Nottingham has long been an influential city within the UK, rich with history it is the destination for a growing number of tourists every year. (numbers up article) The hospitality industry is by nature very seasonal and that brings with it a vast array of challenges to overcome
First of all, the industry relies on a number of skilled workers and recruitment might prove challenging. Especially in the light of an aging population (ay article google), a shortage is to be expected and it can have devastating effects since tourism plays a vital role in the local economy (glossy). A lack of workers even acutely can have cascading effects that will last for years at a time, by providing a subpar service even for one season hotels run the risk of ruining their reputation and therefore reducing future appeal.
Such a change in demographics also requires a great deal of adaptability from the industry, millennials are the fastest growing demographic and hotels will need to attract them.
When engaging with millennial consumers, hotels will need to represent different values. With the advent of a society focused on entrepreneurism and disruptive ideas, it is imperative for the hospitality industry to reflect that by catering to the special need of their customers on an individual basis, focusing on their identity, intelligence and creativity. Big corporations that run on a one-size-fits-all approach directly contradict that, as millennials look for something more genuine, personable and that can provide an authentic experience and not just provide basic amenities. Pushing the scope of the stay to a more holistic experience and one that isn’t rigid and inflexible.
Whether they have a good or bad experience, millennials will be sure to broadcast theirs. This is one of the most connected generations ever and they will expertly use social media and the web to navigate, leave reviews and have an idea about the services provided in an establishment and their quality.
“This generation knows how brand marketing works better than any other. They expect the promise of marketing to match with what they actually get from the brand at any time during the engagement process. “ This requires a more proactive approach to the customers and their needs and adjusting things as needed. One example of this poses a big technological challenge. It is now expected for the whole range of services to be delivered digitally, from paying bills to having room service it is expected that more and more things should be available through an app, and in the near future a much bigger integration of IoT technology. To be future proof, every establishment will need a robust and skilled IT team on hand. With such a culture focusing on innovation and change, emphasizing flexibility and operational agility is becoming a necessity. This requires including the guest as an active part of the process that gets a say in many more things than what was expected previously.
It is also of note that most of the jobs in the future will be IT related, and there is a clear shift towards STEM jobs for college graduates as these tend to be the highest paying careers, and it could prove difficult to attract them to hospitality jobs that tend to lag in wages.
Moreover, hospitality in Nottingham is very dependent on the far-reaching influence of Robin Hood as a figure, as it gives the region a sense of identity that distinguishes it from other random places. Robin Hood is closely interlinked with the forest, especially Sherwood forest and as such climate and pollution that threaten the ecosystems might cause the place to lose its crown jewel and efforts need to be focused on making sure the ecosystem is safe.
Hospitality being a very global industry, it works directly against the interest of keeping the place eco-friendly, as tourists often travel thousands of miles on very polluting means of transport the region might be faced with needing to cut back on attracting international visitors.
Being such a globally sensitive market also exposes it to many more business risks. The number of customers is very closely interlinked with a number of different variables that can be hard to predict or control, such as the economy with a recession encouraging domestic tourism (http://www.mahonjones.com/2014/10/03/global-hotel-prices-rise-again/)
It can also hinge on diplomacy, as a travel warning can strongly discourage tourists from going to a certain destination, this is especially true with the terrorism threat. There’s a certain air of crime an burglary in Nottingham which can make it seem as unsafe.
http://www.mynottinghamnews.co.uk/nottingham-hotel-closed-over-crime-and-anti-social-behaviour-issues/
One other undesirable trait to a global customer base is that it is very panicky, and word of mouth can get around quickly and build up very shortly, so for example a case of a dangerous disease like Ebola can make the situation seem much worse than it is without it having to be grounded in truth.

And with the industry being so seasonal, a misfortune happening during the high point of tourist arrivals can prove fatal to many establishments, as the revenues are so strongly concentrated on a short span of time if it isn’t being capitalized on properly it can ruin everything. And with establishments running on thinner and thinner profit margins every cent counts.
One of the key insights the survey found was the rate of growth in the hospitality sector. This, of course, means that competition has grown. In fact, 73% of hospitality businesses surveyed said their competition has increased in the last year.
Of the respondents, 55% believed that the increase in competition has led to a revenue loss for their hospitality business.
https://impos.com.au/blog/hospitality-issues-2017/
Other trends that can be very problematic is the rising construction prices
https://www.building.co.uk/cost-updates/cost-update-q3-2018/5097011.article