HFTP® Acquires Leading Hospitality Industry Brands: Hospitality Upgrade, Hotel-Online, The CIO Summit and The Executive Vendor Summit
Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals | June 25, 2024
Industry Happenings
International Tourism Reached 97% of Pre-Pandemic Levels in the First Quarter of 2024
UN Tourism | May 21, 2024
International tourist arrivals reached 97% of pre-pandemic levels in the first quarter of 2024. According to UN Tourism, more than 285 million tourists traveled internationally in January-March, about 20% more than the first quarter of 2023, underscoring the sector’s near-complete recovery from the impacts of the pandemic. In 2023 international tourist arrivals recovered 89% of 2019 levels and export revenues from tourism 96%, while direct tourism GDP reached the same levels as in 2019. UN Tourism’s projection for 2024 points to a full recovery of international tourism with arrivals growing 2% above 2019 levels. In line with this, the...
Summer Travel Poll: 61% of Americans Likely To Travel for Leisure
AHLA | May 21, 2024
Inflation remains a significant obstacle to economic growth for the hotel industry WASHINGTON (May 21, 2024) – Sixty-one percent of Americans plan to travel overnight for leisure in the next four months and 34% of Americans expect to increase their overnight leisure travel this summer compared to last year, according to a new survey commissioned by the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) and conducted by Morning Consult. The poll found that 31% of Americans said they plan to increase their number of hotel stays this summer compared to last summer. Regarding business travel, 35% of Americans said they expect to take an ov...
HFTP Announces 2024 Inductees to the Hospitality Technology Hall of Fame: Floor Bleeker and Terence Ronson; Honored at HITEC 2024 Next Month
HFTP | May 21, 2024
The industry icons will be recognized for their influential roles in advancing hospitality technology in a special presentation on June 25, 2024. Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP®) is pleased to announce two champions of hospitality technology, Floor Bleeker and Terence Ronson, as the 2024 HFTP International Hospitality Technology Hall of Fame inductees, both recognized for their service in innovating hospitality in the EMEA and APAC regions respectively. Bleeker is Accor Group’s chief technology officer, leading and providing oversight of technology strategy for all of the group’s hospitality businesses around t...
Americans Expect to Spend a Record-Breaking $221 Billion on Summer Vacations This Year
Allianz Partners | May 20, 2024
Allianz Partners USA's 16th Annual Vacation Confidence Index Projects Americans' Travel Spend to Reach All-Time High This Summer RICHMOND, Va., May 20, 2024 - Americans continue to signal that travel is splurge-worthy and are again setting new records for vacation spending in 2024. For a second consecutive year, Allianz Partners USA's annual Vacation Confidence Index* found that Americans' total spend on summer vacations is expected to remain north of the $200 billion mark, this year exceeding $221.6 billion. According to the travel insurance and assistance provider, Americans have more than doubled their projected summer vacation...
Marriott International Celebrates the 2024 J. Willard Marriott Awards of Excellence Honorees
Marriott International | May 16, 2024
Annual ceremony honors Marriott associates for exemplary achievements and outstanding service to communities, guests and each other Marriott International is proud to celebrate the winners of the 2024 J. Willard Marriott Awards of Excellence at the company’s annual ceremony, which brought together associates from around the world. Established in 1987 and named after Marriott’s founder, the J. Willard Marriott Awards of Excellence honors the company’s finest associates who are recognized for their achievements, service mindset, and commitment to excellence. At the awards ceremony, the 10 individual winners, three Marriott properties ...
Cvent Announces Top Meeting Destinations and Hotels Worldwide for 2024
Cvent | May 15, 2024
The industry-acclaimed annual rankings recognize the top-performing hotels for group business, as well as the world’s most coveted meeting and event destinations TYSONS CORNER, VA & Frankfurt, DE – May 15, 2024 – Cvent, an industry-leading meetings, events, and hospitality technology provider, today announced its lists of the Top Meeting Destinations and Top Meeting Hotels worldwide. These annual lists – which are issued regionally for North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Middle East & Africa – are informed by sourcing activity through the Cvent Supplier Network, one of the world’s largest venue-sourci...
