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
WTTC Research Reveals Travel & Tourism Sector’s Contribution to UK GDP Slumped a Shocking £148 Billion in 2020
WTTC | April 7, 2021
London, UK - April 7, 2021 - The World Travel & Tourism Council’s annual Economic Impact Report (EIR) today reveals that the dramatic collapse of the UK’s Travel & Tourism sector has wiped out a staggering £148 billion from the UK economy. The annual EIR from the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), which represents the global Travel & Tourism private sector, shows the sector’s contribution to GDP, dropped by a precipitous 62.3%. Travel & Tourism GDP fell from £238 billion (10.1%) in 2019 before the pandemic struck, to just £90 billion (4.2%), a mere 12 months later, in 2020. The year of crippling ...
U.S. Travel Lauds New CDC Travel Guidance
U.S. Travel Association | April 5, 2021
WASHINGTON — April 5, 2021 — U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Roger Dow issued the following statement on Friday’s announcement that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will substantially relax the guidance on travel for individuals who have been fully vaccinated against COVID: “The CDC’s new travel guidance is a major step in the right direction that is supported by the science and will take the brakes off the industry that has been hardest hit by the fallout of COVID by far. As travel comes back, U.S. jobs come back. “The CDC’s data suggests that vaccinated individuals don’t transmit the c...
U.S. Travel Reacts to Latest Job Figures
U.S. Travel Association | April 5, 2021
WASHINGTON — April 5, 2021 —The U.S. Leisure & Hospitality sector gained 280,000 jobs in March and the industry’s unemployment rate now stands at 13.0%—compared with 916,000 jobs gained and a 6.0% unemployment rate for the overall economy, according to the monthly employment report released Friday by the Department of Labor. U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Roger Dow issued the following comment: “The rise in Leisure and Hospitality jobs is a clear sign that an increase in travel and related activities corresponds to an increase in jobs, so maintaining employment growth will depend upon the broad restart of travel, p...
The 32nd Hunter Hotel Investment Conference Partners With CLEAR for Safer Conference Experience
CLEAR | April 5, 2021
A Commitment to Gathering Together Again—Safely, with CLEAR’s Health Pass Technology Atlanta, GA - April 5, 2021 - The buzz of in-person events is on the rise and the Hunter Hotel Investment Conference is leading the way as one of the first industry conferences to return in 2021- taking place Monday, May 10th through Wednesday, May 12th. The Hunter Conference will be utilizing CLEAR’s Health Pass for the seamless COVID-19 screening of attendees. Health Pass is a free, mobile experience on the CLEAR app that securely connects a user’s verified identity to multiple layers of COVID-19-related health information to help reduce public...
HFTP Forms Global Hospitality PII Management Task Force to Develop Guidance on Secure Data Collection
HFTP | March 31, 2021
The movement toward high-tech solutions to engage guests and customers has greatly increased in the hospitality industry and has especially accelerated over the past year as hospitality enterprises implemented health safety protocols to address distancing guidelines. As a result, the implementation of property-wide technologies using personal identifiable information (PII) has presented a conundrum to hospitality organizations: how to safely manage this data — to use it for meaningful guest services, while also protecting it from malicious cyber activity. Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP®) is taking the step to ...
Vaccinations and Economic Stimulus Spur Stronger Second Half Performance for U.S. Hotels
CBRE Group, Inc. | March 30, 2021
Dallas – March 30, 2021 – The continued rollout of COVID-19 vaccinations and additional stimulus funds have strengthened the foundation for the recovery of the U.S. lodging industry. According to the February 2021 edition of Hotel Horizons®, CBRE Hotels Research is forecasting an average national occupancy level of 43.0% during the first half of 2021, accelerating to 55.1% in the second half of the year. “Our current forecast takes into account a national rollout of the COVID vaccines, plus the December COVID Relief Bill, both of which support the projections of improved performance during the second half of the year,” said Rach...
