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
National Travel and Tourism Office Launches COVID-19 Travel Industry Monitor
NTTO | March 15, 2021
The COVID-19 pandemic has had an unprecedented impact on tourism to and within the United States. In 2020, overseas visitation to the United States declined 81% to its lowest level in 35 years, while the share of global travelers planning a vacation also fell to a record low. The COVID-19 Travel Industry Monitor, a user-friendly web platform that brings key health, economic and travel data together in one place, was built to help businesses, policy makers and communities stay informed on the state of the travel industry and to plan recovery efforts. Developed by the National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO), part of the Industry and An...
BENCHMARK’s New “Meeting the Moment” Initiative Offers a Vision for Meetings in 2021
BENCHMARK®, a global hospitality company | March 11, 2021
Expert Team of Leaders Offer Personalized Solutions for Planners The Woodlands, Houston, Texas - March 11, 2021 - As the meetings industry continues to confront the profound changes and challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, BENCHMARK®, a global hospitality company, is launching a visionary new educational initiative to help meeting planning professionals. “Meeting the Moment” is a strategic initiative designed to address today’s issues while laying the foundation for safer, healthier and more productive meetings in 2021. The program provides customized information and solutions to help planners deal with the complexities ...
The Hotel Show Dubai Returns for Its 21st Edition in 2021, Including HITEC Dubai
HFTP | March 10, 2021
The region’s premier hospitality event has led the industry for over 20 years. A notable feature of this year’s show will be HITEC Dubai, examining hospitality technology solutions to aid market recovery post pandemic. The Hotel Show Dubai is delighted to announce its return, live and in-person, from 31st May - 2nd June 2021 at the Dubai World Trade Centre. Under this year's theme, 'Redefining Hospitality', The Hotel Show Dubai offers the industry professionals in the Middle East a powerful platform from which to source, connect and learn about critical topics over the course of three inspirational days. A notable feature of The Hot...
Dwelling on a Permanent Relaunch to the Regional Market
Larry and Adam Mogelonsky | March 10, 2021
By Larry and Adam Mogelonsky This article is aimed primarily at resorts, but there is a profound lesson in here for urban hotels as well. To summarize what will be discussed, it’s okay to only ever cater to a regional or domestic market and becoming comfortable with that fact in the wake of COVID-19 can help you to better serve the territories where the majority of your guests will be coming from while also cutting costs. Prior to the pandemic, many of our asset management assignments involved the long-term ramp up of international traveler awareness so as to make the property as prestigious as possible in a strategic vision focused o...
U.S. Travel Urges PPP Fixes as Part of COVID Relief
U.S. Travel Association | March 10, 2021
WASHINGTON — March 10, 2021 — U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Roger Dow issued the following statement calling on Congress to prioritize enhancements to the Paycheck Protection Program as a critical element of economic relief from the pandemic: “The American Rescue Plan contains many good features, but there’s something crucial that Congress must accomplish to restore the millions of travel-dependent jobs lost to the pandemic: extend the Paycheck Protection Program deadline through at least June, and allow another draw on those funds for the hardest-hit employers. “Leisure & Hospitality currently accounts for nea...
Beekeeper 2021 Webinar Series Leads With ‘Reality Check: Where Are We in the Recovery?’
Beekeeper | March 10, 2021
Industry experts from Hyatt Hotels, MOD Pizza, Morongo Casino Resort & Spa, and Beekeeper will share unique perspectives and actionable insights on how they expect to mitigate anticipated challenges this year Oakland, Calif. — March 10, 2021 — The world came to a standstill in 2020. With stay-at-home orders and closed borders, the hospitality industry found itself in unchartered territory. Hospitality was one of the industries most impacted by the pandemic, with many businesses closing their doors for the first time in history and millions of employees being furloughed. Where in the recovery process are hotels, restaurants, casino...
HFTP Global Board Addresses the International Association’s Program Initiatives as It Ramps Up in 2021
HFTP | March 9, 2021
Ready to partake in the forward momentum of the recovering hospitality industry, the Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP®) Global Board of Directors has outlined multiple initiatives it will undertake to support its professional members and stakeholders. The strategic steps are designed to draw from the collective experience of its leaders and network for concentrated programs and resources. This includes adding two club-focused events co-located with HITEC Dallas and Annual Convention this September, and ongoing development of club finance resources. In addition, HFTP continues to work with the Global Finance C...
Enseo Celebrates International Women’s Day
Enseo, LLC | March 8, 2021
Plano, TX – Monday, March 8, 2021 – Enseo®, one of the fastest growing technology service providers in the U.S., is excited to celebrate International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month. Enseo recently added two leaders to the executive team: Kris Singleton as Chief Information Officer and Lindsay Robertson as Chief Marketing Officer, making Enseo’s exec team more than 50% women. Other senior executives include Katy Ericson, Vice President of Human Resources, Helen Jenkins, General Counsel, Kristin Reichert, Chief Financial Officer, and Vanessa Ogle, CEO and Founder. “I am proud to look at our leadership team and the awesom...