Travel Leaders Share Impact of IPW on International Inbound
U.S. Travel Association | May 14, 2024
Last week, U.S. Travel welcomed 5,700 attendees, including 2,000 international buyers and media from nearly 70 countries—an impressive 20% increase from last year––to IPW in Los Angeles. Each IPW not only cultivates valuable connections and knowledge-sharing but also serves as an economic catalyst, driving over $5.5 billion in future travel to the U.S. by spotlighting the very best of what our country has to offer. There is a decade of opportunity ahead as the United States prepares to welcome millions of new travelers to major events in destinations nationwide, such as Copa America this summer, the FIFA World Cup games and Americ...
Tripadvisor Predicts Busy Summer Travel Season for Americans; An Increasing Desire for Adventure
Tripadvisor, Inc. | May 14, 2024
NEEDHAM, Mass., May 14, 2024 -- Americans and travelers around the world continue to place a high priority on summer vacations, according to the annual Summer Travel Index released today by Tripadvisor, the world's largest travel guidance platform. In fact, 95 percent of respondents are planning to travel as much (51%) or more (44%) than last summer, despite some concern about economic headwinds. Whatsmore, over a quarter (26%) of Americans are planning to spend $5,000 or more on their getaways. Tripadvisor's Summer Travel Index also highlights the top summer destinations for 2024, with Las Vegas claiming the top spot for US domestic ...
New Jersey Franchise Bill Takes Dangerous Step Forward, Despite Significant Concerns Expressed by Majority of Committee
AHLA | May 14, 2024
WASHINGTON (May 13, 2024) – American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) Interim President & CEO Kevin Carey released the following statement today after a committee in the New Jersey Assembly approved A3495, a bill that would destroy the hotel industry in the state. The bill is still being considered in the state Assembly, and similar legislation (S2336) is pending in the state Senate. “If A3495 and S2336 become law, they will lower hotels’ quality, service, and safety standards and drive many brand-name hotels out of the state. On behalf of New Jersey’s more than 45,000 hotel employees, we urge lawmakers to rethink th...
UN Tourism Launches Second Edition of Women in Tech Startup Competition: Middle East
UN Tourism | May 9, 2024
UN Tourism has launched the second edition of its Women in Tech Startup Competition: Middle East. The initiative aims to highlight and support women entrepreneurs who are shaping the future of sustainable tourism and technology across the region. Applications now Open The competition targets startups that are led by women and based in the Middle East. Enterprises must be operating within the tourism sector and related industries, and offer sustainable solutions for people, the planet, and prosperity. They must also be an entrepreneurial project at an early stage, idea stage, or Series A stage of their journey. Applications are open for th...
Choice Hotels International Concludes 68th Annual Convention, One of Its Largest Ever
Choice Hotels | May 9, 2024
Highlights included the relaunch of Park Inn by Radisson, the reintroduction of the SOAR program to create hotel ownership opportunities for underrepresented entrepreneurs, and awards for top hotels NORTH BETHESDA, Md., May 9, 2024 -- Last week, Choice Hotels International (NYSE: CHH) concluded its 68th Annual Convention in Las Vegas, NV, one of the largest to date. Over the course of three days, Choice provided owners and operators with a roadmap on how together they will capitalize on their competitive position to capture the growing demand for travel. Choice announced the relaunch of Park Inn by Radisson and its strategic reposit...
At U.S. Travel’s IPW, Leaders Say Government Must Increase Focus to Achieve Travel Growth
U.S. Travel Association | May 7, 2024
LOS ANGELES - At U.S. Travel’s IPW – the largest generator of international inbound travel to the United States – association President and CEO Geoff Freeman shared a vision to make travel a national priority, solve barriers to visitation growth, and become the most-visited nation in the world. “It should be our national goal to be nothing short of number one in terms of visitor arrivals, visitor spend and visitor experience,” Freeman said. “But our ambitions are constrained by excessively long wait times for visitor visas, often-lengthy waits at customs, and an air traffic control system that is challenged to meet demand. A...
