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
Hilton Corporate Response to COVID-19
Hilton | March 27, 2020
McLEAN, VA - The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has created unprecedented challenges for our industry, our hotels and our Team Members. Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. (NYSE: HLT) is taking decisive action to protect the core of its business and support affected Team Members until this crisis passes and travel resumes. With travel at a virtual standstill, operations have been suspended across many managed and franchised hotels, and those hotels that remain open have reduced services for guests because of decreased occupancy levels. At the corporate level, Hilton is taking the following actions to significantly reduce expenses and preserve l...
Preliminary Mexico Hotel Results for Week Ending 21 March
STR | March 27, 2020
Note: To inform the industry during the COVID-19 pandemic, STR will temporarily publish weekly communication for Mexico based on preliminary data. This preliminary data represents a percentage of STR’s total sample for the region. Once monthly processing is complete, data points will likely appear different. Mexico’s hotel industry showed clear effects of the COVID-19 pandemic with sharp year-over-year declines in the three key performance metrics during the week of 15-21 March 2020, according to preliminary data from STR. In comparison with the week of 17-23 March 2019, Mexico hotels reported the following: Occupancy: -54.2% t...
Preliminary Caribbean Hotel Results for Week Ending 21 March
STR | March 27, 2020
Note: To inform the industry during the COVID-19 pandemic, STR will temporarily publish weekly communication for the Caribbean based on preliminary data. This preliminary data represents a percentage of STR’s total sample for the region. Once monthly processing is complete, data points will likely appear different. The Caribbean hotel industry continued steep year-over-year declines in the three key performance metrics during the week of 15-21 March 2020, according to preliminary data from STR. In comparison with the week of 17-23 March 2019, the Caribbean reported the following: Occupancy: -61.3% to 30.6% Average daily rate (...
STR: Canada Hotel Results for Week Ending 21 March
STR | March 27, 2020
HENDERSONVILLE, Tennessee—Showing further COVID-19 impact, the Canadian hotel industry recorded negative year-over-year results in the three key performance metrics during the week of 15-21 March 2020, according to data from STR. In comparison with the week of 17-23 March 2019, the industry reported the following: Occupancy: -65.0% to 21.4% Average daily rate (ADR): -16.9% to CAD120.82 Revenue per available room (RevPAR): -70.9% to CAD25.84 Among the provinces and territories, Quebec experienced the largest decline in occupancy (-75.5% to 15.0%) and the steepest drop in RevPAR (-77.8% to CAD19.94). Prince Edward Island p...
COVID-19 Hotel Resource Guide
Ahmed Kabani | March 27, 2020
By Ahmed Kabani Kabani Hotel Group Presents: COVID-19 Hotel Resource Guide Given the uncertain times that we are in, we at Kabani Hotel Group have compiled a guide for hoteliers, to cope with the current state of the hospitality market. Although an economic recovery date remains uncertain, previous crises have taught us that the hospitality industry is resilient. Max Starkov, a hospitality and online travel technology strategist, and founder of NextGuest, believes that global tourism will recover quickly due to the growth of the global middle class. By 2030, this class is expected to reach 5.3 billion people, and middle-class spen...
Travel Industry Welcomes One-Year REAL ID Extension, But Says Longer May Be Necessary
The U.S. Travel Association | March 27, 2020
Washington (March 27, 2020)—The U.S. Travel Association praised the Department of Homeland Security's Thursday announcement of a one-year REAL ID enforcement delay, but cautioned that a longer extension may be necessary to ensure that implementation won't further disrupt the already devastated American travel economy. In a March 26 letter to Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf, U.S. Travel cited polling data showing that the U.S. had not made significant strides toward REAL ID compliance even before the coronavirus crisis. A new analysis compiled by U.S. Travel and Longwoods International, a market research consultancy, shows th...
