The Tricycle of Guest Service Excellence: A Perfect Model For Remarkable Experiences
Doug Kennedy | October 4, 2024
Crafting a Unique Employer Brand for Today’s Talent Market
Veronika Mercier | August 14, 2024
Smart Strategies
Hospitality Trends: Unveiling the Harsh Reality of Overtourism
Lionel Saul | June 15, 2023
By Lionel Saul, Tatyana Tsukanova Factors fueling the surge in tourist numbers In recent months, hospitality and tourism industry actors have been eagerly awaiting projections regarding the volume of domestic and international travelers for 2023, hoping that the numbers will reach the level of 2019. Based on current trends, it is expected that in 2023 global tourism will actually outperform 2019, which might be partly due to revenge tourism. For many actors in the industry, this is good news. However, voices have begun to denounce what is being called ‘overtourism’. For some observers, it has gotten out of hand and there are simpl...
5 Strategies to Win 78% or Greater Employee Engagement
Beekeeper | June 13, 2023
By Cris Grossmann, CEO and co-founder, Beekeeper Frontline workers are the engine that drives business. Around the world, 80% of all workers serve on the frontline, working in industries such as construction, hospitality, manufacturing and retail. However, companies are struggling to hire and retain top talent. Frontliners are experiencing rising food, housing and childcare costs due to inflation, causing them to job-hop or take on extra work. Nearly 70% of Americans are looking for a second job to keep up with widespread price increases. Leaders are seeking to engage a multi-generational workforce, including younger staff who have diff...
21% of Gen Z Are Planning a Trip to “Soul-Search” This Summer, While 1 in 5 Americans Say They Can’t Afford to Vacation at All
Empower | June 8, 2023
Americans are reimagining summer through road trips, staycations as inflation impacts the majority of travel plans GREENWOOD VILLAGE, Colo., June 8, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Gen Zers may have more fun than everyone else this summer, with 1 in 5 saying they plan to find themselves by splurging on a "soul-searching" trip (21%), traveling abroad (20%), or packing their bags for a romantic getaway (24%), according to new research from Empower, a leader in financial planning, investing and advice. Not so fast, according to 41% of Americans who won't travel this summer, with 20% saying they can't afford to go on vacation (women 24%, men 15%)....
What Hotel General Managers Can Learn From Marriott International
Barbara Tucci | June 5, 2023
By Barbara Tucci With the privilege of being invited by Satya Anand, President EMEA, and Sandeep Walia, Chief Operations Officer of Middle East, Marcelline Cordier and I, both recent EHL Alumni, landed in Abu Dhabi with, at first, little knowledge of the event to then return to Switzerland, three days after, utterly amazed and inspired by the people that we had encountered. The conference provided the corporation with the opportunity to express gratitude towards their associates for their dedication and contributions to the company’s success, with “You make Us” being the event slogan. It was also a chance for industry professional...
What’s Wrong With Business Intelligence Solutions Today?
Apo Demirtas | May 30, 2023
Apo Demirtas If you’ve been around the hospitality industry for any length of time, you will have heard the term “business intelligence” tossed around by tech experts and, if you’re like most hoteliers, the term still conjures up some vague idea of a bunch of data in charts and graphs. Sound familiar? That’s a common problem and, to be honest, it’s not your fault for not understanding the value of business intelligence solutions because there are so many different types of BI solutions, which offer different information, value, ROI, etc. that it’s hard to explain, in simple terms, what BI is and why most BI solutions today ar...
Why Aren’t You Getting a Call for Job Interviews? (Part II) How to Build an Appealing LinkedIn Profile
Linchi Kwok | May 30, 2023
By Linchi Kwok Last Thursday, we shared a few resume-writing tips to pass AI screening and the 6-second test. Today, we will visit tips on how to build an appealing LinkedIn profile. Based on the research findings from my work, I want to emphasize that having an appealing LinkedIn profile has become increasingly important in today’s job market. I define an appealing LinkedIn profile as one that is: Free of spelling and grammar errors. Complete: with all essential sections filled (e.g., a profile picture, work experience, and education). Relevant: Having relevant work experience or educational background to the opening. ...
