Hospitality Hurdles: An Expedition into the Challenges Facing the Hotel Industry

The study aims to empower hotel operators in prospective tourist spots, aiding informed decision-making in navigating the dynamic hospitality landscape. The study investigates challenges in the hotel industry to aid practitioners and researchers. It combines secondary data from expert blogs and research articles with primary data from 230 Indian hotel managers surveyed via a Likert scale questionnaire from January to March 2024. Validity and reliability are ensured through first-order constructs. Data analysis utilizes SPSS-22 for exploratory factor analysis and Amos-17 for confirmatory factor analysis. Theoretical frameworks from prior literature were examined to inform the selection of variables. A two-part questionnaire was devised to gather demographic information, years of experience, etc., followed by a section employing a 5-point Likert scale to explore our proposed hypothesis. Initially identifying twenty-seven global challenges, the study highlights three key factors – marketing, operational, and human resources – relevant to the Indian context, encompassing 25 specific challenges. Notably, challenges in the Economic/Financial Factor show low manifestation in India. The study emphasizes the burgeoning tourism potential in Eastern India and the proactive measures taken by hotel industries to meet global guest demands. While Eastern India is the primary focus, insights extend to emerging tourist destinations worldwide.