COVID-19 and Hospitality: 7 Alternative Ways to Cut Costs and Save Your Business…BEFORE Resorting to Layoffs
Nicole Dehler, Vice President of Product Management | March 26, 2020
By Nicki Dehler The hospitality industry is entering uncharted territory. As concerns surrounding the continued transmission of COVID-19 continue to mount, we find ourselves isolated in our homes, unsure of when this pandemic will pass. What does the future hold for our communities? Moreover, what will this crisis mean for those businesses who have ceased operations due to recent recommendations and mandates for complete shutdowns? There is no denying that from a business perspective, travel and hospitality have taken the brunt of the pandemic’s economic impact. Hotels and airline companies have suffered unprecedented losses as escala...
Latest Industry Survey Shows How North American Destination Organizations Are Impacted by the Escalating Effects of COVID-19
MMGY Global | March 26, 2020
Pandemic has dramatically shifted sector’s sentiment and spending in two weeks KANSAS CITY, MO (March 26, 2020) – MMGY Travel Intelligence, in partnership with Destinations International Foundation, has released the inaugural findings from a benchmark series of bi-weekly surveys of North American destination professionals. The surveys track how this sector has been affected by COVID-19 and what shifts organizations are making during a period of very fluid change. Preliminary findings reveal that, in the span of about two weeks, the reverberations of the pandemic dramatically changed the sector’s outlook, operations and marketing sp...
SPECIAL REPORT: COVID-19 Profit Impact on Asia Markets
HotStats | March 26, 2020
The extent to which the coronavirus has impacted the global hotel industry is now coming into focus based on new data from HotStats, which provides further transparency in terms of the damaging impact of the disease on travel and, by extension, on hotel profitability. Beyond the virulence of the virus, this much is sure: property budgets are rendered useless, guidance is ineffective and market context is all the industry can truly rely on now to gain an understanding of the breadth of the virus’ impact. For the hotel industry specifically, picture the coronavirus’ influence on hospitality as a jigsaw puzzle: China is the first piece...
Latest Research From WTTC Shows a 50% Increase in Jobs at Risk in Travel & Tourism
| March 26, 2020
London, UK: Up to 75 million jobs are at immediate risk in global Travel & Tourism due to the coronavirus pandemic, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC). The alarming figure, based on research from WTTC, shows a punishing Travel & Tourism GDP loss to the world economy of up to US$2.1 trillion in 2020. The latest projection of a 50% increase in jobs at risk, in less than two weeks , represents a significant and worrying trend, with an astounding one million jobs being lost every day in the Travel & Tourism sector, due to the sweeping effect of the coronavirus pandemic. The analysis by WTTC, which repr...
STR: U.S. Hotel Results for Week Ending 21 March
STR | March 26, 2020
HENDERSONVILLE, Tennessee—Showing further effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. hotel industry reported significant year-over-year declines in the three key performance metrics during the week of 15-21 March 2020, according to data from STR. In comparison with the week of 17-23 March 2019, the industry recorded the following: Occupancy: -56.4% to 30.3% Average daily rate (ADR): -30.2% to US$93.41 Revenue per available room (RevPAR): -69.5% to US$28.32 “RevPAR decreases are at unprecedented levels—worse than those seen during 9/11 and the financial crisis,” said Jan Freitag, STR’s senior VP of lodging insights. ...
As Consumers and Travel Suppliers Work Through Crisis, Most Travelers Satisfied With Industry Response So Far
J.D. Power | March 26, 2020
60% of travelers agree hoteliers, cruise lines and airlines have demonstrated concern for the health and safety of the traveling public. More than half of the travelers surveyed believe travel suppliers are meeting or exceeding expectations on cancellation policies. A majority of travelers (65%) believe that travel suppliers have provided a good level of information about cleaning procedures. As travelers and travel suppliers struggle to make sense of what impact the coronavirus crisis is having on their personal and professional lives, a pulse survey conducted by J.D. Power finds that the travel industry is genera...
