Gamification of Sales of Related Services in The Hotel Business: Comparative Effectiveness of Individual, Team, And Probabilistic Incentives for Line Staff

The article presents a comparative analysis of the effectiveness of three types of gamification incentives for line personnel in hotel enterprises: individual, team-based, and probabilistic incentives. The purpose of the study is to determine the conditions under which each mechanic demonstrates the highest effectiveness in selling ancillary services, including upselling and cross-selling, in the hotel business, including periods of low occupancy. The methodological basis of the study includes a systematic review of literature indexed in Scopus and Web of Science, comparative analysis, case study, and content analysis of managerial documentation. The empirical object of the analysis is the Volgograd-Intourist Hotel, which applies an original five-component motivation system. By the end of 2025, relative to the 2024 baseline, sales of ancillary services increased by 45%, the average check for ancillary services rose by 30%, and total revenue reached RUB 157.2 million, representing an 11% increase. The study establishes that probabilistic mechanics provide the most stable employee engagement during periods of low demand, team-based incentives reduce destructive competition, and cascading individual bonuses maximize revenue during peak periods. The proposed model allows scaling to hotel enterprises of different classes. The findings may be of interest to hotel managers, revenue managers, and researchers in the field of HR management in the tourism industry.

gamification, upselling, ancillary services, employee motivation, probabilistic reward, team incentives, KPI, revenue management, hotel business

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