Four Trends for Beyond Revenge Travel 2.0
Larry and Adam Mogelonsky | March 2, 2022
Although Pre-Pandemic Profitability Will Remain Elusive, the Industry Will Make Strides Toward Recovery in 2022
Fran Worrall | January 5, 2022
Coronavirus
To Lead in Times of Crisis, One Must Be Equal Parts Realist, Pragmatist and Optimist
Keith Kefgen | April 1, 2020
By: Keith Kefgen As an evaluator of leadership capability, I have been asked what it takes to lead in a time of crisis, such as COVID-19. My answer has been simple, “you must be equal parts realist, pragmatist and optimist. This mixture of archetypes is essential in dealing with the fast moving and unknown outcomes of a crisis. Realist. a person who accepts a situation as it is and is prepared to deal with it accordingly. To face a situation that is as complex as COVID, fact finding is critical. Like a complex puzzle, getting started in the known areas is a good start (start in the corners). Ask for help in areas that are unknown a...
Las Vegas Sands to Donate More than Two Million Pieces of Personal Protection Equipment
Las Vegas Sands Corp. | April 1, 2020
LAS VEGAS, April 1, 2020 -- Las Vegas Sands (NYSE: LVS) today announced it will donate two million medical masks and 20,000 protective suits to help health-care professionals, first responders and nonprofit organizations in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. Medical mask donations will be distributed in the company's corporate headquarters of Nevada as well as New York, which has become the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in the United States. Each state will receive one million masks. The 20,000 protective suits will be donated to hospitals and first responders in Nevada. "Hopefully our donations will help protect peopl...
Hotels Are Right to Prioritize Loyalty Schemes Over Rate Reductions During and After COVID-19 Pandemic, Says GlobalData
GlobalData | April 1, 2020
Major players in the hotel industry are using loyalty schemes in order to create value for their customer base and increase demand during and after the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Ralph Hollister, Analyst, Travel & Tourism at GlobalData, offers his view: “Instead of advertising future room rates at discounted prices, offering perks through loyalty schemes means that hotels can protect their pricing and margin strategies. “Providing added value instead of price reductions such as offering reward extensions, as Hilton have done, or following IHG’s lead and lowering the entry requirements for their next loyalty tier, shou...
Hotel Industry Foundation Announces Free Training, Education Courses for Hotel Employees
The AHLA Foundation | April 1, 2020
WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 1, 2020) – In an effort to support the 8 million hotel industry employees affected by this unprecedented public health crisis, the American Hotel & Lodging Foundation (AHLA Foundation), the charitable giving arm of the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA), today announced free resources to help industry employees continue their education during this difficult time. As part of AHLA’s Hospitality for Hope Initiative, the AHLA Foundation will provide: Free hospitality management online courses Professional development scholarships for AHLA certifications Continuing education online progra...
COVID-19 and Hospitality: Why Attracting Millennial Travelers Is Essential to Your Hotel’s Recovery Plan
Nicole Dehler | April 1, 2020
By Nicki Dehler "This too shall pass" is a sentiment that surely everyone can take comfort in right now, and one which hoteliers especially should keep in mind. The continued spread of COVID-19 has taken the world by storm, and has seemingly overwhelmed the hospitality industry. As the fear of transmission continues to surge, our communities are banding together, as new emergency regulations urge us to self-isolate and avoid all non-essential travel. Currently, the timeline for a return to normalcy is anything but guaranteed: Will this 'new normal' last for a month, or three, or for the majority of 2020? While we cannot change our cu...
COVID-19 and the Chinese Hotel Sector
Caroline Zhang | March 31, 2020
By Caroline Zhang, Chang Xu, Rachel Cui From the beginning of 2020, Covid-19 spread in China and escalated into a global pandemic, impacting the travel, hotel, and catering industries. HVS Shenzhen Office combined existing market information and our own survey results, as well as the historical data, to determine the impact and provide an outlook on the Chinese hotel industry. View report...
Hotel Sales Teams: Two Sales Tasks You Can Do This Week to Get Ready for the Rebound
Doug Kennedy | March 31, 2020
By Doug Kennedy For most hotels in North America, the sales team is entering week three of the Covid19 disruption. The first week or so was just crazy, as salespeople from all market segments endured a frantic wave of cancelations and postponements. Just as that wave was starting to pass, most sales leaders had to make the difficult move of furloughing or laying off sales staff to pare down the payroll costs. As we begin week three, those who are still working are finding new challenges in taking over tasks usually done by support staff or colleagues from other departments who are now not available. Soon enough though, most salespeop...
STR: Lima’s Daily Hotel Occupancy Falls to as Low as 12.9%
STR | March 31, 2020
BOGOTÁ—As the impact of COVID-19 broadens in South America, Lima’s daily hotel occupancy fell to as low as 12.9% on 19 March, according to preliminary data from STR. That occupancy level came one day after the Peruvian government imposed a nightly curfew to combat the spread of COVID-19. STR’s most recent data for 22 March showed that just 13 of 100 rooms on average were occupied in the city. “Despite the fact that corporate tourism is not strong during January and February, daily occupancy in Lima was as high as 70.1% on 19 February,” said Patricia Boo, STR’s area director for Central/South America. “The market’s daily...
