April 16, 2020 · Team HG
The first month of hospitality closures due to the coronavirus is behind us, and many hospitality businesses have since switched to temporary or entirely new concepts. In addition, various organizations are considering a new 1.5-meter society within the hospitality and events industry as long as no vaccine is available to overcome the corona crisis. But is such a 1.5-meter hospitality industry even feasible? Opinions are divided.
The traditionally long and busy Easter weekend is over, the period when the hospitality industry peaks and the spring season starts. With unprecedentedly beautiful weather, terraces, hotel rooms, and pubs remained empty this year, as did many campsites and holiday parks. It is great, of course, that most Dutch people adhered to the rules, but a disaster for the hospitality, tourism, and events sectors. How do we move forward now?
Large companies such as the cinema chain Pathé already have their plans in place for when the hospitality lockdown is scaled down to a 1.5-meter distance rule. This principle could potentially still be applied to larger companies, although the number of guests will be so low that profitable operations will become difficult. The costs of protecting staff members using plexiglass screens and various other options are not the biggest problem. But how do you distribute a maximum of 100 guests across spaces and prevent them from coming into contact with each other or getting close to one another, for example when visiting the restroom or purchasing food or drinks? Naturally, this will apply not only to cinemas but also to restaurants, event venues, and all other hospitality establishments.
Wouter Verkerk, speaker, advisor, and trend watcher in the field of Hospitality, sums it up like this:
Slowly, the realization is sinking in: this isn't going to be over overnight. We are far from done with the virus. If you have a clear picture of a possible new reality, many people are rudely awakened from the daydream that in a few weeks we will be living happily like before again. That we can go to the pub, to a concert, or to a busy restaurant again. Or, what makes hospitality workers happy: Being able to work wonderfully with colleagues and guests again. With guest contact!”
Wouter Verkerk
Naturally, a 1.5-meter distance is not feasible for smaller hospitality businesses and would be the absolute death blow for many entrepreneurs. Now that scientists, app developers, and other organizations are racking their brains over new concepts and plans to shape the 1.5-meter society, it is perhaps time for hospitality entrepreneurs to put their heads together and start looking at the new future.
What are you going to do? What are you already working on? And what is your vision for the whole picture? Perhaps a pass system should be introduced for healthy people? And would it be sensible, for example, to have all residents of the Netherlands tested for Corona? There are many such questions and perhaps more possibilities than expected. In any case, we at Horecagroningen.nl will continue to provide you with the latest updates during the corona crisis and look forward to discussing the future of the hospitality industry with you.
