Mastering Technology Without Losing the Human Touch

A 24-Year Hospitality Veteran's Guide to Staying Sane and Successful

The hospitality industry is experiencing unprecedented growth, with the global market expanding from $4.673 trillion in 2023 to $4.993 trillion in 2024—a compound annual growth rate of 6.8%. But behind these impressive numbers lies a more complex reality: an industry grappling with technology overwhelm, rising burnout rates, and the challenge of maintaining human connection in an increasingly digital world.

My recent conversation with Alicia Szerszyn, who has spent 24 years at Paradise Resort on the Gold Coast, revealed the critical questions that define success in modern hospitality. Her journey from food and beverage attendant to marketing manager, spanning nearly a quarter-century, provides unique insights into how the industry has evolved and what it takes to thrive amid constant change.

The Technology Paradox: More Tools, More Overwhelm

Alicia's first question struck at the heart of a universal hospitality challenge: "We're juggling so many systems... it's easy to get buried in tech and data. How do you keep up with the evolving technology without it becoming overwhelming?"

The statistics support her concern. 70% of millennials prefer a contactless operation, and 79% of diners expect the option to use technology to order from casual restaurants. Hotels now deploy Property Management Systems managing over 3 million rooms worldwide, while simultaneously managing booking engines, CRM platforms, social media channels, and guest feedback systems.

The challenge isn't just the number of systems—it's integration. API-first platforms and cloud-based solutions make integration easier by providing flexible, scalable infrastructure, with advantages including smoother integration, ease of use, cost-efficiency, and adaptability.

The Solution: People First, Systems Second

My advice to Alicia—and to every hospitality leader drowning in dashboards—is to never lose sight of the fundamental truth: we're in the business of joy, holidays, and creating great experiences for people.

Create listening posts: The most successful operators I know maintain direct connections with their customers. Whether it's an advisory board of frequent guests, regular customer calls, or simply walking the floor, these listening posts provide insights that no spreadsheet can capture.

Unify your critical metrics: Instead of drowning in data from multiple systems, identify your key performance indicators and bring them into one dashboard. Tools like Monday or Microsoft SharePoint can integrate multiple platforms, giving you a single view of what matters most—occupancy rates, customer satisfaction scores, and revenue per available room.

Make it real for your team: One of the most impactful things I ever implemented was displaying the daily number of customers we served right in the middle of the office. It transformed spreadsheet data into human impact, reminding everyone why their work matters.

The Burnout Epidemic: A Hidden Crisis in Hospitality

Alicia's second question about personal boundaries and avoiding burnout while building brand and business couldn't be more timely. The statistics are sobering: around 47% of hospitality workers feel they don't have enough work-life balance, with those aged 18 to 29 experiencing the highest rates of burnout.

The hospitality industry faces unique challenges contributing to this crisis. About 50% of people in hospitality take on extra jobs just to make ends meet, and only 33% of hospitality workers feel interested and involved in their daily tasks. Meanwhile, the hotel, food services, and hospitality industry had the highest burnout rate globally in 2019, with about 80% feeling overwhelmed by their workload.

The Morning Ritual That Changed Everything

I'll be honest with Alicia—this is a "do what I say, not what I did" conversation. For the first 20 years of running RedBalloon, I was constantly pushing, running, treating everything as urgent. Even my exercise was about pushing harder, going faster.

The transformation came when I realised I needed yin and yang balance. Now I have a morning ritual that's absolutely precious to me: no calendar before 9 AM, walking dogs, strength workouts, ice baths (yes, even when I question my sanity in that freezing water), and a nutritious, protein-rich breakfast.

The key insight: You have to treat yourself as an important customer. Block out self-care time as rigorously as you would a critical business meeting, because you're no good to anyone if you're dragging your exhausted self around.

Staying Relevant for Over Two Decades: The Red Balloon Formula

Alicia's third question about maintaining relevance despite waves of startups and competitors goes to the heart of sustainable business building. After 24+ years, what keeps RedBalloon trusted while new competitors enter regularly?

