The Japanese have a word for it — Omotenashi.

It means “hospitality, treatment, reception, service”. But the true meaning goes much, much deeper. Omotenashi is to anticipate needs; it is to extend service wholeheartedly and selflessly.

It is the cold or hot towel before meals, it is the unwritten ‘No Tipping Please’ policy in Japan, and the gracious greetings and gift-giving extended to guests.

Like Japan, other cultures have perfected the art of authentic hospitality based on extending the human touch. As members of the global hospitality industry who have a strong presence in south-west Asia, we draw deeply on the inherent culture of hospitality that exists in the Middle East and India.

What differentiates this concept in the Middle East is the overwhelming belief that every guest is to be treated with humanity, honour and respect. From ancient Biblical times, and in the oral tales of nomadic tribes, there are written and unwritten rules that define Middle Eastern hospitality — the offering of grain by the farmer, the sleeping of hosts along with guests, the greeting of guests with “salam alakum” or “peace be on you”, and the persuasive plea to guests to extend their stay and leave after one more meal.

This throw back to Bedouin-inspired hospitality traditions is one reason why many hotel companies put down anchor in the UAE and Saudi Arabia and settle down to differentiate themselves within the sea of sameness that otherwise exists in the industry. We, who are in the business of serving and interacting with people should be able to connect with people and really get into the essence of what their emotional experience is about.

We have an internal equation at Hyatt which is, Empathy + Action = Care. That is, you have to first engage in empathy and understand what is going on with the person and understand what they are looking for. You have to take some action around it and engage emotionally with them, which increasingly means creating some interesting experiences for them.

That is the demonstration of care for our guests, and care is really at the centre of Hyatt’s purpose. This is the secret of being successful in the hospitality industry, as much today as it was in the past.

As we draw inspiration from the past on how best to serve guests, our marketing strategies are based on current trends that recognise that travellers are looking for emotional connects, an empathetic ear that listens and executes, and authentic and genuine hospitality. Their goal is to cement relationships between themselves and their guests with this human-focused approach so that it leads to irrational loyalty for their brands.

As I look around the current marketing landscape, I see that advertisers are veering away from product-driven ads to emotion-driven ones. In my opinion, the most successful ones that were broadcast during the Academy Awards earlier this year were based on creating human connections and fostering strong relationships in an attempt to discover the catalysts that trigger emotions.

For instance, the Hyatt TV spot was accompanied by Burt Bacharach’s famous song ‘All You Need is Love’ (sung by Grammy nominee Andra Day) and begins with an interaction between an Arab woman in a hijab helping a western one.

Let us not forget that marketing is a two-way relationship, and marketers today must recognise that hospitality is a human interaction — a business about serving people and interacting with colleagues, guests and the community. To market the guest experience, we must get into the essence of what the emotional experience is about.

Everyone owns the guest experience and marketing and operations should work together to bring each brand experience to life.

Today, we must tear up the scripts that were earlier the cornerstone of the hospitality industry and listen, understand and empathise with the needs of our colleagues, guests and communities. Being human, being ourselves and genuinely caring is the only way to be hospitable — and that is the most authentic and meaningful way to succeed in our business.

Eric Brun is Hyatt Hotels & Resorts’ senior vice-president for Brands and Commercial Strategy in Europe, Africa, the Middle East and south-west Asia.