Xin Chao day 2!
Starting today with the UEF students and hearing about how businesses remain successful and resilient was really interesting. I found the group kahoot really fun and was happy to apply what we learned with the group activity – it was really fun hearing about businesses students use daily and comparing it to our daily lives.
The lecture showed insights on the importance of sustainability like cost incentives, marketing and legal aspects. I was really looking forward to the site visit with the Hyatt because it is the company I am presenting on. I saw connections between the lecture and how the company operated especially with the sustainability aspect. The Hyatt presentation showed how they are sustainable with electricity with motion-sensor air conditioning and lights. They also minimize waste; for instance they use less plastic by removing single-use toiletries and are even looking to switch to wooden keys.
I was shocked to see the appeal towards local markets. The Hyatt presentation pointed out they work with award winning chefs that locals and tourists can engage with. There still was a good amount of westernization in the hotel like various cuisines and the bedtime stories in the nightstand.
The artwork throughout the hotel was not only gorgeous, but also significant in two ways: it reflected Vietnam’s cultural identity making guests feel at ‘home’ while also supporting the local economy and Vietnamese artists. I think this is how Hyatt remains luxurious, they made a hotel that allowed for tourists to connect with locals and culture which is Pritzker’s (the founder of Hyatt) ideas of travel. So rather than just going to a place the Hyatt gave their guests an experience all while being a place for domestic tourism as well.