Trust is the Heartbeat of Hospitality, Reframing Staff Behaviour in South Asian Hotels : An Empirical Pilot Study from Bangladesh

Under South Asia’s competitive hotel industry, guest trust is often assumed to come from visual aesthetics and online reputation. While South Asian hotels are rapidly adopting digital engagement strategies, many fail to invest in training frontline staff in emotional intelligence and ethical behaviour. This paper argues that trust is primarily built through human interactions, not hotel interiors; particularly via emotionally intelligent staff behaviour. A survey of 24 hotel staff and supervisors in Bangladesh revealed that over 75% ranked staff behaviour as highly relevant to trust-building, with honesty, empathy, and punctuality being the most valued qualities. However, 95% of respondents reported hiding their true emotions at work, and nearly half lacked formal emotional intelligence training; exposing a critical skills gap in trust-building strategy. This study also explores whether emotionally intelligent staff behaviour, such as honesty, empathy, and consistency, contributes more to guest trust than surface-level hospitality cues. Findings from a small-scale survey (n=24) suggest a strong perceived link between emotional labour training and guest trust outcomes. It helps to support the need for staff-centred trust-building strategies in South Asian hotels. This study facilitates by addressing the overlooked behavioural dimension of trust in Bangladeshi hotels where staff are generally expected to perform emotional labour without formal training or institutional support.