KARACHI:
The growing dependence of hotels on technology is proving to be an increasingly important issue in the hospitality industry due to the risks associated with technology disruptions. As an IT Supervisor in the hospitality industry, I have observed how hotels now rely heavily on technology for reservations, property management, payment processing, guest services, communication, security and financial operations. While digital systems improve efficiency and enhance the guest experience, they also expose hotels to cybersecurity threats, network failures, ransomware, data breaches and system outages.
A network or system failure can even interrupt check-in and check-out, reservations, point-of-sale transactions, housekeeping coordination and access to financial information. Such disruptions can result in lost revenue, increased operating costs, customer dissatisfaction, reputational damage and serious financial consequences.
Hotels therefore must develop strong business resilience through reliable backup systems, disaster-recovery plans, network redundancy, effective incident-response procedures, employee cybersecurity training and regular testing of continuity plans. Regular awareness training for employees can also help reduce risks associated with phishing, weak passwords, unauthorised access and accidental disclosure of sensitive information.
I believe technology resilience should be treated as a strategic business responsibility. Hotels must be prepared not only to prevent technology disruptions but also to maintain essential services and recover quickly when incidents occur.
Abdullah Bin Zamir
Karachi
