Hospitality & Tourism

What futurists (or “futurologists”) do is to help people plan and prepare for the future, as opposed to offer predictions about the future. This can involve looking at future trends, notably about new technologies and technology trends, and a lot more besides.

If you’re looking for a conference speaker, a keynote speaker, or a workshop presenter or facilitator on this topic, the examples below represent some of the keynote speeches or workshop presentations I’ve given as a futurist speaker in the past. But each presentation is created specifically to suit your needs. If you don’t see a presentation about the future that would work for your conference, by all means contact me, and we’ll see if we can create one specifically for you.


Checking In on Future Profits: The Potential for, and Possible Problems of, the Hotel & Resort Business

The future for the hospitality trade in general is bright for many reasons – and because of that, the level of competition will rise as players expand to soak up the cream. Futurist Richard Worzel is a business visionary, as well as a best-selling author and Chartered Financial Analyst with experience in all aspects of investing. In this overview of tomorrow’s promise for resort and urban lodging, he covers the possibilities and possible problems of the industry over the medium-term future, including:

  • The imminent retirement of the Baby Boom generation, and their desire to work through their Bucket Lists. How to appeal to this desire, what Boomers are likely to look for, and what are the massive, but overlooked, demographic groups that will be critical to future success.
  • The exploding growth of Asian tourism, especially, but not exclusively from China. What could set you apart, and how could you exploit this trend?
  • How technology is going to continue to disrupt – and how and where tomorrow’s disruptive technologies will affect hotels & resorts.
  • The future of the cost side of the ledger, from land/lease costs to staffing. Where are the problems, and how can you turn them into opportunities?
  • The future of investment markets – what’s ahead for interest rates, financial markets, and what could upset or accelerate market advances.
  • What are some of the Wild Cards that could produce wrenching change for the industry?

Richard will end with a set of futurist tools that can improve the insight and value of your strategic planning for the future of your investments.

Trends in Tourism: What’s Ahead for the World’s Largest Service Industry

Tourism is one of the world’s largest industries, and the largest service industry. As a result, governments everywhere want a bigger slice of the pie, which means that Tourism Alberta can’t afford to rest on its justly-famous laurels. Richard Worzel is a business visionary, a Chartered Financial Analyst, and a global futurist who makes his home in Canada. In this overview of the future, he presents a roadmap of what’s ahead for tourism, and how Alberta can prepare for it, including:

  • Demographics, at home and abroad – All developed countries have a baby boom edging toward retirement, and most of them have travel high on their list of retirement priorities. Meanwhile, developing countries, notably China, have a burgeoning middle class that can now afford to become global tourists. The combination makes for powerful potential – IF you can take advantage of it, because you’re not alone.
  • Competition – Given that every other destination is fighting for a bigger piece of a rapidly expanding pie, the question becomes not only: “What have you got that makes you special?” but “What else have you got that’s new and unique?” Walt Disney built an empire out of ideas, but one key is that the Disney Corporation is constantly adding to its intellectual capital, giving people more and more reasons to come back.
  • Technology – Technology has been a game-changer for the past 30 years and more, but everything we’ve experienced is just a warm-up act for what’s the come. Social trends, destination reputations, tourist satisfaction, employee productivity, intriguing novelty, and much more besides are going to be dramatically affected. Are you ready, or will you be left behind?
  • Climate change – The flooding of Calgary, Medicine Hat, and other riverside communities is just a gentle reminder of how important climate is to tourism operators. So, what’s next? And how do you prepare? Will you bend or break in the winds of change?
  • The future is inherently unpredictable – so what should you do to prepare? Richard will end his presentation by describing a futurist’s toolbox, and providing access to a downloadable handbook that conferees can take home and put to work to “futurize” their operations. The result will be more robust plans, and higher profits in the face of uncertainty.

Tourism in Utah: Upslope, or Down?

Tourism is one of the world’s largest industries, and the largest service industry. As a result, governments and businesses everywhere want a bigger slice of the pie, which means that Path City can’t afford to rest on its laurels as a skiing and four-season recreational center. Richard Worzel is a business visionary, a Chartered Financial Analyst, and a global futurist. In this overview of the future, he presents a roadmap of what’s ahead for tourism, and how Park City can prepare for it, including:

  • Demographics, at home and abroad – All developed countries have a baby boom edging toward retirement, and most of them have travel high on their list of retirement priorities. Meanwhile, developing countries, notably China, have a burgeoning middle class that are beginning to become global tourists. The combination makes for powerful potential – IF you can take advantage of it, because you’re not alone.
  • Competition – Given that every other destination is fighting for a bigger piece of a rapidly expanding pie, the question becomes not only: “What have you got that makes you special?” but “What else have you got that’s new and unique?” Walt Disney built an empire out of ideas, but one key is that the Disney Corporation is constantly adding to its intellectual capital, giving people more and more reasons to keep coming back to their theme parks and cruise ships.
  • Technology – Technology has been a game-changer for the past 30 years and more, but everything we’ve experienced is just a warm-up act for what’s the come. Social trends, destination reputations, tourist satisfaction and ratings, employee productivity, intriguing novelty, and much more besides are going to be dramatically affected. Are you ready, or will you be left behind?
  • Climate change – The flooding in Germany and Calgary, droughts leading to wildfires, increasing numbers of severe thunderstorms and blizzards, and other strange weather patterns are just reminders of how important climate is to tourism operators. So, what’s next? And how do you prepare? Will you bend or break in the winds of change?

