CONTACTLESS SERVICE IN POSTCOVID-19: AN INSIGHT FROM THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY

The recent pandemic of COVID-19 has created havoc and catastrophic circumstances in every nook and corner of the universe. This pandemic has engulfed “man, machine, and material” and paralyzed them for an indefinite time. Furthermore, the pandemic has resulted in an uncertainty in the operation and management of industries relying on “man, machine, and material.” Though the past reflection of the hospitality industry has been termed as the “sunshine” industry, the COVID-19 pandemic has turned it entirely into a “state of cloudiness.” This people-intensive still embrace its patrons with folded hands inspired by the true essence and value of hospitality, but with a new design and protocol triggered by various technological innovations. To mitigate the spread of this deadly disease, “social distancing” has been the new norm of the hospitality business and its existence heavily depends on the mantra of “contactless” and “touchless.” There is no exception to the hospitality industry, where contactless and touchless operations have been the new standard operating procedures (SOPs). Although these SOPs for the hospitality industry may seem to be “gloomy” and “spiritless,” but for the sake of the bread and butter of employees and the safety of guests and employees, these are essential and bare needs of this hour. It is therefore 382imperative that hotels embrace a proactive approach to this paradigm change for sustainability in the post-COVID-19 period. This may focus on assimilating various technological and digital approaches, such as artificial intelligence, big data analytics, the Internet of things, 5G network, augmented reality, virtual reality, and robotics for fulfilling the guest service delivery and experience through contactless hospitality.