Why Aren’t You Getting a Call for Job Interviews? (Part I) Make Sure Your Resume Passes AI Screening and the 6-Second Test
Linchi Kwok | May 25, 2023
The unemployment rate is low. Our industry still faces an ongoing labor shortage challenge. Many restaurants and hotels struggle to fill vacant positions. Then, will restaurants and hotels hire just anyone applying for the job? If that is the case, why some of us have never heard any follow-up calls? Maybe we were unlucky by applying for a “ghost job” --- jobs employers do not want to fill. Alternatively, it was because we did not submit the “right” resume or failed to set up an appealing LinkedIn profile. It is time to review the resume-writing (this post) and LinkedIn (Part II or the next post) tips. Make Sure Your Resume Passe...
Food Waste Management: Innovative Solutions for Hospitality
Dr Carlos Martin-Rios | May 25, 2023
By Dr. Carlos Martin-Rios, Julneth Rogenhoger Why is food waste a problem? In recent years, food waste management has become one of the most critical topics in the hospitality industry. Whether it's to cut costs or reduce environmental impact, food waste has become relevant, not only for hoteliers and people in management, but for the average guest as well. On the surface, food waste management sounds like it should be an easy problem to address. Hoteliers have already begun to tackle the issue with farm-to-table programs and projects like Second Harvest, but do these efforts actually make a difference? Source: The cost of food wa...
Industry Perspectives: Looking Ahead for the Travel Industry
Jamie Mageau | May 22, 2023
By Jamie Mageau These insights and perspectives help us understand how some of the largest travel corporate players are viewing the state of the economy and its impact on the travel industry as well as the main factors they are monitoring that may hinder their continued growth. The majority of travel organizations are extremely upbeat regarding the upcoming summer travel season yet are remaining flexible should they need to change course in the later part of the year if demand starts to slow. Now that all international restrictions have been dropped, international demand is a key tailwind for the industry for the coming months. Recen...
Summer Travel Heats Up: Perennial Favorites Orlando and Cancun Lead Top Vacation Destinations
Allianz Partners | May 19, 2023
Allianz Partners USA Reveals Top 2023 Summer Travel Destinations, Top Days for Travel RICHMOND, Va., May 19, 2023 -- With the summer travel rush about to begin, Allianz Partners' Top 10 Summer Travel Destinations review reveals where Americans are escaping to, with Orlando and Cancun once again topping sun-worshippers' must-visit lists. The travel insurance and assistance company analyzed more than 1.6 million flight itineraries* between five and eight days in length for travel booked between Memorial Day weekend and Labor Day and found that 73% of the itineraries reviewed were for U.S. domestic trips and 27% of travelers are h...
ADA Update: Accessibility Legislation and the Importance of Website Compliance
Jim Butler | May 16, 2023
By Jim Butler The Americans with Disability Act (ADA) is an important piece of legislation guaranteeing equal access to public facilities to the nearly 60 million people with disabilities in the US today. Stuart Tubis, a partner in JMBM’s ADA Compliance and Defense practice, recently presented on why accessibility legislation is something all business owners should be aware of, and how many lawsuits have shifted focus to online spaces instead of brick-and-mortar locations. Hotels in particular must be familiar with the requirements of the ADA in order to accommodate the needs of disabled guests on their properties. Unlike building ...
