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
IHG Connects US Hotel Colleagues Impacted by Covid-19 With Job Opportunities at Leading Companies
IHG | March 30, 2020
IHG® has today announced the launch of the IHG® Hotel Colleague Job Center to support US-based hotel colleagues impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. The global Covid-19 outbreak has created unprecedented circumstances for the hospitality industry. Travel around the world has paused for most people, which has led to a number of IHG’s hotels closing temporarily or significantly reducing operations, impacting the employment of hotel colleagues. To support them, the IHG® Hotel Colleague Job Center website – available at IHG.com/WeSupportYou – will provide resources, advice and guidance during this difficult time. It includes job...
Florida For Good Launches National B Tourism Network
Florida For Good | March 30, 2020
ORLANDO, Fla. (March 30, 2020) – Florida For Good (FFG), an organization that helps bolster the business for good movement in the state, has just launched the B Tourism resource platform for sustainable tourism businesses to connect, share best practices and during these trying times, provide free resources to those companies dealing with negative impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of the For Good Movement Inc., a 501(c)3 nonprofit, FFG was founded on the principles of helping businesses in Florida become more conscious, sustainable and focused on people and the planet instead of just profit while putting a strong sense of commu...
Commingle:Engage to Launch No-Cost Service to Help Hotels Book Local Drive Business
Lodging Interactive & commingle:engage | March 30, 2020
PARSIPPANY, NJ – March 30, 2020 – commingle:engage, by Lodging Interactive, the hospitality industry’s premier provider of full-service social media marketing and guest reputation management services today announced it is planning to launch a new service to help hotels book local business opportunities. StayPlayExplore.travel will offer locally curated content and hotel offers to target staycations and local social event opportunities. The service will be offered free of charge to hotels. “I believe the hospitality industry will recover in stages, with the first stage being leisure travelers who will be anxious to venture ou...
U.S. Travel Reacts to House Passage of Coronavirus Relief Package
The U.S. Travel Association | March 30, 2020
Washington (March 30, 2020)—U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Roger Dow issued the following statement on House passage of the CARES Act: "The Phase 3 relief package passed by Congress this week is a great first step in this process, and comes at a time when the American travel industry is facing catastrophic economic disaster, with almost six million travel-supported jobs expected to be lost in the next five weeks. "We call upon the Department of the Treasury and the Small Business Administration to expedite the rulemaking process—within 10 days—to get this money out the door into the hands of those who so desperately nee...
FIU’s Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management and South Beach Wine & Food Festival® Give Back to South Florida’s Foo
FIU's Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management | March 30, 2020
MIAMI (March 2020) – FIU’s Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management is helping to put money into the hands of cooks, servers, dishwashers and all team members at restaurants and bars through a new partnership with the South Beach Wine & Food Festival®. The SOBEWFF® & FIU Chaplin School Hospitality Industry Relief Fund will provide immediate financial support to independently owned and operated restaurants and bars impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties. Many of these family operated establishments have hired FIU student interns and even given graduates their first jo...
How Social Media Can Help Your Hotel During COVID-19
Pipeline Social Media | March 30, 2020
Canceled events. Canceled travel plans. Canceled bookings. It’s safe to say that the Coronavirus has rocked the hospitality industry and we can only hope that the effects will be over soon. You are most likely looking at your budget and finding any and all areas to trim back to meet payroll and impending bills. While you might not be concerned with social media right now, we wanted to give you some food for thought during this time in order to set your hotel up for success in the future. Social media is the first place your guests will go to get informed. They still rely on you to figure out what their travel options are, whether you a...
Deep Dive: Asia Performance in the Time of COVID-19
HotStats | March 30, 2020
COVID-19 swept through Asia first. Chinese health officials first reported the outbreak to the World Health Organization (WHO) on Dec. 31, 2019, and the rapid spread of the virus prompted aggressive containment measures across the entire region. The impact on the hotel industry was swift and severe, because many Asian travel markets rely heavily on Chinese visitor demand. Revenue Tourism Economics noted that in terms of spending, mainland China constitutes the most important outbound travel market in the world, and according to the China Outbound Tourism Research Institute, the top 10 destinations chosen by Chinese t...
An Updated 2020 Hotel Outlook | CBRE U.S. ViewPoint
March 27, 2020
Economic conditions are deteriorating quickly with the Covid-19 outbreak causing a sharp drop in economic activity. Key Findings: CBRE expects GDP growth will slow to 0.4% in 2020. U.S. RevPAR will decline by 37% in 2020, with a contraction of more than 60% in Q2. Demand will decline by 28% in 2020; ADRs are expected to decline 11% in 2020. The most complex constraint impairing travel comes from social distancing efforts and travel or group gathering restrictions on global populations. Properties that primarily cater to discretionary travel will be affected most, i.e. luxury, upper upscale, urban, airport, and resort pro...