Poll: Only 12% of Americans Plan Spring Break Travel
U.S. Travel Association | March 4, 2021
WASHINGTON — March 4, 2021 — The spring break season is traditionally the first major travel period of the year—but only about one in eight Americans plans a spring break trip this year, according to polling data by Destination Analysts. And despite the nationwide progress on vaccines, spring break travel intentions actually appear to be dropping: the 12% who plan to travel for spring break is down from 16% the week prior—the first time that question was polled. The data suggests that Americans remain wary about traveling amid the COVID pandemic—and that they may prefer to defer their travel plans until the process of vaccinat...
Managing Travel Recovery via App-Based Shift Workers
Larry and Adam Mogelonsky | March 3, 2021
By Larry and Adam Mogelonsky We all know a recovery is coming. But there are problems associated with ramping up quickly in order to capitalize upon a demand surge. Namely, you will need to rapidly deploy more labor, all the while preventing service errors from occurring. This is especially troublesome given that many hotels still have much of their labor force furloughed from the lockdowns earlier last year. In a world that is vaccinated but still exceedingly sensitive to COVID-19, you cannot have new employees onsite who play fast and loose with the safety guidelines or with your brand standards. This is hurt your reputation and ultim...
Pure Wellness Rooms Now Available at Loews Boston Hotel
Pure Wellness | March 3, 2021
Pure Rooms Added at Historic Back Bay Hotel DALLAS TX – MARCH 3, 2021 – Pure Wellness, the global leader in health and wellness for the hospitality industry has announced that they will add Pure rooms to Loews Boston Hotel, once home to the former Boston Police Headquarters. “The addition of Pure rooms gives the Loews Boston Hotel an additive draw for both leisure travelers and corporate business in the Boston market” commented Brian Shedd, Senior Vice President for Pure Wellness. “Guest needs are changing and providing additional options like Pure Rooms is a smart and strategic investment.” Pure Rooms utilize advanced...
Eight in Ten Americans Working From Home Due to Covid-19 Say They Miss In-Person Meetings and Conventions
Meetings Mean Business | March 3, 2021
WASHINGTON, D.C. – A new survey by APCO Insight affirms that Americans working from home are eager to return to in-person meetings and conventions. The survey finds that even after adapting to the new digital workplace, 81% of professionals who attended in-person meetings and conventions before the pandemic miss doing so and would be just as likely – if not more likely – to attend in-person conferences, conventions, trade shows and other business events in the future. The survey echoes similar findings from April 2020, which showed that 83% of Americans working from home missed attending in-person meetings and conventions. One ye...
Hotel Industry Urges Congress to Pass the American Rescue Plan
AHLA | March 2, 2021
WASHINGTON – March 2, 2021 – The following is a statement from Chip Rogers, president and CEO of the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA), on the American Rescue Plan. “The American Rescue plan is a vital step forward in helping small businesses stay open and protecting jobs. It contains many necessary provisions AHLA has advocated for to help put the hotel industry back on a path to recovery. We applaud President Joe Biden for recognizing that small businesses need more help to get through this difficult time and we urge Congress to act immediately. By bolstering the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and allocating g...
Things We Didn’t See Coming
H. Keith Thompson | March 2, 2021
By H. Keith Thompson The past year has been great for a few hotel segments and very difficult for many others. I have personally been through many cycles and this past year has been like no other. A shift has occurred that many people didn’t see coming and most certainly, I didn’t see coming. Given this, I thought I would list a few changes that have come out of the past year. - Old exterior corridor hotels are back in vogue. By their original construction design, they have built in social distancing. - The great relocation. Mass exodus from urban core centers. - Most all demand generators from 2019 have changed significantly and ma...
Turn 2020 Profit Losses Into 2021 Wins For The Hotel Industry
Robert A. Rauch | March 2, 2021
By Robert Rauch How To Make 2021 Our Best Year Q1 of 2021 is not going to be profitable, fun or exciting for us in the hotel industry. The goods news is Q2 will come up quickly and having been through six recessions in hospitality, all the signs of a recovery are finally here. Given the significant impact of the virus on our economic, physical and mental health, I am offering a few sentences of my personal plan to recovery; we’ll dive into the following areas below: Cash Flow For Hospitality Industry Marketing, Sales & Revenue Management Technology To Improve Hotel Revenue Whether we operate a hotel, restaurant or tour...
Delaying the Restart of International Travel Will Cost the UK Economy Almost £27 Billion
WTTC | March 1, 2021
London, UK - March 1, 2021 - The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has warned that nearly £27 billion will be lost from the UK economy if the government delays restarting international travel until May 17. The date was set by Prime Minister Boris Johnson when he unveiled the highly anticipated roadmap out of lockdown earlier this week. According to the government’s roadmap, two households will be able to mix outdoors from March 29 and WTTC believes this should signal the restart of safe international travel. Resuming international travel by just seven weeks earlier, to coincide the Easter holiday break, could save struggl...