The Three Pillars of Lasting Success

1. Believe in Your Mission You can't fake purpose. Either you genuinely believe in the contribution you're making to your community, or you don't. For us, that mission is shifting the way people experience life—not just for consumers, but for our supply partners who sit at the heart of what we do.

2. Stay Close to Your Product What keeps RedBalloon special is our people in the field who work daily with our 3,500+ small business partners, ensuring they have great, relevant, and exclusive products. This human connection creates a moat that's difficult for competitors to replicate.

3. Understand Your Economic Impact We're not just delivering customers—we're driving economic growth throughout regional and rural Australia. When someone books a trike tour in Orange or a hot air balloon in the Hunter Valley, they're spending additional money on accommodation, restaurants, and local experiences. This multiplier effect strengthens entire communities.

The Platform Evolution

Becoming a platform business has been crucial to our longevity. By providing state-of-the-art websites, cybersecurity, AI optimisation, and payment gateways to operators like Paradise Resort, we're not just aggregating experiences—we're empowering our partners with enterprise-level technology they couldn't afford independently.

Leadership Lessons: The Power of Vulnerability

Alicia's final question about early leadership decisions that shaped company culture touched on something fundamental: the importance of authentic leadership in an industry built on human connection.

The most important decision I made was allowing myself to be myself—owning my mistakes, saying "oops, I got that wrong, but I tried something," and being vulnerable while showing commitment to our purpose.

The leadership paradox: Be persistent about your mission but adaptable in your methods. The world today is nothing like it was 20 years ago, so successful leaders must remain curious, listen constantly, and respond to changing conditions while staying true to their core purpose.

The Future of Hospitality: High-Tech, High-Touch

As we look toward 2025 and beyond, the hospitality industry will continue evolving at breakneck speed. Modern technologies such as AI and IoT allow hospitality businesses to anticipate guest needs with AI-driven insights and deliver highly personalised services.

But here's what won't change: people still want to feel valued, understood, and cared for. The most successful hospitality businesses will be those that use technology to enhance human connection, not replace it.

Key Takeaways for Hospitality Leaders

1. People before systems: Use technology to serve your mission, not the other way around
2. Integrate ruthlessly: Bring critical metrics into unified dashboards to avoid data overwhelm
3. Create listening posts: Maintain direct connections with your customers beyond data points
4. Protect your energy: Block out self-care time as rigorously as business meetings
5. Stay mission-driven: Genuine belief in your purpose creates unshakeable competitive advantage
6. Embrace vulnerability: Authentic leadership builds stronger teams and culture
7. Remain curious: Adapt your methods while staying true to your core mission

Looking Ahead: The Hospitality Renaissance

Despite the challenges—or perhaps because of them—I'm optimistic about hospitality's future. The industry's growth trajectory, combined with increasing recognition of the importance of work-life balance and authentic leadership, creates opportunities for operators who get the balance right.

Alicia's questions represent the thoughtful approach needed to navigate this complexity. Her 24-year journey from front-line service to marketing leadership, combined with her willingness to ask tough questions about technology and burnout, exemplifies the kind of leadership the industry needs.

Listen to the complete episode to hear Alicia's insights about family-friendly resort operations, the evolution of tourism marketing, and her strategies for staying passionate about hospitality after nearly a quarter-century in the industry.

The conversation reinforces a central truth: in our rush to embrace digital transformation, the most successful hospitality businesses are those that use technology to enhance the human experience, not replace it.

Subscribe to Handpicked for more conversations with hospitality veterans who understand that success comes from balancing cutting-edge technology with timeless human connection.

Sources and additional reading:

• Hospitality Global Market Report 2023: Market growth from $4.39 trillion to $4.70 trillion
• Oysterlink: Hospitality Industry Worker Burnout Report 2025
• The Access Group: Top Technology Trends for Hospitality in 2025
• Acropolium: Top Hospitality Technology Trends in 2025

Handpicked with Naomi Simson explores the strategies, challenges, and triumphs of successful entrepreneurs across industries. Each episode delivers practical insights you can implement immediately in your own business journey.

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