Quoting Higher Rates and Overcoming Objections Regarding Rate/Availability Restrictions
Doug Kennedy | February 6, 2024
Education
Phuket Hotels Association Empowers Thai Hospitality Executives With Third Cornell University Scholarship
June 8, 2023
PHUKET, THAILAND: The Phuket Hotels Association, a non-profit organisation representing 88 of the island’s top hotels and resorts, is delighted to announce the latest recipient of its scholarship for talented Thai hospitality executives, as part of its long-term strategy to elevate hotel leadership in Phuket. Under a collaboration between Phuket Hotels Association and Cornell University, one highly promising team member from a hotel or resort in Phuket is offered a scholarship to Cornell’s annual General Managers Program (GMP). This year’s scholarship has been generously donated and fully funded by Mr. William Heinecke, Founder &...
Re-Imagining Hotel Marketing: Unlocking New Revenue Streams With Next-Gen Technologies
Dr. Anil Bilgihan, Ph.D. | June 7, 2023
This article was co-authored by Peter Ricci. Dr. Ricci is the Director of the Hospitality and Tourism Management program at Florida Atlantic University (FAU). By Dr. Anil Bilgihan, Ph.D. - Associate Professor at Florida Atlantic University, College of Business As the hospitality industry becomes more competitive, the role of the sales and marketing department has never been more crucial. Add in the ever-improving sophistication of revenue optimization and you truly have a fast-moving evolution of the overall sales, marketing, and revenue process. Through the development of innovative programs to increase occupancy and make profitabl...
Nostalgia-Motivated Tourism Through Virtual Trips
PolyU School of Hotel and Tourism Management | May 17, 2023
Virtual trips are destination “teasers” and a valuable way to attract new tourists. But what about returning tourists? Timely new research by Dr Hyejo Hailey Shin of the School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and a co-author offers an in-depth look at which elements of virtual trips are the most essential, and how these can be used to encourage returning tourists’ behavioural intentions via immersion and nostalgia. Intriguingly, stirring the emotions and nostalgia of returning tourists can boost their intention to revisit a destination, visit a similar destination and speak positively about...
Questex to Assume Management Control of the NYU International Hospitality Industry Investment Conference Following June 2023 Event
NYU SPS Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality | May 16, 2023
NEW YORK, May 16, 2023-- Questex, a leading information services and event company, today announces it has agreed to assume management control of the NYU International Hospitality Industry Investment Conference from the NYU School of Professional Studies (NYU SPS) starting with the 2024 edition. This strategy fits perfectly with Questex’s initiative to build on its leading position in the operational real estate and hospitality marketplace, enhancing its powerful global hospitality portfolio. The amount of the transaction was not disclosed. The NYU International Hospitality Industry Investment Conference, whose 45th annual conferenc...
IDeaS Announces the Fabian Specht Future Revenue Innovator Scholarship Winners
IDeaS | May 10, 2023
EHL Hospitality Business School and IDeaS award scholarships in honor of Fabian Specht LONDON—May 10, 2023— IDeaS, a SAS company, the world’s leading provider of hospitality revenue management software and services, announced today the winners of the Fabian Specht Future Revenue Innovator Scholarship. The scholarships have been awarded to two international EHL students pursuing a hospitality management education, JeongHoo Lee and Alexandre Martin. In addition to their studies, both students are working towards career development. Lee, is a Gold Student Ambassador, a marketing and recruitment student assistant in APAC for EHL, ...
UH Study Finds Luxury Shoppers Opting for High-End Experiences Over Goods
The University of Houston | May 5, 2023
HOUSTON, May 5, 2023 – In an ever-evolving, post-pandemic world, more and more consumers of luxury goods are opting for unplanned, high-end experiences instead, according to researchers at the University of Houston Conrad N. Hilton College of Global Hospitality Leadership. In a new study published in the Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Research, Minjing Shin, an assistant professor at Hilton College, and her colleagues at Hong Kong Polytechnic University, suggest unplanned purchases of luxury experiences increase positive emotions and a sense of escapism. Hospitality experts define escapism as an intense experience that allows indivi...
