The final sprint for the arrival of the new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) has just started and at thinkIN we feel it is necessary to mention one of the rules that will radically change the way in wchich we perceive the digital environment at the European Union.
During the last years, the importance of Big Data has been increasing between companies, with the purpose of knowing as much as possible about -potential or not- customers and using it to improve their comercial strategies. Also in the hotel industry, the data science has won relevance with the recent interest of developing a Digital Transformation focused on this kind of business.
Since we are so conscious that data might let us know all the needs of our guests, the fascination of keeping our data bases constantly updated and completed has grown, this is why we have to overtake and implement the process for the application of the regulation before its beginning, the next 25th of May.
First of all, it is necessary to know that GDPR never has to be, in none of the cases, a threat for your hotel company. Working on digital terms is a recent activity and all of us must colaborate to guarantee a better security on the internet and the respectful of people desires. A clearly understanding of this element will make you feel ready to perfecty your data in a easier and coherent way.
What are the most troubled points to applicate the GDPR?
In the hotel industry, the data collection specially affects to make an on line reservation or to the purpose of doing marketing actions, for example, through the e-mail. Event though these cases it is easy to create an option to accept the information use with comercial aim, the new regulation makes special mention to the data storage of a certain age.
On the other hand, given the recent data controversies, we are facing a kind of user more conscious and informed. In this regard, the GDPR demands that we inform to implicated people what kind of data we have and what is the purpose of keeping it. Additionally, the right to oblivion is one of the key points of the changes required by the European Union. Despite the fact that this matter doesn’t usually affect to this industry, if your hotel appears on search engines as well as the images, we are liable to this variations and we always must respect the internet users intentions.
Advantages for hotel industry
As we already have mentioned, Big Data and hotel industry may have a very beneficial relationship. By using the right tools and with a good establishment of CRM systems, we can get great results that will finally give us, in many cases, direct sells and customers’ satisfaction.
Equally, the full adaptation to GDPR guarantee the trust barometer by hotel customers, because it makes them know that the use of the information is plenty responsable. Still, it is important to know that this is not a one-day job that you have to do before May 25th, it is a task that requires resolve and continuous updating.
From the point of view if Human Resources, it is also an advance, cause hotels will need more data science experts and analyst, as well as people with privacy legislation knowledge. Profesional profiles are now diverse and the panorama can’t be more exciting.
