HFTP® Acquires Leading Hospitality Industry Brands: Hospitality Upgrade, Hotel-Online, The CIO Summit and The Executive Vendor Summit
Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals | June 25th, 2024
76% of Surveyed Hotels Report Staffing Shortages
AHLA | June 10, 2024
Hotels on hiring spree with higher wages, better benefits, more flexibility WASHINGTON (June 10, 2024) – More than three-quarters of surveyed hotels are experiencing a staffing shortage, and hotels are increasing pay, benefits, and perks to recruit and retain employees, according to a May survey of hoteliers conducted by the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA). Over the last six months, 86% of respondents have increased wages, 52% have offered greater flexibility with hours, and 33% have expanded benefits to cope with the nationwide workforce shortage. Nonetheless, 79% say they are still unable to fill open positions. ...
AHLA Workforce Report: Hotels Add 700 Jobs in May
AHLA | June 10, 2024
Hotels more than 190,000 jobs short of pre-pandemic levels amid economy-wide labor shortage WASHINGTON (June 10, 2024) – U.S. hotels added 700 jobs to their payrolls in May, according to the latest government data that shows the nationwide workforce shortage continues to make it difficult for hotels to fill open jobs. Total hotel employment stands at about 1.92 million, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s 191,500 fewer workers in the industry than in February 2020, just before the pandemic hit, a shortfall that reflects the scarcity of available employees since then. “Hotels are ready to grow and create more...
New Labor Challenges Arise in 2023
Robert Mandelbaum | June 6, 2024
By Robert Mandelbaum, Andrea Grigg The scarcity of employees has long been the primary labor concern for U.S. hoteliers, even before the onset of the COVD-19 pandemic. Historically, jobs in the lodging industry have had a negative perception as being too physically demanding, requiring too long of hours, and requiring work on weekends and holidays. The shortage of personnel was exaggerated during 2021 and 2022 as many of the employees that were laid off during the pandemic in 2020 opted not to return to the industry. The difficulty of attracting workers to fill line-level positions within hotels lessened somewhat in 2023. Reductions in ...
It’s Never Been Better for Investment in the Hotel Technology Industry
Frank Wolfe | June 5, 2024
By Frank Wolfe Just as the hospitality industry evolves, so too must the format of its conventions, especially one as influential to the hospitality industry as HITEC. This year, the senior team at HFTP has expanded the tradeshow’s depth and impact with the inaugural HITEC Technology Investment Conference, taking place immediately after the main event on Thursday, June 27 and Friday, June 29. While it’s been in the making for a long time, we couldn’t have hoped for a better year to debut this addition. Why is 2024 particularly ripe for investment in this sector? Needless as it may be to the mention at this point, the pandemic acce...
University of Houston Conrad N. Hilton College of Global Hospitality Leadership To Launch Online Bachelor of Science and Doctorate at HITEC 2024
HFTP | June 4, 2024
The University of Houston Conrad N. Hilton College of Global Hospitality Leadership, one of the world’s leaders in hospitality and tourism education, announced today that it will sponsor and exhibit at the Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition and Conference (HITEC) 2024, the world's largest and most influential hospitality technology event. The College will use this opportunity to launch its online Bachelor of Science in Global Hospitality Leadership and online Doctorate in Global Hospitality Leadership. These new additions align well with the existing online Executive Master of Hospitality Management. The online BS degree serves a...
HSMAI Global Launches Certified Hotel Sales Leader (CHSL) Certification
HSMAI Global | June 4, 2024
McLean, VA (June 4, 2024) – The Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) Global is proud to announce the launch of its Certified Hotel Sales Leader (CHSL) certification. This new program is designed to recognize the expertise of hotel sales leaders, emphasizing the most up-to-date sales and commercial principles, practices, and strategies. The CHSL certification is tailored for hospitality sales leaders who are proficient in leading high-performing teams, demonstrating overall commercial acumen, applying best practices in hotel sales to drive revenue growth, and more. The certification covers a wide range of top...
“Travel Works for America” Roadshow Visits Charlotte, North Carolina
U.S. Travel Association | June 4, 2024
U.S. Senator Ted Budd headlines anchor event joined by U.S. Travel and local and state leaders to highlight the essential contributions of travel industry WASHINGTON (June 3, 2024)—The U.S. Travel Association’s “Travel Works for America” Roadshow arrived in Charlotte on May 29-30, bringing a message of travel’s value to the success of North Carolina and the nation. U.S. Travel’s roadshow tour spotlights how travel powers nearly every industry and community across America. An anchor event, held on Thursday at the Charlotte Convention Center, included remarks by United States Senator Ted Budd, a member of the Senate Committee on...
Maestro Cloud & On Premises All-In-One PMS Showcasing Game Changing Innovations for Independents at HITEC
Maestro PMS | June 4, 2024
As a 20-year platinum sponsor of the hospitality industry’s premier technology tradeshow, the hotel industry’s preferred provider of property-management solutions for independent hotels will be available at Booth 1844 June 24 to 27 MARKHAM, Ontario, June 4, 2024 — Maestro PMS, the hotel industry’s leading Web Browser based cloud and on-premises all-in-one property-management system, will showcase the latest enhancements to its industry-defining technology at the upcoming HITEC 2024 event in Charlotte, N.C. Updated mobile functionality, enhancements to payment processing tools, and more will be on display at Booth 1844 at the Charl...
