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Data-driven Hospitality

Translating raw data into managerial information

Let data be your guide to re-engineer your business

If you want to know the consumer demands of the future, what these mean for hospitality business models, how skills and services need to adapt, then let data be your guide.

In our view, data and data analytics are tools for change. With them you can re-engineer your business. Learning how to work with data and analytical tools builds the confidence to include them in decision-making. Finding patterns in the data leads to interesting discussions and sparks new ideas. Insights from data call into question existing processes and approaches and can lead to finding shortcuts to achieve the same or better results.

When you have access to the right data and the tools to consider the data in new ways, then you can gain fresh insights and see new opportunities for improvement, innovation and even disruption.

Student stands in front of the smart board in the classroom and gives presentation to his fellow students at the hotel school maastricht.

The website HospitalityNet asked the following question: 'is 'data scientist' the next hot position in hotels/hospitality?' The experts agree that this is the case, but at the same time they wonder why hotels are only now joining a trend that has been set in motion in other sectors for some time. One of the reasons mentioned for this is that hotel chains have a lot of data, but in fact they consciously control only one stream of data, namely the prices for the rooms in the hotel. A second department that also works reasonably well with data is housekeeping, but after that it quickly stops in the hotel sector. Nevertheless, there are already good examples of the use of data at Marriott, Postillion Hotels and Van der Valk.

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The sector faces two challenges in data analysis. In the first place, most hotel employees have no or relatively little knowledge of data and data analysis. Secondly, real data scientists are far too expensive for most hotel/hotel chains and there is therefore a risk of a gap between the large and small hotels.

To support them in this, this data-driven hospitality research group is being started. We will ensure that HMSM graduates have a solid basic knowledge of data analysis, are able to translate this data into the workplace and thus provide a solid foundation for innovations. Some of the students can even act as that 'data scientist' within the hospitality sector.

The objective of the Data-driven Hospitality research centre is continuously building on a bachelor's degree in Hotel Management in which open source, public and private data are applied to create value for the student, teacher and the professional field. This objective is translated into three objectives:

1. Building and integrating knowledge related to data-driven hospitality within the bachelor Hotel Management

With regard to goal one, the strategy is: to identify existing methods, tools and technologies related to data analysis in the hospitality industry. The applicability of identified components within the curriculum should be tested there. Based on the results of this assessment, this knowledge must then be integrated into the various modules.

2. Increasing the basic information position of the HMSM

With regard to goal two, the strategy is to identify and extract open source, public and private data sources that add value to the HMSM. The extracted data should then be structured in such a way that it can be applied by students and teachers to create value for themselves and the professional field.

3. Building up the passive research capability of the HMSM

With regard to goal three, the strategy is: to develop machine learning models that perform analyzes for students, teachers and/or the professional field. These models should be developed in each area in which the HMSM is active. In concrete terms, this means that the models must contribute to analyzes or decisions in the field of hotel management, food service or gastronomy.

Current projects & publications

Data-driven Hospitality contributes to the education in different ways. First we involve students and alumni. We have developed nano-course on data in hospitality, which are available for HMSM, but also for other hotel management educational programs. We also where possible offer staff training. Furthermore we provide different publications.

More about our involvement in education
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Professor Martijn Zoet

Martijn was born in Nunspeet, the Netherlands. He studied Business Informatics (Master of Science, Utrecht University) and Decision Management (PhD, Business Informatics, Utrecht University).

In addition to this chair Martijn also hold the chair Future-proof financial at Zuyd University of Applied science, where he is part of the management team. In addition to his work for Zuyd University of Applied Sciences, Martijn is also entrepreneur.

Meet the professor

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Research team

The team of research centre Data-driven Hospitality consists of 3 permanent members and 5 student members led by professor Martijn Zoet.

Meet the team members
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