Join Our Study on Cultural Intelligence in Swiss Hospitality

HR & Organizational behavior
This research project examines how cultural intelligence is currently applied in the Swiss hospitality industry, with a focus on identifying key challenges and opportunities linked to cultural norms, values, and behaviours of guest from China, India, or the Gulf States. The goal is to better understand intercultural interactions and improve the guest experience in Swiss hotels.
Start & End Date
01.02.2025 - 31.07.2026
Main Applicant
Varga, P., EHL Hospitality Business School
Partner
• Chen, M.-M., EHL Hospitality Business School
• Fernandez S., EHL Hospitality Business School
External Funding
HES-SO
New business trends emerge in the post-pandemic world, forcing hospitality organizations to be more flexible and adaptable to the market than ever before. Comprehending cultural intelligence (CQ) can make the difference between flourishing and struggling in today's global world, particularly in the service-oriented hospitality sector where attention to detail distinguishes between an average and extraordinary service.
As a result of changing tourism dynamics in Switzerland in the last two decades, new stakeholders emerged from hitherto underrepresented countries, such as China, India, or the Gulf States. This resulted in new challenges in service encounters stemming from culture-related misunderstandings or conflicts.
In order to help Swiss hotels to fully benefit from the changing and globalized tourism dynamics, this project has four main objectives:
In summary, this project aims to improve the experience and satisfaction of guests by equipping Swiss hotels to be more culturally aware and responsive.
As international travel and guest expectations evolve, your frontline experience is invaluable. We’re collecting insights from hospitality professionals to better understand how cultural awareness and guest interaction shape service excellence.
If you regularly engage with guests from India, China, the Gulf States (whether in a hotel, restaurant, or travel dining setting), your perspective will help us to identify best practices in welcoming international travelers.
In this article, Dr. Peter Varga highlights the challenge of today's globalized and at the same time shrinking world, and asks: How can we develop our cultural intelligence to face the future, especially in an industry where positive human interaction lies at the heart of creating transformative experiences?
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