Editorial

Looking forward to a hopeful future

Abstract

To our valued hospitality community, welcome to this thought-provoking second issue of 2020.  It has been a challenging, tumultuous and difficult year, especially for hospitality artisans, business owners and employees. At times, it seemed that offering hospitality  to tourists, local guests and even close family members became instantaneously inaccessible,  rather than being a fundamental right.  Yet, with creativity and resilience, throughout 2020,  hospitality professionals surmounted the challenges and adapted to new times with new ways.

This issue takes a hopeful view  of a post-pandemic  future beginning with an inspiring opinion piece, 2021 dreams of a hospitable society, from Paul Lynch (AUT Adjunct Professor) writing from Scotland. It is followed by an industry interview with a hotel General Manager in Auckland on what makes New Zealand hospitality unique.  Other contemporary topics include an original philosophical reflection that views COVID-19 as an “intruder”, the importance of communicating effectively online about accessibility in hotel restaurants, how to extend hospitality to customers with epilepsy, and finally, the far reaching effects of the Covid-19 crisis on women working in the hospitality industry.

The journal provides free, open access to the key implications of hospitality research for a wider readership along with opinion pieces of topical interest. We thus welcome your contributions to future editions of Hospitality Insights on the impact of COVID-19, as well as other issues currently testing the sustainable future of the hospitality industry and communities.

He waka eke noa. We are all in this together.