CLASS OF 2020 – Forged in Crisis, The Servant Leader of Tomorrow
Thomas Mielke | March 26, 2020
By Thomas Mielke It has already become clear that the uncertainty caused by Covid-19 has forced the industry to become much more creative and innovate. What will the sector’s executives take from the experiences gained during such unprecedented times of crisis? First and foremost, as a matter of priority, many of the industry’s CEOs have already upped their game and displayed more publicly their ‘servant leadership’, well knowing that during times of crisis, communication and compassion are key to keeping morale high – thus ‘steadying the ship’ so that one is ready for when things improve. Although the sector’s current...
The COVID Crisis Highlights the Need for Hotel Call Centers
Larry Mogelonsky | March 26, 2020
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.hotelmogel.com) The virus outbreak starting in Wuhan is the gamechanger for 2020 and many years to come. Reservations and occupancies will inevitably return, but the ground has forever shifted and this new normal we are just entering calls for new working – and largely virtual – conditions as well as a hyper-effective team to handle the load in lean times. My Own Cancellation Story As everyone is scrambling for new operational efficiencies to do more with less and to do so remotely (for the time being), I am reminded of what I went through to cancel a recent hotel booking for a weeklong stay...
Attend HFTP Townhall With CEO Frank Wolfe on April 2
| March 26, 2020
HFTP Townhall with CEO Frank Wolfe, CAE, FIH: How the HFTP Network Can Help You Navigate the Impacts from the COVID-19 Pandemic Every one of us across the globe are feeling the professional and personal impact from the COVID-19 pandemic. At HFTP Global, we have evaluated our collection of resources and educational offerings that will best support our members in the current business climate. Please join HFTP CEO Frank Wolfe as he discusses what the association has been doing to respond and adapt to the current business climate. Frank will draw from his communications with allied industry associations and leading hospitality organization...
FAU Hospitality and Tourism Management Program Offers Lifeline to Workers Struggling During Coronavirus Pandemic
Florida Atlantic University | March 26, 2020
BOCA RATON, Fla. (March 26, 2020) – Florida Atlantic University’s nationally ranked Hospitality and Tourism Management program, within FAU’s College of Business, is offering a free certificate to industry workers and professionals who may be affected by the COVID-19 crisis. Through a series of five online sessions in April, participants can learn about the core components required for success in the industry. The sessions cover hospitality law, career competencies, marketing and revenue management, finance fundamentals and service excellence. “Hospitality will always rebound, but this is the first global crisis where every hospi...
Shift4 Payments Launches Shift4Cares.com to Raise Over $200 Million for Small Businesses and Highlight Economic Impact of COVID-19
Shift4 Payments | March 26, 2020
ALLENTOWN, Pa. and LAS VEGAS — March 26, 2020 — Shift4 Payments, the leader in integrated payment processing solutions, has announced the launch of Shift4Cares.com, a round-the-clock online resource for government agencies, news outlets and businesses affected by COVID-19. The website offers a wealth of valuable information on the economic impact of this pandemic and is part of Shift4’s initiative to raise over $200 million for restaurants and other small businesses — including up to $10 million contributed directly from the company. Valuable Transaction Data Highlights Economic Impact of COVID-19 As the leading payment process...
U.S. Travel Reacts to Coronavirus Relief Package
The U.S. Travel Association | March 26, 2020
Washington (March 26, 2020)—The U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Roger Dow on Wednesday offered praise for the coronavirus relief package known as the CARES Act, which includes significant priorities championed by the travel industry. But Dow cautioned that there is still work to be done to protect the entirety of the 15.8 million American jobs supported by travel. "With this bipartisan deal, Washington is providing a vital lifeline to protect millions of travel workers and help businesses of all sizes keep their lights on through the worst of the health crisis," Dow said. "No legislative package was ever going to erase 10...