How Sustainability in Hospitality Drives Growing Demand for Professionals
Jürgen Walch | May 3, 2023
By Jürgen Walch 5 career opportunities for sustainable hospitality professionals 1. Sustainability Coordinator One of the most obvious career paths for graduates with a degree in Sustainable Management is that of a sustainability coordinator. These professionals are responsible for creating and implementing sustainable initiatives within hotels, resorts, and other hospitality businesses. They may work with other departments to develop plans for reducing energy and water consumption, minimizing waste, and promoting eco-friendly practices. Sustainability coordinators must be knowledgeable about sustainable technologies and practices ...
The Best Languages to Learn for Business and the Hospitality Industry
Beata Lobertréau | April 25, 2023
By Beata Lobertréau Improving your employability with in-demand languages The hospitality industry, a sector with a wide range of business facets driven by serving an international clientele, needs employees who are multilingual and conscious of multiculturalism. Possessing more than one language skill makes you more marketable. Being more culturally appropriate and responsive is a great advantage when dealing with international clients. In the job market, multilingual hospitality workers are in demand; multilingual candidates may be offered job opportunities that are not open to others. Besides the top language, which is still...
Top 5 Most In-Demand Soft Skills of 2023
EHL Insights | April 13, 2023
Today, more global organizations like Google, Apple, IBM and Facebook are no longer emphasizing the need for specific titles or experience and instead are shifting towards a focus on skills when considering candidates for a job. According to research by LinkedIn, the skills companies need most are determined by looking at skills that are most sought after based on six months of data (April to October 2022) from employers, hirers, and job-posters on LinkedIn. Demand is measured by identifying skills possessed by members who were hired or InMailed, as well as the skills listed in paid job postings. The results showed that employers are look...
Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants Opens The Forum Hotel on The University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business Grounds
IHG Hotels & Resorts | April 13, 2023
Kimpton The Forum Hotel, the IHG Hotels & Resorts luxury and lifestyle brand’s first on-campus property, opens its doors today on the Grounds of the renowned University of Virginia Darden School of Business. As reflected in its name, the 198-room boutique hotel is a gathering place where food, drink, entertainment, conversation, education, reflection, and more can be shared by all in a vibrant setting. Anchoring the on-property dining are Birch & Bloom, a modern steakhouse with regional influences, and The Good Sport, a neighborhood craft beer bar with brews and familiar bar fare. Kelly Brown, General Manager of The Forum Ho...
The Pennsylvania State University’s Emma Carlson and Kara Booth Win 2022 Hospitality Asset Managers Association (HAMA) Student Case Competition
HAMA | April 13, 2023
Students Provided Insights Into “After Effects of COVID-19: Labor Challenges" STATE COLLEGE, Pa., April 13, 2023—Officials of the Hospitality Asset Managers Association (“HAMA”) today announced that the 4th year students Emma Carlson and Kara Booth of The Pennsylvania State University were selected as the 2022 winners of the Seventeenth Annual HAMA Student Case Competition. The PSU team was chosen from a select field of top hotel schools. Student teams researched and prepared a case study from a list of topics that currently impact the hotel industry, including: Inflation and the rising cost of labor and raw materials ...
Doug Kennedy Announces Next Topic in His Webcast Training Series: Five Reservations Sales Questions Your Team Should Be Asking Today’s Pre-Infor
Doug Kennedy | April 4, 2023
Complimentary Registration Sponsored By Travel Outlook, Better Talent, and Track Hospitality Software Kennedy Training Network Inc. (KTN) announced today that the topic for his next training webcast is: Five Reservations Sales Questions Your Team Should Be Asking Today’s Pre-Informed Callers, scheduled for April 17 from Noon – 12:40 pm. REGISTER HERE According to Doug, “These days, most reservations inquiries are often disguised as ‘I just have a quick question about…’ Rather than just answering simple questions, and thus sending callers back online to book – possibly at an OTA – these questions help your team engage ca...
