Hospitality Industry Trend Predictions For 2024 - Stay Relevant, Stay Popular!

2024 is creeping up already and it’s just around the corner! In the middle of a cost of living crisis with customers spending less and choosing to stay at home more, it’s important to evolve with the times or get left behind. 

The only way to entice new customers and keep that footfall flowing is to stay ahead of the curve by grabbing industry trends by the horns and embracing them. We all know old habits die hard, but customers are turning to fresh, modern and exciting new approaches to hospitality experiences, and as disruptors and innovators of the hospitality world - we don’t blame them! Serving the same old food and drink in an outdated venue just isn’t cutting it anymore, it’s time to go back to the drawing board.

But worry not dear reader, we have done the research for you and these are the top predicted industry trends for 2024. Now grab a notepad and pen and start making preparations for the year ahead!

• Technology Integration: The hospitality industry has been increasingly adopting technology to enhance guest experiences. This includes contactless check-ins, digitised menus, the use of artificial intelligence for personalised services. Of course the Flavour Blaster falls under this category, with venues around the world choosing to embrace the USB powered aroma gun as a faster, cleaner alternative to burning wood chips. Adding a JetChill Dry Ice System to your bar can introduce a new way of using dry ice, with built in safety systems making it fully safe to consume straight away! All of these processes are helping to alleviate the workload of your staff, allowing them to focus their attention where they are most needed, and speeding up service times for guests - increasing the efficiency of your business. 

Credit: Viajante87

• Sustainability Initiatives: With a growing emphasis on environmental responsibility, hotels and restaurants are likely to continue implementing sustainable practices. This involves reducing waste, improving energy efficiency, and sourcing local, eco-friendly products. Swapping your non edible garnishes for a Flavour Blaster aroma bubble could help reduce your venue carbon footprint significantly by preventing the waste of thousands of citrus peels, skewers and cocktail umbrellas a year. Simone Caporale (owner of Sips, recently voted Best Bar in the World 2023) mentioned in an interview that he has swapped passion fruit halves on his Passion Fruit Martinis and replaced them with a Passion Fruit Aroma Bubble instead, which has greatly reduced the impact his venue has on the environment and has helped prevent food waste! Other ways venues could look at sustainability is by improving their energy efficiency, such as updating their heating systems, installing triple glazed windows, installing automatic doors to prevent draughts and swapping out lightbulbs for energy saving bulbs. Also sourcing ingredients locally such as farmers markets and local suppliers not only helps to reduce your carbon footprint and food miles, but also allows you to choose the freshest, best tasting ingredients to enhance your menu even more! 
• Health and Safety Measures: The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the importance of health and safety in the hospitality sector. Enhanced cleaning protocols, contactless services, and health monitoring technologies are likely to remain focal points. Allowing guests the option to pay contactlessly via a QR code on their tables and giving the ability to order via a digital menu can reduce the amount of contact servers are required to have with guests. Not only will this improve the health and safety measures of your venue, it can also enable your staff to be more productive as they can allocate their attention elsewhere.

• Personalised Experiences: Guests are increasingly seeking personalised and unique experiences. Hospitality establishments are expected to leverage data analytics and AI to tailor services, making each guest feel special. This could mean incorporating a Ripples Machine to print the names of your guests or their chosen images into their drinks, or allowing them to choose their own aroma garnish to customise their experience. Did you know we are an official distributor of the Ripples Machine? Drop our team an email to find out more! 

• Workation Packages: With the rise of remote work, venues need to look at spaces that cater to individuals combining work and leisure. This includes comfortable workspaces, and offering high-speed internet.

• Wellness and Health-focused Offerings: The emphasis on health and wellness is extending to the hospitality sector. Hotels and resorts are incorporating wellness amenities such as fitness programs, spa services, and healthy dining options.

• Inclusive and Diverse Experiences: There's an increasing recognition of the importance of diversity and inclusion. Hospitality businesses are likely to focus on creating inclusive environments and offering diverse cultural experiences, including catering for multiple dietary requirements. Nobody wants to be left out or forced to just sip water and pick at a side salad, so ensuring you have gluten free, vegan and nut free options on your menu will help increase your target audience. Having an easy to read menu (or better yet, separate vegetarian/vegan and gluten free menu) will massively help to increase your inclusivity towards guests with dietary requirements, as it is easy to forget about the picky eaters of a group. With 68% of the world being lactose intolerant, and 22% of the world being vegetarian, you can see how having a lacklustre menu can easily lose you custom! Luckily for you, all of our aromas are 100% natural, vegan and kosher so you can add them to your menu without worrying! 
• Local and Authentic Experiences: Guests are showing a preference for authentic, local experiences. This trend is likely to continue, with establishments highlighting local culture, cuisine, and activities. Embrace your location and heritage within your decor, menu choices and even names of dishes to help deliver a memorable authentic experience for your guests.

Credit: Incognito Bar London

• Rise of Boutique and Niche Properties: Boutique hotels and niche venues are gaining popularity as travellers seek unique and intimate experiences over traditional options. Make your venue memorable by adding personalisation - embrace quirkiness and individuality. Customers are preferring to shop small and eat local, rather than visiting large chains, as highlighted by the “use it or lose it” mentality during COVID19. There is much more focus on quality over quantity, with guests preferring to dine at independent local businesses, so lean into the individuality of your venue and celebrate what makes it unique! Make your venue memorable and stand out from the rest by offering an aroma garnish on your food and drink - adding a Flavour Blaster garnish to your menu can help your guests remember your venue by creating a scent memory! Memories are uniquely linked to scents, which is why when you smell certain scents, it can remind you of a time or place. Not only can you train your guests to associate your venue with a particular aroma, the theatrics of a burstable scented bubble is sure to make their experience memorable - stand out from the regular drink menus with a bubble cocktail or two! Incognito Bar are one of the many venues who are embracing their quirkiness and creating memorable experiences for their guests by offering an eccentric menu within a curiously themed venue. 

It's essential to stay updated on the latest industry trends and although these are just predictions, we can say with conviction that we wholeheartedly support making these changes to your business as we’re confident it will help change things for good! 

For more industry trends and predictions, why not see what our predictions are for the cocktail industry in 2024 here.