COVID-19: Employer Obligation for Safety, Paid Leave, Wage and Hour
Jonathan Yarbrough | March 26, 2020
By Jonathan Yarbrough The hotel industry is being hit particularly hard by COVID-19 with occupancy rates plummeting for those hotels open during this crisis. Some hotels that are open are operating with a skeleton crew – with exempt managers working alongside hourly employees to ensure that hotel operations run as smoothly as possible under the circumstances. Still, these operating hotels must take precautions to ensure that staff are as safe as possible during this pandemic, while complying with the various, and seemingly ever-changing, employment laws. Wage and Hour Laws and Workplace Safety While safety of employees is certainl...
AHLA Statement on Senate Passage of CARES Act
AHLA | March 26, 2020
WASHINGTON (March 26, 2020) – The following is a statement from Chip Rogers, AHLA president and CEO, on the Senate passage of the CARES Act. “The hotel industry applauds leaders in the Administration and Congress who are working around the clock during this unprecedented public health crisis, to ensure the health and well-being of our country and to pass a financial package that helps save the American worker and the industries that drive our economy, including the hotel industry. We are especially appreciative of Senate Majority Leader McConnell, Minority Leader Schumer, and Treasury Secretary Mnuchin for their leadership and driving ...
Boston & Cambridge Lodging Market: Coronavirus Causing Steep Demand Declines, Closures, Layoffs
Sebastian Colella | March 26, 2020
By Sebastian Colella As travel across the country and the world has all but stopped the last few weeks from the threat of COVID19, hotels across the country saw an unprecedented amount of cancellations. The Boston lodging market has been one the hardest hit markets in the United States with demand declining dramatically throughout most of March. Going into the year, owners and operators were worried about increases to supply, estimated at 3.8%, but looked forward to an approximate 25% increase in convention related roomnights and four additional citywides at the city’s two convention centers. Following a weak Q4 performance experienc...
Best Western® Hotels & Resorts Provides Much Needed Relief to Hoteliers
Best Western Hotels & Resorts | March 25, 2020
Phoenix, Arizona (March 25, 2020) – In the face of the biggest economic crisis the hotel industry has ever faced, Best Western Hotels & Resorts (BWHR) is taking steps to ease the financial burden for its hoteliers during this challenging time. Committed to its loyal BWHR family and understanding the tremendous hardship COVID-19 (Coronavirus) is having on its hoteliers, their employees and their families, BWHR’s Board of Directors and Executive Team have implemented unprecedented measures to afford its hotel owners (members) much-needed relief through May 2020. These measures include: Waiving one half (1/2) of Monthly Fees. ...
OYO Hotels & Homes Offers Free Stays to Medical Personnel Fighting the Spread of COVID-19
OYO Hotels & Homes | March 25, 2020
OYO Hotels & Homes is opening the doors to its hotels and offering free stays to doctors, nurses and other medical first responders who are helping in the fight against Coronavirus (Covid-19). Beginning March 24, medical first responders will receive free accommodations at any OYO Hotel in the United States so they can sleep, shower or just get off their feet and recharge. “All of us at OYO are grateful for the bravery and sacrifices all the medical personnel are making to save lives and stop the spread of Covid-19,” said Ritesh Agarwal, Founder and Group CEO, OYO Hotels & Homes. “Our hearts go out to all those impact...
Urgo Hotels Are On Call to Serve First Responders During COVID-19 Crisis
Urgo Hotels & Resorts | March 25, 2020
Bethesda, Md. – March 24, 2020 – With 30 hotels in the United States and Canada, Urgo Hotels and Resorts is standing by to assist first responders, including medical personnel, government officials, and others on the front line of the COVID-19 crisis. Individuals and organizations in need of overnight rooms, function space for staging, or food and beverage service can contact any Urgo hotel for assistance. “With hotels among the essential services approved to operate during the crisis, our hotels are available to facilitate short- and long-term needs that may arise due to the shifts in personnel and resources required to deal with th...