ADA Defense Lawyer: California’s Central District Tries to Curb ADA lawsuits
Martin H. Orlick | March 29, 2021
By Jim Butler, Martin Orlick California has seen an explosion of ADA cases in the past few years, leading the state to impose strict pleading standards and high filing fees for serial litigants. Litigants have previously found their way around this by filing in federal court, but the courts have made it clear that they will decline supplemental jurisdiction in these instances. Martin Orlick, Chair of JMBM’s ADA Compliance & Defense Group, explains below. Declining to exercise supplemental jurisdiction, the United States District Court Central District of California (Central District) is addressing high frequency litigants who file...
HSMAI Adrian Awards Celebrate Resilience and Innovation in Travel Marketing
HSMAI | March 25, 2021
The Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) celebrated excellence in travel advertising, digital marketing, and public relations at the virtual Adrian Awards Celebration on Tuesday, March 23. For this year’s Adrian Awards competition, HSMAI created four new award categories as well as the Hospitality Heroes program to recognize resilience in response to the unprecedented challenges brought on by the pandemic. “This year’s Adrian Awards honor best practices, innovation, community, and the hospitality leaders who have shown that through crisis, innovation emerges,” said Robert A. Gilbert, CHME, CHBA, presi...
Hoteliers Opting for Onsite Technology Training Despite Pandemic
Cam Troutman | March 25, 2021
Operators say it’s important to lead by example and show businesses that it’s safe and viable to attend live meetings when health and safety protocols are followed By Cam Troutman Online learning has its advantages, especially amidst a pandemic. Convenience, flexibility, and cost savings are just a few pluses that come to mind. But when a hotel migrates to a completely new financial management platform or adds new software modules, on-site training is still preferred. It’s not that the technology is too difficult to grasp online, but rather, hoteliers seem to thrive when they connect in person with their peers and vendor partners, a...
Hotel Industry Honors Star Employees After Devastating Year
AHLA | March 24, 2021
WASHINGTON – March 23, 2021 – The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) and the American Hotel & Lodging Foundation (AHLA Foundation) today honored the women and men across the country who selflessly led their teams and supported their communities during a year unlike any other with the 2021 Stars of the Industry Awards Ceremony. Despite this monumentally challenging year for the industry, nearly 300 deserving hotel employees representing every job from front desk agents to housekeepers to general managers and servers were nominated for the industry’s highest honors. The event raised funds to support the AHLA Foundation...
Travel Industry Urges White House to Set a Timeline to Reopen International Travel
U.S. Travel Association | March 23, 2021
WASHINGTON — March 23, 2021 — Leaders of the U.S. travel and aviation industry called on the Biden administration Monday to set a May 1 deadline to commit to a plan for reopening the country to inbound international visitation. The U.S. Travel Association is among the 26 organizations to sign a letter urging the White House “to partner with us to develop… a risk-based, data-driven roadmap to rescind inbound international travel restrictions.” “Travel and tourism is the industry hardest hit by the economic fallout of COVID, and the damage is so severe that a broader economic recovery will stall if we can’t get travel off th...
AHLA Applauds Introduction of Bipartisan Per Diem Bill, Urges Swift Passage
AHLA | March 22, 2021
WASHINGTON – March 22, 2021 – The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) today expressed support for bipartisan legislation introduced by U.S. Representatives Bill Posey (R-Fla.) and Charlie Crist (D-Fla.) that would require the General Services Administration (GSA) to set a floor for FY22 and FY23 federal per diem rates at those established for FY20. The following is a statement from Chip Rogers, president and CEO of AHLA: “We applaud Reps. Posey and Crist for recognizing that COVID-19 continues to have a devastating impact on government travel and hotel occupancy, and working to ensure future government per diem rates re...
