During the EHL Open Innovation Summit, we had the pleasure of speaking with Nelson Ole Reiyia, CEO and Co-founder of Nashulai Maasai Conservancy. Our conversation explored how technology, particularly AI, can be used to enhance hospitality without losing its human soul, and why the future of travel lies in genuine partnerships with local communities, not just surface-level consultation.

Which technology or innovation do you think will have the most impact in our industry over the next 5 to 10 years?

There is a big discussion around leveraging technology, especially artificial intelligence, to connect with clients more efficiently and quickly. I run two hotels in the Maasai Mara, and I am exploring how we can use technology, though I do not yet fully understand in which format. What is clear is that something has to shift. Guests today expect fast responses. They are on their phones, they want immediate answers. If I delay replying to an email or WhatsApp message, they get concerned. So yes, we need to move from traditional ways of doing things and find a way to work with technology. That is the way forward.

Can tradition and technology work together, or are they at odds with each other?

In as much as we embrace innovation and technology, we must still have a human-centered approach. There must be a way to marry hospitality's heartfelt, people-led traditions with the new possibilities that technology offers. These things can work together.

What can the hospitality industry learn from community-led models?

We are now dealing with younger travelers who are more informed. They no longer have a colonial mindset toward hospitality. They are ecologically minded and conscious of the connection between the industry and nature. They do not want to be part of an extractive industry. They want to see that the hospitality sector is giving back, that it is doing something to make this planet a better place. They want to see a shift away from just taking and toward impact.

When it comes to community involvement in hospitality, we often see consultation without participation. What is your take on that?

It should be the other way around. We need partnerships with the community. It should be a bottom-up approach. The community should have a bigger say. Not just be consulted for public relations or marketing, but actually be partners in the business. A hotel will be more profitable, and guests will have a better experience, if the local community is taken as a true partner. Otherwise, we are living a lie. Using the name of the community without making any real impact is dishonest. A hotel must have a story, and a story only about making profit is not a good story for the community. I believe we are getting there. Today's guests are very conscious. Even when I travel, I want to go to a place that has a positive impact. I check reviews. I want to know, what have you changed in the community? What is your impact?

About the EHL Open Innovation Summit 2025

This interview was recorded during the EHL Open Innovation Summit in Lausanne, where Hospitality Net joined as official media partner.

The event brought together a global mix of thinkers and doers to explore the future of hospitality, food, and travel through open innovation. What made it special was the mix of ideas, formats, and people. It was not only about tech or talks. It was also about people showing up, working together, and sharing energy in real time.

Key Figures

  • 385 participants
  • 48 speakers and contributors from more than 20 countries
  • 7 innovation challenges collectively addressed
  • 45 sessions
  • 25 student volunteers
  • 15 F&B startups letting us taste the future
  • 1.5 days of connection, learning, and co-creation

Key Insights from the Summit

  1. A new benchmark for hospitality innovation
    The summit set a new standard by weaving together AI, sustainability, regeneration, and human connection - showing that innovation in hospitality, luxury and food must be holistic, human-centric, and purpose-driven. Participants repeatedly highlighted the need to go beyond efficiency and into meaningful transformation.
  2. From knowledge exchange to real-time co-creation
    More than just a series of talks, the summit was an activation space - a living lab where diverse minds worked together on pressing challenges, from regenerative tourism to circular luxury to AI in guest experience. It was a showcase of collective intelligence in motion.
  3. Collaboration as the engine of systems change
    Open Innovation came alive not as a buzzword, but as a relational practice. From panelists to students, from global explorers to startup founders, everyone was invited to co-create, connect dots, and contribute. Participants repeatedly said they experienced true collaboration across boundaries, industry, sector, age, and background.
  4. The power of presence: hearts, minds, and hands
    Whether walking in the forest, painting together, or debating future systems, attendees embraced the idea that innovation isn’t only about tech and metrics - it’s also about embodied experience, slowing down to speed up, and nurturing a regenerative mindset.
  5. The future is “AND” – not “either/or”
    A recurring takeaway: we must stop choosing between extremes. The future is tech AND human, healthy AND delicious, profitable AND impactful. This “integration mindset” is already informing how leaders, startups, and educators present are reshaping their strategies.
  6. The beginning of a long-term movement
    Attendees described the summit as the start of something much bigger - a platform for experimentation, learning, and alliance-building. The EHL Innovation Hub was recognized not only as an academic powerhouse, but as a true catalyst for regenerative innovation across hospitality, service, food, and travel.

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