HSMAI Foundation Announces Winners of the Global Collegiate Marketing Case Competition
The HSMAI Foundation | April 3, 2023
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: McLean, VA (April 3, 2023) – Following the first ever Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) Foundation Global Collegiate Marketing Case Competition between elite undergraduate and graduate universities, the Foundation announces the winners, Republic Polytechnic (undergraduate) and Purdue University (graduate). Following three years of pandemic-related travel disruptions, the competition’s “Recovery and Revival” theme focused on encouraging new perspectives on the issues, trends and opportunities that are relevant to the resurgence and development of the global hospitality industr...
Are Robots Stealing Jobs?
Linchi Kwok | March 30, 2023
By Linchi Kwok Forget about the old days of “people serving people.” More restaurants and hotels are now using robotic cooks, delivery robots, self-serving kiosks, Chatbots, and other AI-empowered machines in service operations. Some businesses must rely on machines to address the labor shortage issue. Others count on machines to deliver faster and more consistent service. Moreover, many consumers have become used to automatic self-services during the pandemic. It is not surprising to see robots taking over more service jobs. What is the latest robotic “thing” that deems to take over even more human jobs? That is ChatGPT (Ch...
In Memoriam: A Tribute to Howard Feiertag, HTM Industry Giant, Educator and Mentor
March 8, 2023
Dear Feiertag Hospitality and Tourism Management students, alumni and friends, With heavy hearts we are sharing with you the sad news: Howard Feiertag, namesake of our program, HTM industry giant, long-serving faculty member, and a kind, generous, charming human being, passed away on March 3, 2023 at the age of 94. Howard amassed over thirty years of experience in virtually every area of the industry including hotel operations, food and beverage, sales and marketing, and meetings and convention management. He led hundreds of extremely popular professional development sessions at major hospitality and tourism conferences. In 1989, it was...
University of Houston Hilton College of Global Hospitality Leadership Unveils Long-Awaited Expansion & Renovation
The University of Houston | March 7, 2023
HOUSTON, March 7, 2023 – As dean of the University of Houston Hilton College of Global Hospitality Leadership, Dennis Reynolds has no time for complacency. Whether it is implementing the latest technology or green-lighting industry-leading research, Reynolds is always trying push his program, which ranks among the top hospitality programs anywhere in the world, to even greater heights. And what better way for Reynolds, and Hilton College, to reach those greater heights and show that the sky really is the limit, than with a new, glistening eight-story tower at the Hilton University of Houston hotel. “We are truly ushering in a new ...
Kennedy Training Network Announces Monthly Webcast Training Series
Kennedy Training Network | February 27, 2023
Complimentary Registration Courtesy of Travel Outlook, Better Talent, and Track Hospitality Software Kennedy Training Network Inc. (KTN) just announced the launch of a monthly series of live webcast training events focusing on topics related to hospitality excellence, reservations, and sales. Webcasts, which will be presented personally by KTN President Doug Kennedy, will run 30 minutes in duration. Those who register but cannot attend will receive a link to view the recordings. Doug will draw content from all KTN hospitality, reservations, and sales training programs, and will also feature the latest training concepts from his monthly...
Hotel Lawyer: Court Nixes California Ban on Mandatory Employment Arbibration
Jim Butler | February 24, 2023
By Jim Butler and the Global Hospitality Group Hotel Lawyers | Authors of www.HotelLawBlog.com A three-judge panel of the Ninth Circuit held on February 15, 2023, that the Federal Arbitration Act preempts a California law designed to prevent employers from requiring workers to sign mandatory arbitration agreements. This decision is consistent with a long line of State and Federal cases, and is expected to have a significant impact on employment practices in the state, including hotels and everyone in the hospitality industry. Appeals court blocks California bar on mandatory arbitration for workers by JMBM’s Labor & Employment Gro...