The future is inherently unpredictable – so what can you do to prepare? Richard will end his presentation by describing a futurist’s tool kit, and providing access to a handbook that conferees can take home and put to work to “futurize” their operations. The result will be more robust plans, and higher profits in the face of both greater opportunity and greater uncertainty.

Making Your Destination Dreams Come True: How to Create the Future Your Organization Really Wants

Enhancing the desirability of your destination is your objective, but suppose you could go much further? Suppose you could make your organization’s dreams come true?

There’s a set of techniques that can help you work towards that that. Developed in the futurist community for the purpose of strategic planning, The Desired Future, coupled with Backcasting, can allow you to first identify, and then realize your dreams by placing your self into the future you really want, and then working your way back to the present. In the process, you uncover the steps you need to take that will bring you from where you are, to where you really want to be.

Richard Worzel is a strategic planner, and one of today’s leading futurists. In this presentation, he will first survey the future of the travel industry, and of destination marketing, and then describe the toolset that can help you achieve what you can conceive. In this presentation he will deal with:

  • Why tourism will continue to grow faster than the global economy as a whole, where future tourists will come from, and where they will want to go.
  • Who the hot travel demographs will be, why, and how to appeal to them.
  • How technology is going to change all aspects of the travel industry, from marketing, developing customized travel itineraries, travel security, and highly particularized customer service.
  • Why you shy away from aiming for the things you really want, and how to overcome this roadblock; and finally
  • How to take your wild and crazy dreams and break them down into a concrete plan of action that can make them come true.

You’ll walk away from Richard’s presentation with both a roadmap of what’s to come, and an action plan that can help you get to the destinations you want.

Technology at the Table: Future Trends in Technology and Hospitality

The hospitality industry is one of the world’s oldest and most vital, and the inroads of technology have mostly been at the back of the house in areas like reservations and back office functions. We are now entering an era when technology is going to come to the table at the front of the house, and this, plus other trends in the industry, are going to force unprecedented changes. Richard Worzel is a Chartered Financial Analyst, and one of today’s leading futurists. In this presentation, he touches on the trends that will produce such radical change over the next 5-10 years, including:

  • How everyday robots and computer intelligences will change the labor component of the industry;
  • How expectations of ever-more personalized service will arise from the mass customization deliverable by technology;
  • How food allergies and sensitivities will shift from a nuisance to one that affects most or all guests, and can become a critical unique selling proposition for those who are ahead of the curve;
  • How the aging of the boomers is going to alter the optimal mix of price-points in the hotel industry, as well as many other aspects of the hospitality trade; and
  • How environmental issues, notably climate change and global population growth, are going to put pressure on operating costs in many areas of the hospitality industry.

Richard will leave you with not only a road map of the industry’s future, but a set of tools that you can use to improve your preparedness for the radical changes ahead.

Trends in Tourism: What’s Ahead for the World’s Largest Service Industry

Tourism is one of the world’s largest industries, and the largest service industry. As a result, governments and businesses everywhere want a bigger slice of the pie, which means that tourism operators can’t afford to rest on their laurels. Richard Worzel is a business visionary, a Chartered Financial Analyst, and a global futurist. In this overview of the future, he presents a roadmap of what’s ahead for tourism, and how you can prepare for it, including:

  • Demographics, at home and abroad – All developed countries have a baby boom edging toward retirement, and most of them have travel high on their list of retirement priorities. Meanwhile, developing countries, notably China, have a burgeoning middle class that are beginning to become global tourists. The combination makes for powerful potential – IF you can take advantage of it, because you’re not alone.
  • Competition – Given that every other destination is fighting for a bigger piece of a rapidly expanding pie, the question becomes not only: ‘What have you got that makes you special?’ but ‘What else have you got that’s new and unique?’ Walt Disney built an empire out of ideas, but one key is that the Disney Corporation is constantly adding to its intellectual capital, giving people more and more reasons to keep coming back to their theme parks and cruise ships.
  • Technology – Technology has been a game-changer for the past 30 years and more, but everything we’ve experienced is just a warm-up act for what’s the come. Social trends, destination reputations, tourist satisfaction and ratings, employee productivity, intriguing novelty, and much more besides are going to be dramatically affected. Are you ready, or will you be left behind?
  • Climate change – Flooding in Germany, Calgary, and elsewhere; droughts leading to wildfires; increasing numbers of severe thunderstorms and blizzards; early snows and early Spring thaws; and other strange weather patterns are just reminders of how important climate is to tourism operators. So, what’s next? And how do you prepare? Will you bend or break in the winds of change?

The future is inherently unpredictable – so what can you do to prepare? Richard will end his presentation by describing a futurist’s tool kit, and providing access to a handbook that conferees can take home and put to work to ‘futurize’ their operations. The result will be more robust plans, and higher profits in the face of both greater opportunity and greater uncertainty.

Checking Into Tomorrow

The biggest generation in history is about to change their patterns of behavior – are you prepared to serve those changing needs? Technology is changing what you, and your guests, can do, when, and where – have you set the stage for it? Globalization is changing which tourists visit us, how long they stay, and what they want while they’re here – what do you know about them? And what about the lucrative business market? If teleconferencing and telecommuting take hold, how will that affect business clients?

Futurist and strategic planner Richard Worzel looks at these developments and places them in the context of hotels, restaurants, airlines, and the industries that support and serve them. Being prepared for these changes will make your life easier, while being unaware is a recipe for disaster in a rapidly changing hospitality industry.