7 Surprising Trends That Will Change The Way Hotels Handle Groups and Events Business
Daniel Melnyk | May 10, 2023
By Daniel Melnyk Within the hospitality world, a new phenomenon is circulating – “revenge travel.” The concept is simple, albeit impactful for the industry; after 2+ years of pandemic-related restrictions, travelers are eager to make up for lost time and canceled trips. Basically, revenge travel is the global phenomenon of people booking big trips to ‘take revenge’ against the pandemic. This trend has acted as a key catalyst in the undeniable rebound of the hospitality industry. However, it wasn’t just trips that were canceled ad nauseam over the course of the pandemic – it was also groups and events. From weddings to birt...
Tripadvisor Releases Seasonal Travel Index Results (June – August 2023)
Tripadvisor | May 9, 2023
NEEDHAM, Mass., May 9, 2023 -- Tripadvisor®, the world's largest travel guidance platform, releases its latest Seasonal Travel Index, providing an outlook for global travel patterns and demand over the next three months. The Index includes top takeaways for the upcoming season, along with country-specific Tripadvisor demand data and insights from its latest traveler sentiment survey. Seasonal Travel Takeaways 1. The majority of travelers are planning summer trips With summer round the corner in the northern hemisphere, the next three months look set to be an extremely busy period for global travel, with over three-quarters of those su...
How Gen Z Work Ethic and Attitudes Are Impacting the Workplace
EHL Insights | May 2, 2023
Horizontal working modes typically imply, for example, that employees from department “A” be given regular opportunities to collaborate on cross-functional projects with employees from departments "B", “C", "D”, or “Z." You name them. When these cross-functional collaborations multiply throughout/across the organization, here is what you get in the short term: the sharing of new ideas, knowledge, and best practices. In the medium term, these cross-silo collaborations may even shape employees’ career development paths—that is, by helping them develop a wider panel of skills and expertise. When this happens, your organization s...
How to Stop the Culture of Fear and Bullying in the Hospitality Industry
Ian Scarth FIH | April 17, 2023
According to the dictionary, 'Bullying' is defined as “Seeking to harm, intimidate, or coerce someone perceived as vulnerable”, while ACAS define it as “offensive, intimidating, malicious or insulting behaviour, an abuse or misuse of power through means that undermine, humiliate, denigrate or injure the recipient.” The same dictionary suggests Hospitality is “The friendly, graceful, and generous reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers.” Anyone reading these definitions must surely conclude that it's impossible to be hospitable if at the same time one is a bully. Yet the hospitality industry appears to h...
Top 5 Most In-Demand Soft Skills of 2023
EHL Insights | April 13, 2023
Today, more global organizations like Google, Apple, IBM and Facebook are no longer emphasizing the need for specific titles or experience and instead are shifting towards a focus on skills when considering candidates for a job. According to research by LinkedIn, the skills companies need most are determined by looking at skills that are most sought after based on six months of data (April to October 2022) from employers, hirers, and job-posters on LinkedIn. Demand is measured by identifying skills possessed by members who were hired or InMailed, as well as the skills listed in paid job postings. The results showed that employers are look...
Why 2023 Is the Year of Wellness for Hotels
Adam and Larry Mogelonsky | April 12, 2023
By Adam and Larry Mogelonsky Coming out the pandemic and more attention given to personal health than ever before, wellness is at the forefront of consumers’ minds. For hotels, this is both an opportunity for the growth of new profit centers and a potential harbinger of doom because as one does at home, one will expect at their workplace (that is, employee wellness) and wherever they travel (that is, risings expectations for wellness-oriented amenities). Wellness is hardly anything revolutionary for the hospitality sector, though. Leading brands have all invested heavily in this space, both to assuage employees and to drive revenues b...
IHG Partners With Steps to Employ People With Disabilities in Thailand
IHG Hotels & Resorts | April 6, 2023
Bangkok, Thailand – 6 April 2023: IHG Hotels & Resorts, one of the world’s leading hotel companies, is proud to announce a landmark partnership with Steps – an organisation that empowers employers to realise the potential of neurodivergent people. Starting this year, the collaboration will prepare five IHG hotels in Bangkok to be ‘disability inclusion ready’. The hotels taking part will follow a wide-ranging programme that includes workplace accessibility plans and consultations, disability training, empowerment of inclusivity champions, recruitment and onboarding of disability employees, and the setting up of an inclusive e...