The American Privacy Rights Act – What Does It Mean for Hotel Companies?
Bob Braun | May 6, 2024
By Robert Braun On April 7, 2024, the United States House Committee on Energy and Commerce released the American Privacy Rights Act (APRA). While every Congress for more than a decade has introduced multiple proposals to address privacy rights on a national scale, none have gained traction, and while there’s every reason to suspect that the APRA will meet the same fate – headwinds are coming from the states that have already adopted comprehensive privacy statutes, and it is notoriously difficult to adopt legislation in an election year, and especially now), the APRA is being taken seriously, and might be the basis for a long-awaited, a...
Hawai‘i Passes Landmark Legislation to Rein In Illegal Short-Term Rentals, Help Keep Housing Affordable for Aloha State Residents
AHLA | May 6, 2024
Law ensures local control over lodging taxes and regulations WASHINGTON (May 6, 2024) – Hawai‘i Gov. Josh Green today signed into law landmark legislation (SB 2919) that grants local governments the power to regulate short-term rentals to meet the needs of their communities. This legislation will give localities the power to rein in short-term rentals that have taken over local communities and bring back affordable housing for hotel employees and other Hawai‘i residents. The law ensures Hawai‘i counties have the authority to tax and regulate short-term rentals by the same standards as hotels, designate them as a non-residential ...
AHLA Statement on Presidential Veto of Legislation to Overturn Joint-Employer Rule
AHLA | May 6, 2024
WASHINGTON (May 6, 2024) – American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) Interim President & CEO Kevin Carey released the following statement after President Biden vetoed legislation that would have overturned the National Labor Relations Board’s (NLRB) dangerous joint-employer rule: “We’re disappointed the president vetoed this bill and ignored the serious concerns of AHLA’s 30,000-plus members, the courts, and Democrats and Republicans in Congress,” said AHLA Interim President & CEO Kevin Carey. “Thankfully, a federal court has already intervened and is blocking the administration from implementing its job-kil...
AHLA Workforce Report: Hotels Add 1,200 Jobs in April
AHLA | May 6, 2024
WASHINGTON (May 6, 2024) – U.S. hotels added 1,200 jobs to their payrolls in April, according to the latest government data that shows employment in the industry is still far from pre-pandemic levels. Total hotel employment stands at about 1.92 million, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s 193,600 fewer workers in the industry than in February 2020, just before the pandemic hit. “Hotels are doing all they can to attract and retain workers, but the nationwide workforce shortage is preventing our industry from reaching its full potential,” said AHLA Interim President & CEO Kevin Carey. “AHLA members need...
AAHOA Engages Arkansas Insurance Commissioner to Tackle Insurance Challenges Facing Hoteliers
AAHOA | May 6, 2024
Little Rock, Ar., May 6 – AAHOA (Asian American Hotel Owners Association) recently hosted a Hospitality Insurance Forum with leaders in Arkansas to address the industry's significant insurance challenges plaguing hoteliers. The forum centered on developing creative strategies to alleviate the burden of insurance premiums, facilitating greater access to insurance resources, and fostering an environment of increased accessibility. To advocate for the interests of its diverse membership base, AAHOA assembled more than 30 hoteliers, all of whom were lifetime members of the association, to provide critical insights and challenges that small b...
AHLA Foundation Hosts Annual ForWard Conference to Advance Women in Hospitality
AHLA Foundation | May 2, 2024
2024 event boasted record attendance CHICAGO (May 2, 2024) – AHLA Foundation hosted nearly 1,000 attendees from across the hotel industry at the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place for the annual ForWard conference this week. Over three days, industry leaders gathered to share knowledge and hear from dynamic speakers focused on celebrating, championing, and creating community for women in hospitality. This year’s conference theme, “Right the Narrative,” centered on the power of storytelling and the importance of amplifying the stories and voices of women in the hotel industry. Keynote speakers during the two-day conference...
