COVID-19 Hospitality Update

Alison Guillot

Originally published on Amadeus Insights

Francisco Pérez-Lozao Rüter, President, Hospitality, Amadeus

On behalf of the entire Hospitality team at Amadeus, I want to personally acknowledge the financial and personal tolls COVID–19 has placed on us all. Working in such a dynamic industry, we are accustomed to fast-paced and rapid change, but nobody could have been prepared for this level of collective uncertainty.

What I do know is the hospitality industry is resilient. It is above all, a people first industry, and always will be.

At Amadeus, we have been monitoring the situation closely and continue to be inspired by the unprecedented steps so many companies have taken to protect their staff, travelers, and business. We are deeply invested in the hospitality industry and its people and have spent our careers envisioning how technology can bring us together when we are away from home.

And, while no one has a clear roadmap for what’s ahead, our priority remains our customers and our employees. Together, we will learn, adapt, and grow until the industry rebounds.

As we hope for better days, we are here and ready to help our customers manage the present. Here are a few ways Amadeus’ dedicated hospitality professionals are serving our customers in this crisis:

Complimentary training opportunities

Our Training team has shifted activities from in-person to online and are now offering free, comprehensive learning sessions for our Amadeus Sales & Event Management and Amadeus Service Optimization solutions. Additionally, users of our TravelClick solutions can explore training opportunities here.

Through this initiative, we have received more than 10,000 registrations for hospitality professionals to participate in the opportunity to brush up on functionality, new features, or have questions answered by a product expert.

Waiving hotel booking fees for medical professionals

We are connecting hotel providers and travel agent partners with doctors, nurses, and other medical workers to book discounted or free rooms to rest after their long shifts, or if they choose to isolate from their families.

We have established a special rate code within our global distribution system that waives transaction fees for hotel accommodation providers or travel agencies booking on behalf of eligible medical workers. This will help streamline the overall booking process, and most importantly provide support to medical caregivers.

Hotel crisis management insight

A growing number of resources, including blogs, articles, and webinars are being compiled into our dedicated crisis management library. No matter what stage of the COVID-19 outbreak our customers are facing, our solution experts have outlined data-driven best practices and tips to help them safeguard their business and plan for recovery.

Ensuring business continuity

To provide continued high levels of service to our customers, we have activated an extensive business continuity plan around the world. Since every situation is unique, we are contacting many of our customers individually to determine how we can best support them.

Many of our team members are working safely and efficiently from home with no impact to service, availability, or support. My colleagues and I on the Hospitality leadership team are highly engaged and evaluating the crisis daily to maximize our effectiveness in meeting customer needs.

These are just a few examples of how we are supporting our valued customers and the hospitality industry overall.

So, we ask – don’t hesitate to pick up the phone and give us a call or send us an email. We are listening. Through open communication, collaboration and knowledge sharing, we can find collective inspiration to weather the storm.

Over the past few weeks, my colleagues from other parts of the Amadeus business have shared the steps they are taking to support their customers too. You can find these blogs on Amadeus Insights.

Read the rest of the COVID-19 blog series:

Originally published on Amadeus Insights