Covid-19: What Should Hoteliers Keep in Mind In the Midst of the Current Crisis
Pierre Verbeke | March 27, 2020
Even during some of the worst crisis in the past, hotels or restaurants have not been forced to close. We are in uncharted waters: what should hoteliers keep in mind to navigate the current crisis? By Pierre Verbeke We are reading a lot these days about this unprecedented crisis and the profound impact this has and will have on our business. Stock exchange wealth has been wiped away, thousands of hotels have had to close and many of our employees are affected and are assigned to residence. Never before have we seen mandatory hotel or restaurant closures on a scale as today. Even during some of the worst crisis in the past, hotels or r...
Live Survey Reveals 50 Percent of Hotels Not Planning to Close Properties Due to COVID-19
Knowland | March 27, 2020
Leading group hospitality analytics firm, Knowland, conducts webinar to inform hoteliers on best practices during a time of crisis, with a focus on key recovery strategies ARLINGTON, Va. — March 27, 2020—Knowland, the leader in group hospitality analytics for hotels, convention and visitor bureaus, conference centers and other meeting venues, announced today the results of a live survey of more than 700 hoteliers conducted during its informative webinar “COVID-19 Preparing Today for Success Tomorrow.” Knowland’s VP of product management, Kristi White provided insight and guidance during a webinar held on March 25, 2020 and is ava...
AHLA Applauds House Passage of CARES Act
AHLA | March 27, 2020
WASHINGTON (March 27, 2020) – The following is a statement from Chip Rogers, AHLA president and CEO, on the House passage of the CARES Act. “The hotel industry applauds Congress and the Administration for their tireless work in response to this unprecedented public health crisis. We appreciate Speaker Pelosi and Minority Leader McCarthy for their leadership. By passing the CARES Act, Congress has taken a critical first step to provide immediate support for American workers and the industries that drive our economy. “We continue to support the underlying foundation of the CARES Act, which seeks to help millions of workers and thous...
International Tourist Arrivals Could Fall by 20-30% in 2020
March 27, 2020
The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has released its updated assessment of the likely impact of the COVID-19 on international tourism. Taking into account the unparalleled introduction of travel restrictions across the world, the United Nations specialized agency for tourism expects that international tourist arrivals will be down by 20% to 30% in 2020 when compared with 2019 figures. However, UNWTO stresses that these numbers are based on the latest developments as the global community faces up to an unprecedented social and economic challenge and should be interpreted with caution in view of the extreme uncertain nature of the current cr...
Hilton Corporate Response to COVID-19
Hilton | March 27, 2020
McLEAN, VA - The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has created unprecedented challenges for our industry, our hotels and our Team Members. Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. (NYSE: HLT) is taking decisive action to protect the core of its business and support affected Team Members until this crisis passes and travel resumes. With travel at a virtual standstill, operations have been suspended across many managed and franchised hotels, and those hotels that remain open have reduced services for guests because of decreased occupancy levels. At the corporate level, Hilton is taking the following actions to significantly reduce expenses and preserve l...
Preliminary Mexico Hotel Results for Week Ending 21 March
STR | March 27, 2020
Note: To inform the industry during the COVID-19 pandemic, STR will temporarily publish weekly communication for Mexico based on preliminary data. This preliminary data represents a percentage of STR’s total sample for the region. Once monthly processing is complete, data points will likely appear different. Mexico’s hotel industry showed clear effects of the COVID-19 pandemic with sharp year-over-year declines in the three key performance metrics during the week of 15-21 March 2020, according to preliminary data from STR. In comparison with the week of 17-23 March 2019, Mexico hotels reported the following: Occupancy: -54.2% t...
Preliminary Caribbean Hotel Results for Week Ending 21 March
STR | March 27, 2020
Note: To inform the industry during the COVID-19 pandemic, STR will temporarily publish weekly communication for the Caribbean based on preliminary data. This preliminary data represents a percentage of STR’s total sample for the region. Once monthly processing is complete, data points will likely appear different. The Caribbean hotel industry continued steep year-over-year declines in the three key performance metrics during the week of 15-21 March 2020, according to preliminary data from STR. In comparison with the week of 17-23 March 2019, the Caribbean reported the following: Occupancy: -61.3% to 30.6% Average daily rate (...
STR: Canada Hotel Results for Week Ending 21 March
STR | March 27, 2020
HENDERSONVILLE, Tennessee—Showing further COVID-19 impact, the Canadian hotel industry recorded negative year-over-year results in the three key performance metrics during the week of 15-21 March 2020, according to data from STR. In comparison with the week of 17-23 March 2019, the industry reported the following: Occupancy: -65.0% to 21.4% Average daily rate (ADR): -16.9% to CAD120.82 Revenue per available room (RevPAR): -70.9% to CAD25.84 Among the provinces and territories, Quebec experienced the largest decline in occupancy (-75.5% to 15.0%) and the steepest drop in RevPAR (-77.8% to CAD19.94). Prince Edward Island p...