COVID-19 Business Disruptions: What’s in Store for the Hospitality Industry?
Avik Bhattacharya | March 31, 2020
By Avik Bhattacharya The COVID-19 pandemic is dealing a crippling blow to the hospitality and aviation industry. International borders are being closed, nationwide curfews have been implemented, flights have been grounded and some hotels are forced by law to close temporarily. The number of reservations is rapidly going down and revenue losses for the entire Indian hospitality industry are currently estimated between USD 5.5 billion to USD 6.2 billion. It is anticipated that the hospitality industry could take years to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and the situation will likely get worse before it gets better. Companies that have ...
ALICE Launches Free COVID-19 Checklist Software
ALICE | March 31, 2020
ALICE has launched a new free product to help hoteliers operate more efficiently during COVID-19. ALICE’s COVID-19 Checklists Software is available now, and is free to help hotels manage operations through times of low occupancy or closure, back into times of recovery, and up to full occupancy again. ALICE Checklists provides hoteliers with tools to streamline operations and communications. With more than 100,000 hoteliers across 2,500 hotels using ALICE, it is the hospitality industry’s leading operations technology, connecting every department of the hotel with one platform for all staff communication and guest requests. With ALICE C...
COVID-19 Hotel Management Plan
Robert A. Rauch | March 31, 2020
By Robert Rauch As a seasoned hotelier of over 40 years, I have worked through five previous recessions, ergo, I feel qualified to provide insights into what we should do as we face the sixth recession since the 1970s. If we have not preserved cash, the financial portion of this brief article is perhaps the most critical. The human side is near and dear to my heart, but the financial side weighs heavily. Here is my suggested plan for recovery, not from COVID-19, but from the economic wounds it is causing. Financial Relief The most critical first step, if not already taken is to project our expenses for the next 90 days. This requires...
U.S. Hotel RevPAR Forecasted to Drop 50.6% for 2020
STR | March 30, 2020
HENDERSONVILLE, Tennessee—Due to the impact from the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. hotel industry is projected to report a 50.6% decline in revenue per available room (RevPAR) in 2020, according to a special forecast revision from STR and Tourism Economics. “The industry was already set for a non-growth year, now throw in this ultimate ‘black swan’ event, and we’re set to see occupancy drop to an unprecedented low,” said Jan Freitag, STR’s senior VP of lodging insights. “Our historical database extends back to 1987, and the worst we have ever seen for absolute occupancy was 54.6% during the financial crisis in 2009. With roug...
IHG Connects US Hotel Colleagues Impacted by Covid-19 With Job Opportunities at Leading Companies
IHG | March 30, 2020
IHG® has today announced the launch of the IHG® Hotel Colleague Job Center to support US-based hotel colleagues impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. The global Covid-19 outbreak has created unprecedented circumstances for the hospitality industry. Travel around the world has paused for most people, which has led to a number of IHG’s hotels closing temporarily or significantly reducing operations, impacting the employment of hotel colleagues. To support them, the IHG® Hotel Colleague Job Center website – available at IHG.com/WeSupportYou – will provide resources, advice and guidance during this difficult time. It includes job...
Florida For Good Launches National B Tourism Network
Florida For Good | March 30, 2020
ORLANDO, Fla. (March 30, 2020) – Florida For Good (FFG), an organization that helps bolster the business for good movement in the state, has just launched the B Tourism resource platform for sustainable tourism businesses to connect, share best practices and during these trying times, provide free resources to those companies dealing with negative impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of the For Good Movement Inc., a 501(c)3 nonprofit, FFG was founded on the principles of helping businesses in Florida become more conscious, sustainable and focused on people and the planet instead of just profit while putting a strong sense of commu...
Commingle:Engage to Launch No-Cost Service to Help Hotels Book Local Drive Business
Lodging Interactive & commingle:engage | March 30, 2020
PARSIPPANY, NJ – March 30, 2020 – commingle:engage, by Lodging Interactive, the hospitality industry’s premier provider of full-service social media marketing and guest reputation management services today announced it is planning to launch a new service to help hotels book local business opportunities. StayPlayExplore.travel will offer locally curated content and hotel offers to target staycations and local social event opportunities. The service will be offered free of charge to hotels. “I believe the hospitality industry will recover in stages, with the first stage being leisure travelers who will be anxious to venture ou...
U.S. Travel Reacts to House Passage of Coronavirus Relief Package
The U.S. Travel Association | March 30, 2020
Washington (March 30, 2020)—U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Roger Dow issued the following statement on House passage of the CARES Act: "The Phase 3 relief package passed by Congress this week is a great first step in this process, and comes at a time when the American travel industry is facing catastrophic economic disaster, with almost six million travel-supported jobs expected to be lost in the next five weeks. "We call upon the Department of the Treasury and the Small Business Administration to expedite the rulemaking process—within 10 days—to get this money out the door into the hands of those who so desperately nee...
