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The boutique hotel manager stared at her screen, overwhelmed by too many unanswered customer requests—knowing that at the same time, her front desk staff was struggling with an ancient booking system. Meanwhile, across town, a competing hotel was easily handling twice the number of guests with half the staff—and delivering exceptional service, too boot. Their secret? The competitor had partnered with a hospitality outsourcing company to handle day-to-day tasks (not to mention reinventing their technology stack) through business process outsourcing.
Outsourcing hospitality hinges on strategically delegating tasks and services to specialized third-party providers—enabling hospitality businesses to focus on their core activities while taking advantage of external expertise for non-core functions.
Modern outsourcing providers are technology partners, bringing specialized expertise and innovative solutions that most hotels and travel agencies can’t develop in-house. By outsourcing certain tasks (like hospitality call centers), companies can improve operational efficiency, reduce costs, and increase customer satisfaction. And in an industry where customer service is the highest priority, outsourcing allows hospitality businesses to tap into specialized skills and technology that would be too costly or complex to develop in-house, then use that extra help to improve the guest experience.
For just one example, outsourced travel customer service agents can handle a high volume of requests and issues, so guests get timely and professional help whenever they need it.
This strategic approach to doing what’s best for guests—even as you’re saving money— increases customer satisfaction and helps hospitality companies compete in a technology-driven market.
Once upon a time, hospitality outsourcing was only about cost arbitrage—moving processes to regions with lower labor costs. But today’s outsourced hospitality providers have evolved dramatically, making it increasingly attractive to partner with a BPO provider focused on hotels and travel.
Today’s outsourcing companies now offer end-to-end technology solutions that integrate with your existing processes and nearly instantly improve your operations. Instead of just handling day-to-day tasks, companies like Enshored bring specialized expertise in areas like AI, data analytics, and omnichannel customer engagement—and can offer a range of services from IT support to customer service that can help your hospitality business operate more efficiently.
Take customer servic, for example. Instead of just providing agents to answer phones, BPO providers focused on the hospitality industry can implement chatbots that can handle up to 80% of routine inquiries, freeing human agents to focus on complex issues that require a personal touch.
This means hospitality businesses can have enterprise-level technology at their fingertips—without needing to make massive capital investments. From AI-powered revenue management to predictive analytics that forecast staffing needs, outsourcing partners are bringing sophisticated technology solutions to hotels and travel agencies of all sizes.
Like seemingly every other vertical, the hospitality industry is undergoing technological disruption like never before. According to recent research, 83% of hoteliers say technology innovation is critical to their business recovery and growth.
But many hospitality businesses are stuck with siloed systems that create frustrating experiences for guests (and staff). The average hotel uses between 15 and 20 different software systems, with limited integration between them.
Regardless of whether systems run optimally, however, the pressure to paper over the hiccups is hight. Guests don’t just compare your hotel to other hotels—they compare their experience to the seamless digital interactions they have with companies like Amazon and Netflix. That means that if your competitors are using technology to deliver faster, more personalized services, you run the risk of quickly falling behind.
Hotels and travel agencies know they need digital transformation, but many don’t have the in-house resources, expertise, or budget to deploy comprehensive technology solutions.
Fortunately, this technology gap is also an opportunity for the hospitality industry. Hotels working with tech-forward outsourcing partners typically see:
What helps hospitality outsourcing companies drive innovation in the hospitality business?
Primarily, outsourcing companies serve multiple clients across the hospitality industry—from boutique hotels to international chains—creating a powerful incentive to invest in cutting-edge technology that would be too expensive for any one of their clients. A single hotel might not be able to justify investing $500,000 in an AI-powered customer service tool, but an outsourcing provider can amortize that cost across dozens of clients.
Plus, by focusing on specific processes, outsourcers develop specialized expertise that your team might not have. While an in-house team usually handles everything from guest check-ins to facility management, outsourcing partners concentrate on perfecting particular functions like customer support or revenue management. Simply put, this kind of specialization leads to better results. For example, leading hospitality outsourcers like Enshored can now use predictive analytics to forecast call volumes with 95% accuracy, helping them optimize staffing across different time zones and language lines.
Outsourcing partners also bring cross-industry expertise that enriches their solutions—incorporating innovations from retail, banking, and other customer-focused industries. This cross-pollination introduces fresh approaches that can give you a significant competitive advantage
But maybe most importantly, outsourcing allows hospitality businesses like yours to focus on what matters most: creating an exceptional experience for your guests.
Not all hospitality outsourcing services offer the same level of technology. If you’ve decided to look at potential partners, here are some key criteria to select for.
Technology Infrastructure
The right outsourcing partner should use robust, scalable technology that integrates seamlessly with your existing systems. Ask detailed questions about their tech stack, integration capabilities, and security protocols.
Industry-Specific Expertise
Generic outsourcing companies rarely understand the unique challenges of the hospitality industry. Look for a BPO partner like Enshored who understands hospitality processes and has a proven track record.
Data Security and Compliance
With increasing regulations around customer data, your outsourcing partner needs to demonstrate comprehensive security and compliance measures. Don’t forget to ask about their data protection policies if they’ll be handling sensitive customer information.
Innovation Roadmap
Technology evolves rapidly. Ask potential partners about their innovation pipeline and how they stay ahead of emerging trends. The best BPO providers continually invest in new capabilities that benefit their clients.
Cultural Alignment
Your outsourced team will interact directly with your customers. Ensure they understand your brand values and can represent your business. The right candidate should feel like an extension of your in-house team..
A great example of tech outsourcing’s potential comes from a business travel platform that partnered with Enshored. After COVID-19 travel restrictions eased, this company saw a surge in demand—and needed to rapidly scale technically proficient support staff.
Enshored quickly recruited agents with travel industry experience, growing from 15 to 400 support agents in 18 months. This dedicated team handled 80% of the client’s global chat interactions.
The results were impressive: the client achieved 92% customer satisfaction for live chat, 247,000 support tickets in 2022, and 85% customer satisfaction for email support. The client was so impressed they named Enshored their “best performing partner in the network.”
The future of hospitality isn’t about having the latest technology in your stack, so much as it’s about embracing technology as a whole. How quickly can you adapt when guest expectations shift again tomorrow?
This is where hospitality outsourcing companies really shine—not as vendors, but as innovation accelerators.
Hotels and travel companies will always own the guest relationship—but the technology that powers those relationships will increasingly come from specialist partners who can innovate faster than any one company in the industry. In other words, hospitality outsourcing is vital.
For hospitality leaders looking to the horizon, now is the time to rethink what outsourcing really means for your business. Stop viewing it as a cost-saving exercise and look instead to the fastest way to become the technology company your guests already expect you to be. The most successful hospitality businesses won’t be the ones with the biggest IT departments; rather, the ones that will come out on top will be the companies who build the smartest partnerships. If you’d like to count yourself among that number, contact us.
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