WTTC Implores G20 Leaders to Save the Travel & Tourism Sector and Recognizes the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Leadership
March 27, 2020
London, UK: World tourism leaders have been urged to execute crucial measures to save the Travel & Tourism sector, ahead of a special meeting of the G20 hosted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia today. The call was made by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), which represents the global Travel & Tourism private sector, to prevent a catastrophic collapse following the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, putting up to 75 million jobs at immediate risk. WTTC implored the G20 leaders to assign resources and coordinate efforts to rescue major travel businesses such as airlines, cruises, hotels, GDS and technology companies, as ...
COVID-19 Hotel Resource Guide
Ahmed Kabani | March 27, 2020
By Ahmed Kabani Kabani Hotel Group Presents: COVID-19 Hotel Resource Guide Given the uncertain times that we are in, we at Kabani Hotel Group have compiled a guide for hoteliers, to cope with the current state of the hospitality market. Although an economic recovery date remains uncertain, previous crises have taught us that the hospitality industry is resilient. Max Starkov, a hospitality and online travel technology strategist, and founder of NextGuest, believes that global tourism will recover quickly due to the growth of the global middle class. By 2030, this class is expected to reach 5.3 billion people, and middle-class spen...
Travel Industry Welcomes One-Year REAL ID Extension, But Says Longer May Be Necessary
The U.S. Travel Association | March 27, 2020
Washington (March 27, 2020)—The U.S. Travel Association praised the Department of Homeland Security's Thursday announcement of a one-year REAL ID enforcement delay, but cautioned that a longer extension may be necessary to ensure that implementation won't further disrupt the already devastated American travel economy. In a March 26 letter to Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf, U.S. Travel cited polling data showing that the U.S. had not made significant strides toward REAL ID compliance even before the coronavirus crisis. A new analysis compiled by U.S. Travel and Longwoods International, a market research consultancy, shows th...
COVID-19 and Hospitality: 7 Alternative Ways to Cut Costs and Save Your Business…BEFORE Resorting to Layoffs
Nicole Dehler, Vice President of Product Management | March 26, 2020
By Nicki Dehler The hospitality industry is entering uncharted territory. As concerns surrounding the continued transmission of COVID-19 continue to mount, we find ourselves isolated in our homes, unsure of when this pandemic will pass. What does the future hold for our communities? Moreover, what will this crisis mean for those businesses who have ceased operations due to recent recommendations and mandates for complete shutdowns? There is no denying that from a business perspective, travel and hospitality have taken the brunt of the pandemic’s economic impact. Hotels and airline companies have suffered unprecedented losses as escala...
Latest Industry Survey Shows How North American Destination Organizations Are Impacted by the Escalating Effects of COVID-19
MMGY Global | March 26, 2020
Pandemic has dramatically shifted sector’s sentiment and spending in two weeks KANSAS CITY, MO (March 26, 2020) – MMGY Travel Intelligence, in partnership with Destinations International Foundation, has released the inaugural findings from a benchmark series of bi-weekly surveys of North American destination professionals. The surveys track how this sector has been affected by COVID-19 and what shifts organizations are making during a period of very fluid change. Preliminary findings reveal that, in the span of about two weeks, the reverberations of the pandemic dramatically changed the sector’s outlook, operations and marketing sp...
SPECIAL REPORT: COVID-19 Profit Impact on Asia Markets
HotStats | March 26, 2020
The extent to which the coronavirus has impacted the global hotel industry is now coming into focus based on new data from HotStats, which provides further transparency in terms of the damaging impact of the disease on travel and, by extension, on hotel profitability. Beyond the virulence of the virus, this much is sure: property budgets are rendered useless, guidance is ineffective and market context is all the industry can truly rely on now to gain an understanding of the breadth of the virus’ impact. For the hotel industry specifically, picture the coronavirus’ influence on hospitality as a jigsaw puzzle: China is the first piece...
Latest Research From WTTC Shows a 50% Increase in Jobs at Risk in Travel & Tourism
March 26, 2020
London, UK: Up to 75 million jobs are at immediate risk in global Travel & Tourism due to the coronavirus pandemic, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC). The alarming figure, based on research from WTTC, shows a punishing Travel & Tourism GDP loss to the world economy of up to US$2.1 trillion in 2020. The latest projection of a 50% increase in jobs at risk, in less than two weeks , represents a significant and worrying trend, with an astounding one million jobs being lost every day in the Travel & Tourism sector, due to the sweeping effect of the coronavirus pandemic. The analysis by WTTC, which repr...
STR: U.S. Hotel Results for Week Ending 21 March
STR | March 26, 2020
HENDERSONVILLE, Tennessee—Showing further effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. hotel industry reported significant year-over-year declines in the three key performance metrics during the week of 15-21 March 2020, according to data from STR. In comparison with the week of 17-23 March 2019, the industry recorded the following: Occupancy: -56.4% to 30.3% Average daily rate (ADR): -30.2% to US$93.41 Revenue per available room (RevPAR): -69.5% to US$28.32 “RevPAR decreases are at unprecedented levels—worse than those seen during 9/11 and the financial crisis,” said Jan Freitag, STR’s senior VP of lodging insights. ...