FIU’s Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management and South Beach Wine & Food Festival® Give Back to South Florida’s Foo
FIU's Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management | March 30, 2020
MIAMI (March 2020) – FIU’s Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management is helping to put money into the hands of cooks, servers, dishwashers and all team members at restaurants and bars through a new partnership with the South Beach Wine & Food Festival®. The SOBEWFF® & FIU Chaplin School Hospitality Industry Relief Fund will provide immediate financial support to independently owned and operated restaurants and bars impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties. Many of these family operated establishments have hired FIU student interns and even given graduates their first jo...
How Social Media Can Help Your Hotel During COVID-19
Pipeline Social Media | March 30, 2020
Canceled events. Canceled travel plans. Canceled bookings. It’s safe to say that the Coronavirus has rocked the hospitality industry and we can only hope that the effects will be over soon. You are most likely looking at your budget and finding any and all areas to trim back to meet payroll and impending bills. While you might not be concerned with social media right now, we wanted to give you some food for thought during this time in order to set your hotel up for success in the future. Social media is the first place your guests will go to get informed. They still rely on you to figure out what their travel options are, whether you a...
Deep Dive: Asia Performance in the Time of COVID-19
HotStats | March 30, 2020
COVID-19 swept through Asia first. Chinese health officials first reported the outbreak to the World Health Organization (WHO) on Dec. 31, 2019, and the rapid spread of the virus prompted aggressive containment measures across the entire region. The impact on the hotel industry was swift and severe, because many Asian travel markets rely heavily on Chinese visitor demand. Revenue Tourism Economics noted that in terms of spending, mainland China constitutes the most important outbound travel market in the world, and according to the China Outbound Tourism Research Institute, the top 10 destinations chosen by Chinese t...
An Updated 2020 Hotel Outlook | CBRE U.S. ViewPoint
March 27, 2020
Economic conditions are deteriorating quickly with the Covid-19 outbreak causing a sharp drop in economic activity. Key Findings: CBRE expects GDP growth will slow to 0.4% in 2020. U.S. RevPAR will decline by 37% in 2020, with a contraction of more than 60% in Q2. Demand will decline by 28% in 2020; ADRs are expected to decline 11% in 2020. The most complex constraint impairing travel comes from social distancing efforts and travel or group gathering restrictions on global populations. Properties that primarily cater to discretionary travel will be affected most, i.e. luxury, upper upscale, urban, airport, and resort pro...
Covid-19: What Should Hoteliers Keep in Mind In the Midst of the Current Crisis
Pierre Verbeke | March 27, 2020
Even during some of the worst crisis in the past, hotels or restaurants have not been forced to close. We are in uncharted waters: what should hoteliers keep in mind to navigate the current crisis? By Pierre Verbeke We are reading a lot these days about this unprecedented crisis and the profound impact this has and will have on our business. Stock exchange wealth has been wiped away, thousands of hotels have had to close and many of our employees are affected and are assigned to residence. Never before have we seen mandatory hotel or restaurant closures on a scale as today. Even during some of the worst crisis in the past, hotels or r...
Live Survey Reveals 50 Percent of Hotels Not Planning to Close Properties Due to COVID-19
Knowland | March 27, 2020
Leading group hospitality analytics firm, Knowland, conducts webinar to inform hoteliers on best practices during a time of crisis, with a focus on key recovery strategies ARLINGTON, Va. — March 27, 2020—Knowland, the leader in group hospitality analytics for hotels, convention and visitor bureaus, conference centers and other meeting venues, announced today the results of a live survey of more than 700 hoteliers conducted during its informative webinar “COVID-19 Preparing Today for Success Tomorrow.” Knowland’s VP of product management, Kristi White provided insight and guidance during a webinar held on March 25, 2020 and is ava...
AHLA Applauds House Passage of CARES Act
AHLA | March 27, 2020
WASHINGTON (March 27, 2020) – The following is a statement from Chip Rogers, AHLA president and CEO, on the House passage of the CARES Act. “The hotel industry applauds Congress and the Administration for their tireless work in response to this unprecedented public health crisis. We appreciate Speaker Pelosi and Minority Leader McCarthy for their leadership. By passing the CARES Act, Congress has taken a critical first step to provide immediate support for American workers and the industries that drive our economy. “We continue to support the underlying foundation of the CARES Act, which seeks to help millions of workers and thous...
International Tourist Arrivals Could Fall by 20-30% in 2020
| March 27, 2020
The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has released its updated assessment of the likely impact of the COVID-19 on international tourism. Taking into account the unparalleled introduction of travel restrictions across the world, the United Nations specialized agency for tourism expects that international tourist arrivals will be down by 20% to 30% in 2020 when compared with 2019 figures. However, UNWTO stresses that these numbers are based on the latest developments as the global community faces up to an unprecedented social and economic challenge and should be interpreted with caution in view of the extreme uncertain nature of the current cr...