New ALTA/NSPS Land Title Survey Standards for 2021
Trevor Countryman | March 22, 2021
By Jim Butler and the Global Hospitality Group® Hotel Lawyers | Authors or www.HotelLawBlog.com The survey standards for the American Land Title Association® (ALTA®)/ National Society of Professional Surveyors (NSPS) survey were updated in February 2021. Given how important this survey is to most commercial real estate transactions, it is crucial that investors understand its scope in order to avoid unnecessary costs and delays. JMBM associate Trevor Countryman has outlined these recent changes below. New ALTA/NSPS Land Title Survey Standards for 2021 by Trevor Countryman Every 5 years the survey standards for ALTA surveys are ...
U.S. Market Recovery Monitor – 13 March 2021
STR | March 19, 2021
March 19, 2021 - About the MRM When the U.S. hotel industry reached the one-year anniversary of the earliest COVID-19 impact, year-over-year percentage changes became less actionable when analyzing performance recovery. Thus, STR introduced a weekly Market Recovery Monitor that categorizes each STR-defined market based on an indexed comparison with the same time periods in 2019. An index is simply a ratio that divides current performance by the benchmark (2019 data). For example, during the week ending 6 March 2021, U.S. RevPAR was $48.13. In the comparable week from 2019, RevPAR was $87.75. This produces an index of 54.8 ($48.13/$87.7...
Vaccine Tourism: Should the Hospitality Industry Acknowledge this Trend?
Hassan Al Sayegh | March 18, 2021
By Hassan Al Sayegh The world is shifting into a recovery stage from the pandemic that has resulted in a loss of millions of lives and impacted many businesses. The emergence of several vaccines around the world is a critical tool to battle against COVID-19 [1]. Currently, eight COVID-19 vaccines are finalized or in-progress according to the World Health Organization, including Pfizer-BioNTech, AstraZeneca-Oxford and Sinopharm, which are being administered to the people of certain countries [2]. However, there are specific protocols to follow concerning eligibility to receive the vaccine. There are priority groups such as senior citizen...
GBTA Poll: Digital Health Verification – The Solution to Safely Resume Business Travel
the Global Business Travel Association | March 18, 2021
Alexandria, VA – March 18, 2021 – The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), the world’s largest business travel association, today reported on the findings from its 17th poll looking at the impact of the pandemic on the business travel industry. Two-thirds of GBTA members and stakeholders (66%) believe implementing Digital Health Verification (also known as “vaccination passports” of “digital green certificates”) is a good policy, the majority of whom believe it will help employees safely resume business travel. The poll also finds a positive increase in optimism among members as the vaccine rollout ramps-up globally an...
Will Covid Make Hospitality Stronger?
Craig Jacobs | March 18, 2021
By Craig Jacobs Profound change in the Meetings and Hospitality Industries is on the verge. Hybrid conferences, food and beverage offerings and new cleanliness and service protocols will scramble current standard operating procedures, profit and loss statements, staffing, pricing and the definition of Luxury. While change is difficult, the final outcome is going to be an improvement for clients, staff and ownership. Values like quality, efficiency, productivity, and profitability are never-ending quests and the pandemic has provided us with a clean slate to start from scratch. The following list is just the beginning: Worth ...
WTTC Welcomes European Commission’s Proposal for the EU Wide Digital Green Certificate
WTTC | March 17, 2021
March 17, 2021 - Gloria Guevara, President & CEO, WTTC said: “The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) and its Members say the proposal from the European Commission, which would see all EU member states adopt the Digital Green Certificate, is a major step towards the recovery of Travel & Tourism in the region. “The introduction of the new certificate to travel could see member states welcoming travellers with proof of vaccination, a negative test or a positive antibody test, in time for the busy summer period. This would provide a significant and much needed boost to economies and save millions of jobs and livelihoods. ...
