EHL Insights
How will hospitality emerge from the pandemic? Findings from EHL Research Day
Project Description
While many are willing to return to a “new normal” after COVID-19, this return will depend on individuals’ ability to trust that they are clean in public spaces. Thus, as recovery continues, companies need to communicate to and reassure their clients that they are returning to clean environments. This holds especially true for the tourism industry, in which companies are already increasingly communicating their commitment to cleanliness and safety. For example, organizations such as HotellerieSuisse or HRS have developed their own clean labels (the Clean & Safe label can be used free of charge) or certification programs (following the guidelines issued by and verified by HRS, then the hotel is certified, a paid option). Hotels publish free labels or certifications on dedicated pages on their website with detailed information on providing a clean environment to their guests (ex: Hilton, Marriott International).
In the current project, we aim to identify the most effective format (verbal, visual, label, or a combination) to communicate cleanliness in terms of intention to visit a property, willingness to pay for a stay, attitude and trust towards the brand. In addition, we test the effect of communicating a partnership with an expert institution in cleanliness (vs. communicating the property was self-inspected) on the same focal variables.