Investment in Young People Is the Future of Tourism
February 23, 2023
Says Sandals Executive Chairman Adam Stewart at the Global Tourism Resilience Conference MONTEGO BAY, JAMAICA, February 23, 2023 – Speaking at the inaugural Global Tourism Resilience Conference at the University of the West Indies (UWI) this weekend, Sandals Resorts International Executive Chairman Adam Stewart called on destinations and members of the hospitality community to invest in young people because the future of tourism depends upon it. “We have faced and triumphed over what was arguably the most challenging moment the global travel and hospitality industry has ever faced, but as we look to the future, it is not pandemic but a...
HSMAI Foundation Announces Members of 2023 Board of Directors
HSMAI Foundation | February 21, 2023
McLean, VA (Feb. 21, 2023) The Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) Foundation is proud to announce the members of its 2023 Board of Directors. HSMAI Foundation leaders have a passion for helping solve the sales, marketing, and revenue talent challenges being faced by many hotel and hospitality companies. The board is composed of senior travel and hospitality executives, led by chair, Michelle Woodley, President, Preferred Travel Group, who is in her second year of a two-year term. “I’m excited to champion another year of initiatives that help to attract, develop, and engage diverse talent in our industry” ...
Getting Back on Track: Service Recovery in a Networked World
PolyU’s School of Hotel and Tourism Management | February 21, 2023
In today’s travel and events industries, multiple service providers work together to shape unique, complex and multidimensional customer experiences. However, such connectedness can come at a cost. Within a network or ecosystem of service providers, a single service failure can have cascading effects on all stakeholders. Yet we still know little about the optimal strategies for service recovery in such networked contexts. Filling this gap in the literature, Dr Karin Weber and Professor Cathy Hsu of the School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University shed light on how customers perceive and react to serv...
Implementing Sustainability Training Sessions for Hotel Personnel
Dr Peter Varga | February 17, 2023
By Dr. Peter Varga, Julneth Rogenhofer What can be gained by offering your operational staff a course that explains the theory and foundation of your hotel's sustainability agenda? The answer: many things! From engagement to concrete KPIs, implementing sustainability training sessions for hotel personnel can help move hotel businesses from just focussing on the single bottom line. Becoming more sustainable means going beyond the single bottom line Since the declaration of the Brundtland Report in 1987 and John Elkington’s Triple Bottom Line framework in 1994 (figure on the right), heaps of research and business articles...
Penn State School of Hospitality Management Research Shows Results Mixed On Whether Corporate Social Efforts Help Improve Company Finances
Penn State’s School of Hospitality Management | February 16, 2023
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA – The modern practice of corporate social responsibility (CSR) started to emerge in the 1950s when the public began to expect companies to ‘give something back,’ according to Seoki Lee, associate professor of hospitality management at Penn State. In the early 20th century, this typically took the form of financial donations to independent charitable causes that were often the first thing cut from budgets when corporate profits dipped. Today, CSR often involves long-term, corporation-led efforts to address socioeconomic, social justice and/or environmental issues. Despite the long history and continued evolution of...
New, Flexible Graduate Degree in Hospitality Management at Penn State
The Penn State’s School of Hospitality Management | February 13, 2023
The Penn State School of Hospitality Management announces the launch of its one-of-a-kind professional master's degree in hospitality management. University Park, PA – The Penn State School of Hospitality Management has launched a one-of-a-kind graduate degree program in hospitality management designed specifically for hospitality industry professionals. The school’s new Master of Professional Studies (MPS) in Hospitality Management (HM), slated to begin in August 2023, offers an exceptional and focused curriculum delivered by world-class faculty through online and in-resident course offerings. The MPS in HM program blends flexib...
