Influence, Hospitality Career, Preferred Family Size
Abstract
The purpose of the research was to investigate the effects of creativity and innovation as a
survival strategy in the accommodation sector in Kenya during the covid-19 era. The specific
objective of the study was to document services innovations products innovations and
technological innovations applied and their effects on the performance of selected
accommodations in Kenya. The research adopted both exploratory and descriptive designs.
This research samples hotels in Nairobi, the Kenyan coastal and Naivasha regions. The target
population was accommodation facilities which are rated between 3 and 5 stars rated. The
study collected both qualitative and quantitative data. Quantitative data was collected using
researcher administered questionnaire while qualitative data was collected through interviews,
observation, and group discussions. The cluster sampling method was used. The first cluster
represented accommodation located at the Kenyan coast, the second cluster those from the
Nairobi region, and the third cluster those in the Naivasha region. A total of 402 respondents
participated in the study. About 61% (249) of those who participated in the study were
married as compared to 31 % who were single. The majority (64%) of these respondents were
aged between 25 years and 30 years with a minority of 6% being above 46 years. The study
found that most establishments invested in service, product, and technological innovations in
their operation in the front office, guest rooms’ dining rooms and restaurants Gym and
wellness centers, and conference facilities. These innovations and creativity are among the
reasons most of these accommodations managed to reopen and survive the pandemic period.
The findings indicated that the majority of accommodations (68%) had fixed a transparent
glass at the reception and the front desk which minimized contact between them and the front
office personnel. The study noted that 51% of respondents introduced an express check-in/out
process while a majority (68%) introduced contactless payments for all services rendered in
their facility. The finding showed that 54% of respondents did not introduce digital menus ascompared to 46% who had it. Only 20% of the respondents said they use UV light for
disinfection although they do not use robots. A minority (35%) said they use chat-bots as
compared to 65% who said they have not invested in this technology. About 76% of the
respondents said they have invested in teleconferencing equipment and infrastructure. All
establishments said that they have embarked on extensive marketing and customer recovery
strategies as they adapt to living with the virus. The study concludes that the above
innovations and creativity should continue so that the accommodation industry will survive.
This will call for high investment and change of business model to cope with changing
consumer behavior. Further study is recommended to determine the best suitable business
models to survive the pandemic as it keeps mutating
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