted policies. The capability of face masks in the era of coronavirus is pivotal for the hospitality and tourism industry. Science should drive the policies and practices established by both government officials and business owners as the state reopens. Mandating face masks in public indoor places such as casinos and hotels can significantly reduce the amount of new cases as well as increase the safety of both the guests and employees. ................
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