HSMAI Americas Announces 2024 Marketing and Revenue Optimization Honorees
HSMAI | May 30, 2024
McLean, VA (May 30, 2024) – The Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) Americas is proud to introduce the 2024 Marketing and Revenue Optimization award recipients who will be celebrated during HSMAI’s Commercial Strategy Conference. HSMAI will honor Dr. Kelly McGuire, managing principal of hospitality at ZS Associates, with the prestigious Vanguard Award for Achievement in Revenue Optimization. Scott Dahl, senior vice president of sales, marketing, and revenue management at Wurzak Hotel Group, and Taylor Baca, CRME, CHDM, corporate director of revenue management at Balboa Bay Resort & Club, will be pr...
Famed Chef, Restaurateur and Humanitarian José Andrés Announced as Keynote Session for The Hospitality Show 2024
The Hospitality Show | May 30, 2024
Join us in San Antonio at the Henry B. González Convention Center Oct. 28-30, 2024. Apply for media credentials here. NEW YORK - Internationally recognized culinary innovator, author, educator and humanitarian José Andrés has been announced as the opening keynote session speaker for the second iteration of The Hospitality Show, produced by Questex and the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA). Additional speakers and programming updates will be announced in the coming months. In this lively discussion on Monday, Oct. 28, titled “Changing the World Through the Power of Food,” Andrés will share his passion for aff...
AAHOA Welcomes Memorial Day Travel Reports; Looks Forward to Strong Summer
AAHOA | May 29, 2024
ATLANTA, GA, May 29—AAHOA (Asian American Hotel Owners Association) welcomes the good news about the record highway and air travel numbers set over Memorial Day weekend and is optimistic about the tone it sets for summer travel. "With the summer travel season underway, the numbers from Memorial Day weekend travel, considered the kickoff to summer, indicate great things for America's hotel industry during the upcoming summer months," AAHOA Chairman Miraj S. Patel said. The Transportation Security Agency (TSA) reported a staggering 2.95 million travelers were screened at U.S. airports on Friday, May 24, surpassing a previous record ...
Patricia Affonso-Dass of Ocean Hotels Group in Barbados Named Caribbean Hotelier of the Year
Ocean Hotels Group, Barbados | May 28, 2024
Affonso-Dass accepts Caribbean Hotelier of the Year award at Caribbean Travel Marketplace in Montego Bay, Jamaica Saint Lawrence Gap, Barbados – May 28, 2024 – Patricia Affonso-Dass, CEO/Group General Manager General Manager of Ocean Hotels Group in Barbados, was named the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association’s (CHTA) Hotelier of the Year. Affonso-Dass was announced the winner at the CHTA 2024 Caribbean Travel Marketplace in Montego Bay, Jamaica on May 21, 2024. “I consider myself immensely fortunate and blessed to have been awarded this honor,” said Affonso-Dass. “I have been privileged to know many of the past recipients,...
Rising Star Award Presented to Brittany Brathwaite From Ocean Hotels Barbados at Caribbean Hotel & Resort Investment Summit
Ocean Hotels Barbados | May 28, 2024
Saint Lawrence Gap, Barbados – May 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 of Ocean Hotels Group Barbados & Chickmont Foods Ltd, with the prestigious Rising Star Award Caribbean. “I’m truly humbled to be the recipient of the 2024 Rising Star Award – Caribbean,” said Brathwaite. “At my core, I’m driven by the ethos of adding value, through my efforts, to every space I occupy. To have those efforts recognized by the Caribbean’s top tourism leaders is...
Hospitality in the Time of COVID-19
School of Hotel and Tourism Management | May 28, 2024
Hospitality employees’ stress levels during the COVID-19 pandemic and their later career trajectories may depend on both their experiences in the workplace and personal traits, according to Dr Wei-Jue Huang of the School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and co-authors. Hospitality work is demanding, and the pandemic and associated economic crisis may have led hospitality workers to reconsider their career trajectories. Through direct interviews with current and former employees in the U.S. hospitality industry, the researchers explored how workplace experiences during the pandemic affected these...
Taking the “Swift Lift” Overseas
U.S. Travel Association | May 24, 2024
By Joshua Friedlander This summer, millions of Americans will travel to Europe, many to visit historical cities and one-of-a-kind beaches like Sitges, Biarritz, Tropea and Mykonos. But in Europe this year there is another one-of-a-kind attraction drawing travelers from the States in record numbers—the European leg of Taylor Swift’s “Eras” tour. Taylor's record-setting concerts across the U.S. in 2023 made fans and economists alike rethink the impact an artist can have on a city or region. With ticket prices regularly reaching 4-digit levels, and fans traveling distances reminiscent of festivals like Coachella, the economic impac...
HSMAI Foundation Releases Special Report on The Transformational Power of ‘Commercial’
the HSMAI Foundation | May 24, 2024
McLean, VA (May 24, 2024) – The Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) Foundation has released a special report, “From Solos to Symphony. The Transformational Power of ‘Commercial’,” which outlines the findings of the HSMAI Foundation’s study on how industry professionals conceptualize the role and scope of commercial strategy within the hotel industry. The report is authored by Breffni M. Noone, Associate Professor at The Pennsylvania State University, and Chris Boyd, Revenue Management Specialist at Hilton. As ‘Commercial’ and ‘Commercial Strategy’ are relatively new additions to the ho...
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 ...
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