2024 ISHC Young Leader Award Presented to Briana Swift at IHIF
ISHC | May 2, 2024
May 2024 - The International Society of Hospitality Consultants (ISHC) in partnership with the International Hospitality Investment Forum (IHIF) presented the prestigious ISHC Young Leader Award to Briana Swift, Regional Vice President of Development - Northern Europe, Hyatt. Swift joined Hyatt in February 2017 and now acts as Regional Vice President of Development for Northern Europe. With 10 years’ experience in hospitality, Briana is responsible for the growth of Hyatt’s brands throughout DACH, the Nordics and Benelux; her responsibilities span deal sourcing, negotiations, development strategy and portfolio retention. Prior to her...
Rising Star Award Caribbean Presented to Brittany Brathwaite at CHRIS
ISHC | May 2, 2024
Miami, Florida – May 2, 2024 - The International Society of Hospitality Consultants (ISHC) in partnership with Caribbean Hotel & Resort Investment Summit (CHRIS) presented Brittany Brathwaite, Chief People and Development Strategist, Ocean Hotels Group Barbados & Chickmont Foods Ltd, with the prestigious Rising Star Award Caribbean. Brittany Brathwaite is a Regional Labour Policy Advisor; Strategic Human Resources Practitioner and serves as Chief People and Development Strategist with the Ocean Hotels Group in Barbados. She joined the Ocean Hotels group in 2019 and has remained committed to her foundational principles of adding v...
Hoteliers, Integration Partners Applaud Maestro PMS’s Innovative, All-In-One Technology
Maestro PMS | May 1, 2024
NEW tools take center stage at the company’s largest Users’ Conference on record, including embedded payments, learning management, client incentives and more Markham, Ontario, May 1, 2024 — Independent hoteliers gathered in Toronto last month to attend “Accelerate 2024”, a user’s conference hosted by Maestro PMS, the preferred Web Browser based cloud and on-premises all-in-one PMS solution for hotels. Shattering past attendance records, hotel operators and technology sponsors said the event exceeded their expectations. Ideas were exchanged, alliances built, and NEW tools and mobile enhancements introduced to set everyone in ...
Business Travel Professionals Show Optimism, Commitment in Their Career Outlook for 2024, According to Latest GBTA Poll
GBTA | April 30, 2024
Business Travel Professionals Show Optimism, Commitment in Their Career Outlook for 2024, According to Latest GBTA Poll Work life balance, contentment and industry opportunity in their roles fuel loyalty Global travel buyers and suppliers also report continued knowledge gaps, desire for clarity and implementation challenges related to New Distribution Capability As the business travel industry continues to show strong indicators toward reaching a spending forecast of $1.5 trillion USD in 2024, the latest sentiment poll released today from the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) reveals an industry workforce of experienced,...
Choice Hotels International Hosts “SOAR” Seminar to Attract, Mentor and Educate Historically Underrepresented Groups on Their Path to Hote
Choice Hotels® | April 30, 2024
Industry's first and only dedicated development team focused on creating a more inclusive hospitality industry reintroduces program with a new name and hosts second annual HERtels luncheon NORTH BETHESDA, Md., April 30, 2024 -- Ahead of its 68th Annual Convention in Las Vegas, Nevada, Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH), one of the world's largest lodging franchisors, hosted its SOAR (Supporting Ownership Access & Representation) development seminar to reintroduce its program to create hotel ownership opportunities for underrepresented entrepreneurs. During the seminar, Choice reaffirmed its more than twenty-year commitmen...
Minor Hotels Unifies Global Corporate Identity With NH Hotel Group Rebranded to Minor Hotels Europe & Americas
Minor Hotels | April 29, 2024
Bangkok, April 29, 2024 – NH Hotel Group, part of Minor Hotels, will now operate as Minor Hotels Europe & Americas following a vote by NH Hotel Group’s shareholders to change the company’s registered name at its Annual General Meeting held last Friday. By adopting the Minor Hotels Europe & Americas name, NH Hotel Group strengthens its integration with Minor Hotels. This fosters a single, recognisable corporate identity for stakeholders, accelerating Minor Hotels' global growth. Moreover, this strategic move strengthens the global commercial and operational structure, benefiting industry professionals, customers, and shareh...