Final Tally: Travel Lost $1.1 Trillion in U.S. Economic Output in ‘20
U.S. Travel Association | March 17, 2021
WASHINGTON — March 17, 2021 —Travel’s economic footprint in the United States shrank a staggering 42% last year, from $2.6 trillion to $1.5 trillion, according to new end-of-year totals prepared for the U.S. Travel Association by the research firm Tourism Economics. The employment devastation was similarly massive: travel-supported jobs fell by 5.6 million in 2020 (16.7 million to 11.1 million)—a whopping 65% of all American jobs lost to the economic fallout of the pandemic. Travel and tourism had supported employment for 11% of the U.S. workforce prior to the onset of COVID. The new data on travel’s dramatic losses arrives as...
Phocuswright Founder Philip Wolf Dies at 64
PhocusWire | March 17, 2021
March 17, 2021 - Phocuswright founder Philip Wolf died yesterday following a brief illness. He was 64. Wolf, a champion of online travel since the late-1980s, launched Phocuswright, the internet travel research authority, in 1994. After graduating Duke University with a BA in Public Policy Studies and Vanderbilt University with an MBA, cutting his teeth as assistant to the CEO of a New York Stock Exchange retailer and working in the lamp manufacturing business, he entered the travel industry in 1989, as the head of a small agency inside Travelmation. Subsequently, as CEO, he made a name for himself in travel, tourism and hospitality. ...
Hospitality Upgrade Announces 2021 Executive Vendor Summit
Hospitality Upgrade | March 17, 2021
In-Person Industry Event Will be Held June 9-11 in Nashville ATLANTA, March 17, 2021 – Hospitality Upgrade Magazine has announced that its 16th Annual Executive Vendor Summit (EVS) will be held in person at the Loews Vanderbilt Hotel in Nashville, Tenn., from June 9-11, 2021. The Executive Vendor Summit is a unique invitation-only industry event that brings together senior technology executives from the hospitality industry for learning, thought leadership and networking. The host hotel is located in Nashville’s popular West End, across from Vanderbilt University and just minutes from the city’s most renowned attractions. The Loe...
COVID-19’s Impact on the Tampa-St. Petersburg Lodging Market
Jeffrey D. Pennington | March 16, 2021
By Jeffrey D. Pennington Prior to March 2020, the Tampa and St. Petersburg (TSP) market had posted nine straight years of RevPAR growth. The depth of the market’s demand generators and allure of this sunny market were continuing to grow at the start of the new decade. A firm commitment by major stakeholders (public and private) in recent years to the development of the region’s amenity base, corporate relocations and expansions, stable and growing tech and finance sectors, population migration to the region, major infrastructure investments, development projects in Downtown Tampa and St. Petersburg, favorable weather, the presence of ...
Pebblebrook Hotel Trust Announces the 9th Annual Pebby Award Nominations
Pebblebrook Hotel Trust | March 15, 2021
HOLLYWOOD, Calif.-- March 15, 2021 -- Pebblebrook Hotel Trust today announced the nominations for its Ninth Annual Pebby Awards. The Pebby Award nominees were chosen for their outstanding accomplishments in 2020, as determined by the Company. This year’s highly anticipated nominees include a mix of Pebby veterans and newcomers. Many hotels and resorts earned several nominations: Argonaut Hotel, Chaminade Resort & Spa and LaPlaya Beach Resort & Club lead the field with four nominations each while Hotel Chicago Downtown, Autograph Collection and The Nines, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Portland are close behind with three nominations ...
U.S. Travel Endorses PPP Extension Bill, Urges Swift Passage
U.S. Travel Association | March 15, 2021
WASHINGTON — March 15, 2021 — The U.S. Travel Association on Friday voiced strong support for the PPP Extension Act of 2021, a bipartisan and bicameral bill that would implement the Paycheck Protection Program extension U.S. Travel has pushed for as an essential part of economic relief. The bill would push the deadline for PPP fund applications to May 31 from its current March 31, with an additional 30 days past the new deadline for the Small Business Administration to process applications. U.S. Travel Association Executive Vice President for Public Affairs and Policy Tori Emerson Barnes: “The hardest-hit U.S. businesses are st...