Women’s History Month: Celebrating the Women of Hilton
Hilton | March 1, 2021
At Hilton, we’re committed to creating an inclusive work environment and providing opportunities for all women to thrive. To celebrate Women’s History Month, we take a glimpse back at a woman who helped to lay the groundwork for future women to succeed, then showcase current Hilton female trailblazers from across the enterprise. Read on for their stories and get inspired to achieve your own career goals. A Look Back at a Star-Studded Pioneer Merriel Abbot is seen below in 1949 as the only woman at an executive table full of men. Her background in precision acts and choreography made Merriel a subject matter expert in all things ente...
Tourism Tidbits: The Dark Side of Tourism
Peter Tarlow | March 1, 2021
Protecting some of our most vulnerable: the fight against human trafficking during the age of pandemics By Dr. Peter Tarlow Tourism security has traditionally been about protecting visitors from themselves, from other tourists and from locals who seek to rob and or steal from them, commit fraud against them or in one way or another verbally or physically assault the visitor. Tourism security professionals must also deal with the threat pf terrorism, aimed at transportation hubs, major events, and the food and lodging side of the travel and tourism industry. In the world of pandemics, tourism security is also about keeping those who ...
Long Live the New Business Center
Larry and Adam Mogelonsky | February 25, 2021
By Larry and Adam Mogelonsky Prior to the pandemic, many had forecasted the business center to be a dead concept for hotels. Relegated to some back corner of the lobby or hidden from the main thoroughfares by a maze of windowless corridors, this amenity has suffered a slow death in the face of laptops, smartphones and all forms of paperless documents. Amongst many other changes, COVID-19 has meant fewer corporate travelers gracing our halls and a further diminishment of utility for this facility. But as travel recovers, the business center may experience a renewed demand. That is, with so many remote workers, work-from-a-hotel (WFH) inc...
Beekeeper Announces ‘Frontline Future’ Event, a Global Summit on the Rise of Frontline Workers
Beekeeper | February 24, 2021
Join Beekeeper and industry leaders May 6th at the first-ever virtual conference to explore the critical role of frontline workers and how companies can empower them with digital collaboration tools OAKLAND, CALIF. — February 24, 2021 — Beekeeper, the mobile-first collaboration platform designed specifically for frontline workers, announced Frontline Future, a groundbreaking virtual summit dedicated to the frontline workforce. On May 6, 2021, industry leaders from Europe and North America will join Beekeeper for keynote talks, interactive workshops, and in-depth panels to discuss the future of the frontline workforce. Registrat...
Deloitte: Consumer Perception of Travel Safety Improves as Vaccines Roll Out, COVID Cases Decline
Deloitte | February 23, 2021
New York, Feb. 22 2021 Why this matters As a global health crisis morphed into an economic one, Deloitte has been conducting a series of weekly surveys, around the United States, to better understand the interplay between personal safety and economic vulnerability as a driver of purchase decisions and consumer behavior. The most recent iteration (fielded Jan. 22 to 27) of “Deloitte’s Global State of the Consumer Tracker,” queried at least 1,000 American consumers. As nearly 30 million vaccine doses have been administered in the U.S., the latest responses show improving travel intentions and increasing consumer activity, pointing t...
GBTA Poll: Vaccine a Game-Changer for a Return to Travel
GBTA | February 18, 2021
Nearly half of respondents say border closures and restrictions have impacted their company travel recovery efforts in 2021 Alexandria, VA (February 18, 2021) – The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), the world’s largest business travel association, finds most GBTA members and stakeholders (79%) would be “very comfortable” or “comfortable” traveling for business after receiving the Covid-19 vaccination, and almost half support mandatory testing prior to travel to ensure the safety of customers and clients when meeting face-to-face. The latest findings come from the 16th installment of the coronavirus poll, conducted ...
HSMAI Foundation’s COVID Relief Fund Opens With Generous $150,000 Donation From the Carolyn Smith Foundation
HSMAI Foundation | February 18, 2021
McLean, VA - February 18, 2021 - The Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) Foundation is opening its COVID Relief Fund for grant applications following a generous donation of $150,000 from the Carolyn Smith Foundation on behalf of STR Founders Carolyn and Randy Smith. The HSMAI Foundation COVID Relief Fund was established in 2020 with the generous support of benefactors including the Carolyn Smith Foundation, IDeaS Revenue Solutions, and individual donors including past and present leaders Hoyt Bacon, Mike Leven, and Flo Lugli. The fund provides HSMAI membership and educational grants for HSMAI programs to mem...
Will the Hospitality and Travel Industry Recover in 2021?
Linchi Kwok | February 17, 2021
By Linchi Kwok Spring will soon be here. People are celebrating the Lunar New Year. Do you see a brighter future in 2021? Without a doubt, 2020 was a challenging year for most. Besides lockdowns, many companies let employees work from home permanently. When many business activities were put on a break and supply chains were interrupted, the global economy collapsed. COVID-19’s impact on the hospitality and tourism industry has been devastating and unprecedented. How tough was it in 2020? The aviation industry According to the International Civil Aviation Organization, global air traffic dropped from 4.5 billion in 2019 to 1...
