The Applicability of lean service production approach in hotels: Aplication in a hotel in Malatya

The tourism sector is considered to be one of the driving factors of the world economy and employment. In the tourism sector, which has a highly flexible structure, businesses can gain competitive advantage and increase their profitability only by increasing customer satisfaction. Customer satisfaction is directly related to the quality of the service provided, the manner in which it is delivered, and the timing of its delivery. In today's tourism ecosystem, competition is at a very high level. Especially with the widespread use of the internet and social media, ways of reaching consumers and company awareness have increased. This situation forces enterprises to develop strategies to differentiate their services from their competitors and to provide quality service. At this point, the lean management approach offers a guide to tourism enterprises in terms of raising service standards, increasing operational efficiency, ensuring customer satisfaction and maximizing profits. This study was conducted to demonstrate the applicability of lean management principles in the tourism sector, specifically within a five-star hotel, and to show the impact of lean principles on efficiency and performance improvement. In this context, the study is divided into four sections. The first section addresses concepts related to lean management and lean production techniques. The second section examines concepts related to the tourism sector. The third section theoretically analyzes the concept of lean tourism. In the fourth section, which covers the practical implementation of the study, a model for applying lean principles in the hotel industry was developed. A pilot department within the hotel was selected, and a quality circle team consisting of employees from this department was formed. Using problem-solving techniques and the nominal grouping method, a problem topic was identified based on the data obtained. Subsequently, training on effective communication, total quality management, lean principles, Kaizen, and 5S was provided to this team, and the results of field measurements conducted using the experimental research method were analyzed. The research was carried out in a five-star chain hotel operating in Malatya Center. According to the study's findings, lean principles have positive contributions to operational efficiency and waste reduction in hotel operations. Key Words: Lean, Efficiency, Tourism, Hotel, Malatya