Hotel management in smaller towns: when multitasking skills and creativity are a must.

Running a hotel is no easy feat, but the pitfalls increase in hotels in small towns. While large cities can offer a steady flow of tourists and an ever-growing hospitality industry, small towns present several obstacles that hotel managers must overcome to survive.

Here, the potential clientele is understandably limited, and unlike large cities, where hundreds of thousands of tourists flow in year-round, it is difficult to attract even a small proportion of them, which means having to "work twice as hard" to capture their attention. Only good creativity appears as the key to reaching potential Guests.

In these accommodations, knowing how to balance expenses and manage cash flow in lean times becomes a real sleight of hand that requires careful planning and ingenuity. In addition, it will be necessary to consider the competition, which while not as fierce as in big cities does not mean it is nonexistent, and it becomes even more critical because often the offer is aimed at the same customer base, and understanding what you stand out for is crucial to being chosen. In such a difficult market, some competitive advantage will need to be developed that makes the facility stand out. A unique welcome or unique services or being able to offer something special and memorable certainly increases the likelihood of hosting "repeater guests" One must persevere, be creative and possess valuable skills to put to use on a daily basis, bringing novelty through unique dynamics, capitalize on competitive advantages by implementing marketing strategies such that the accommodation is transformed into a site that is remembered not for its territorial location but for its brand reputation. Another dilemma is the limited pool of employees to choose from. For obvious reasons, opening a new job position in a smaller center draws the interest of a few professionals (which I do not agree with), and one is lucky if enough resumes arrive for a selection of suitable professional profiles. With good reason I can assert that of these, less than half present truthful work experience and skills. A viable avenue is the training of a few aspirants with decent potential rather than waiting for the perfect candidate to magically appear. In such a condition, training thus takes on an even more crucial role and becomes a necessary step even for the success of the facility. Beyond that, the difficulty of having supplies on hand is recurrent in small centers. Planning and coordinating purchases is essential to ensure you have sufficient supplies and avoid last-minute, panic buying. For this reason, it is important to "network" and consider therefore, the possibility of collaborating with facilities in the area and creating joint purchasing agreements. Collaboration is essential when resources are scarce and the support of the local community can make all the difference. Through a network agreement, it is possible to negotiate better rates with suppliers and be able to get goods consistently and keep one's finances under control through supply contracts (for some products) with locked-in prices. Let us now turn to pricing strategies, which represent a very delicate point where error means economic loss, which in such an environment inevitably leads to disastrous outcomes. Rates will obviously have to be competitive and special attention will have to be paid to the type of stay offer. I am of the opinion that every destination, large or small, always has something in its container to offer, and in most cases, the types of products that can be "sold" are represented by elements with characteristics of uniqueness. A skill not common to all players in the industry and indispensable, on the other hand, for those operating in small towns is creativity. Being creative means being able to build a viable tourism product by refining and well organizing that component of uniqueness (whether historical or cultural or food and wine) that all centers especially in Italy, possess. Proposing value-added packages with the balance point between convenience and quality will certainly attract tourists who are always looking for new experiences. In conclusion, the management of a hotel located in a minor center with its countless pitfalls and unforeseen events requires skills and multitasking strategic planning, absent in many professional profiles, even emblazoned ones, operating in large centers. From managing a limited clientele, to dealing with seasonal fluctuations, to competing with local establishments, to thinking creatively and being able to adapt to the surrounding environment, implementing effective marketing strategies, building strong community relationships, and striking a balance between cost efficiency and quality. A burden laden with work and skills that few can sustain or know about but that in the facilities of smaller centers represent the daily grind, a kind of gymnasium where they train with unsophisticated equipment but where they gain real muscle to cope with the great difficulties of survival. And tomorrow we continue.