Developing New Products in the Hospitality Industry: A Case of Egypt

ABSTRACT Drawing on associated literature and empirical research, this paper makes a contribution towards the engagement and expertise of hotels in the new product development (NPD) process. The study provides an investigation into the development and practices of new products within the hospitality industry in Egypt. This is of considerable interest to both practitioners and academics within the field of hospitality management. The findings reported are based on a survey of marketing managers in different hotel categories. Significant differences between hotels were found based on their categories. Moreover, the results reveal that the 5 star hotels demonstrate a higher orientation towards NPD than the 4 and 3 star groups with regard to their integration of NPD goals into the overall marketing objectives of their firms. Management implications and areas for further research are discussed.