5 Things Gen Z Travelers Want: How Hotels Can Keep Up With the Cool Kids
Dianne Ang | April 6, 2023
By Dianne Ang Generation Z (or more commonly known as Gen Z) is the newest generation of travelers, and they show major differences from Millennials and other generations that come before them. This generation should be paid close attention to because their interests and trends will significantly shape the face of travel. They are already becoming increasingly important in the hospitality industry so let us explore five things that Gen Zs look for when they travel, and how hotels can adapt to their evolving needs and preferences. They are willing to spend more money on experiences than material things, something that travel capitaliz...
American Express Reveals 2023 Top Travel Trends
American Express | March 23, 2023
American Express Travel® released their 2023 Global Travel Trends Report today, highlighting four global trends inspiring people to travel this year: The Rise of “Set-Jetting”: Popular movies, TV shows and social media are inspiring people to travel to places they see onscreen, like Italy, Paris, Yellowstone, and London Delicious Destinations: From top restaurants to local favorites to cooking classes, people are choosing their next destination based on what they’ll eat A Wellness Wave: Restorative vacations are on the rise as travelers prioritize self-care and mental and physical health Traveling Off...
Plagued by Airline Meltdowns, Lost Luggage, and Tech Issues, Will This Be the Summer of Travel Nightmares?
Aaron Shepherd | March 22, 2023
By Aaron Shepherd Just last month, my email pinged with an after-hours notification. “I’m sorry, but we will have to reschedule our meeting for tomorrow morning,” an incoming email from my colleague read. “My flight has been delayed – this trip home has been a disaster.” I didn’t yet know the reason for his frustrating journey home, but if I’m being honest, I had a hunch. Over the last year, all eyes have been on the travel sector. Not only because the travel demand has surged back to life with a vengeance (revenge travel seems to be the presiding trend of 2023, after all) but because major travel brands have had a number o...
Data Privacy Alert: Who’s Responsible for Personal Data at a Hotel?
Bob Braun | March 21, 2023
By Jim Butler, Robert Braun One of the most valuable assets of a hotel brand is information – detailed personal information about guests at their hotels, participants in their loyalty programs, and visitors to their websites. This information allows hotel brands to focus on creating guest loyalty, acquiring potential guests, engaging in effective marketing, expanding market share, and creating properties and services that entice and satisfy hotel guests. Because of this, hotel brands have long contended that they “own” hotel guest data and have unencumbered rights to use it, without respect to the interests of hotel owners and even t...
Does Trust Encourage or Discourage Employees to Share Their Suggestions?
Linchi Kwok | March 1, 2023
By Linchi Kwok The positive effects of employees’ trust in their supervisors have been widely documented, such as job engagement, performance, and organizational citizenship behaviors. Given supervisors’ authority in the workplace, we suspect supervisors would bear a critical role in initiating trusting supervisor-employee relationships. As suggested in the social exchange theory, employees may perceive supervisor trust in them as a kind act by the supervisor and feel obligated to return such a kind act with their trust in supervisor. The Research To examine the relationships among (supervisor) trust in employee, (employee) felt trust...
Hotels and the Frontline Worker Disconnect
Beekeeper | February 27, 2023
By Cris Grossmann, CEO & co-founder, Beekeeper When the hotel frontline succeeds, their companies thrive, driving sales, guest loyalty and profitability. That’s the bottom line for any hotel looking to boost sales and fuel organizational success. However, establishing a productive and content workforce requires those in the hospitality industry to address the growing disconnect between a hotel’s frontline staff and their managers. In 2023 hotel employers must focus on the increasing gap between how their frontline staff is currently being managed and how they should be managed in order to create a connected workforce. As hotels ...
