Between Respect and Professional Ethics

The activity on this blog had been rather dormant for quite some time, which does not mean I was absent or that I had not tried to keep up with developments in the sector—developments that we so often label as innovation. Yesterday, a good friend sent me a link to something that could well be described as an innovative accommodation concept. It is, in fact, a boat moored in the Port of Barcelona, advertised on Booking.com as accommodation in a prime location. This made me think of an article that quite rightly points out that innovation is certainly not about breaking the law. I believe the drive to innovate is taking us to an extreme that is difficult to control. Innovation is not about taking shortcuts and offering just anything, as long as it is, or could be, appealing to a guest, simply because someone may be willing to pay for a product or service. Are we not losing our heads over this obsession with innovation and differentiation? A customer-oriented approach that offers just anything, sometimes dangerously close to crossing the line of legality, is a delicate matter. But failing to recognise the work of a sector that, year after year, through professionalism, hard work and expertise, has been the economic engine of our country, is disrespectful to the professionals who make it possible. I understand that Booking.com is concerned to see how many establishments have been reducing their dependence on the platform in favour of boosting direct sales through their own websites, but things like this go beyond the bounds of professional ethics and respect for our sector.