The French government will join forces with the tourism industry to build an Internet site aimed winning back customers from U.S. online travel giants such as Airbnb Inc. and Booking Holdings Inc.
The Dutch government plans to tighten the rules for businesses claiming coronavirus relief after one of the nation's most successful tech companies was accused of seeking state aid while paying billions of dollars to shareholders.
Hotel website Booking.com, until recently one of the most profitable companies in the Netherlands, has asked for government support as the number of bookings plunges to 15% of those of a year ago, according to the Volkskrant and the Financieele Dagblad. The company has asked for help to pay its 5,500 workers in the Netherlands and 48 customer service staff who were still in their probationary period have been let go as the impact of coronavirus on tourism continues to bite, the Volkskrant said. The company is a major employer in Amsterdam with a IT workforce comprising 80 different nationalities. According to the VK, the average salary at the Dutch operation is €47,000 a year.
When designing a mobile app that will meet the needs and expectations of future hoteliers, you would do well to involve them in the process. So when Infor began developing its newly released solution Infor Hospitality Price Optimizer (HPO), it tapped the talents of students at EHL in Lausanne, Switzerland, ranked the world's best hospitality & leisure management school.
A representative body for airlines based in Britain has written to its transport minister seeking industry-specific tax and air traffic fee holidays to help survive a coronavirus pandemic that has brought air travel to a standstill.
The five-star Hayfield Manor in the city of Cork is the epitome of the classic Irish, mansion-style hotel - friendly staff, comfortable surroundings and an incredible sense of hospitality. Located within a walled garden on the edge of University College Cork, the property's 88 rooms offer guests a quiet respite from the narrow-clogged roads of the nation's second largest city. In its ornate tearoom, I had an opportunity to sit down with T.J. Mulcahy, Hayfield Manor's General Manager, to discuss what makes the property so special.
Hoteliers have accused OTAs of "behaving appallingly" by changing terms and conditions so bookings - including those that were non-refundable - are reimbursed, without cancellation charges.
Hotel industry thought leaders convening at I Meet Hotel Amsterdam on 6 March said that while the full impact of coronavirus on the hotel and tourism sector was uncertain, six underlying driving forces would continue to transform the future of hospitality and tourism.
IMEX Frankfurt, the largest annual trade exhibition for the meetings, conventions, events and incentive travel industry, has been cancelled, following German federal and state advisories to cancel large events due to the coronavirus outbreak. The event was scheduled to take place May 12-14 in Frankfurt, Germany.
Venice is widely known for the crushing crowds of tourists. The seasonal events that take place on this historical city, such as the Venice Architecture Biennale or the Venice Carnival, have placed it to one of the most sought-after destinations. However, its tourism industry has significantly suffered over the past 3 months. The exceptionally high tides, which further resulted in the flooding in November, led to mass reservation cancellations dropping significantly the anticipated average daily rate as well as the occupancy rate on the hotels.
Latest update on Expedia's controversial (and, so far, unilateral) cancellation policies due to coronavirus pandemic. As per today, all bookings for hotels in Italy will be refunded, even the non-refundable ones. A full refund, so far, will only be guaranteed for bookings made before March, the 10th 2020 and with stay date between today and the 3rd of April, 2020.
You might think that the managers of short-term rental properties in Berlin faced sharp pain when ITB Berlin canceled its early March event, Europe's biggest travel fair.
Despite its cancellation this year, ITB is offering digital services 365 days a year by launching itb.com (www.bit.ly/2IkpHrB). The World's Leading Travel Trade Show is establishing a completely new networking platform for the world's travel industry. This global website spans a bridge between real-life meetings and digital networking, and features innovative tools for business, networking and exclusive content. "In these very difficult times the tourism industry needs ITB more than ever", said Dr. Martin Buck, Senior Vice President, Travel+Logistics, Messe Berlin GmbH. That is why, at the forward-looking events of the ITB Virtual Convention, leading speakers from ITB will be discussing how the world's travel industry can harness intelligent strategies to make sure it remains future-proof even in a challenging environment. In the wake of the latest developments, discussions on how the industry can deal with the coronavirus will play a key role. Between 5 and 11 March 2020 viewers can follow more than 20 exclusive live streams and videos in English and German, some in real time, some time-shifted, on itb.com. Afterwards, they will be made available as videos on demand.
Although ITB and IHIF Berlin have been cancelled at short notice, Kempinski Hotels is holding its planned events and meetings in Berlin through the entire week. Martin R. Smura, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Management Board of Kempinski Hotels as well as all members of the Management Board are present in Berlin despite the cancellations due to the corona virus, thus expressing the importance and appreciation of customers and partners.
Despite the cancellation of ITB exhibitors at ITB Berlin 2020 can publicise and promote their travel industry events in Berlin at www.itb-berlin.de/events free of charge or share information on social media under the hashtag #whatwewantedtosayatITBBerlin20
Due to the global concern regarding COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak, Questex today announces it will postpone the International Hospitality Investment Forum (IHIF), the world's largest and most influential hospitality investment event, and its co-located event Adjacent Spaces@IHIF. The shows were set to take place next week - 2nd - 4th March 2020 - in Berlin Germany and will be moved to the 4th - 6th of May at the InterContinental Hotel and Pullman hotel respectively.
ITB Berlin 2020 will not take place. Due to the rapid spread of the new coronavirus (COVID-19) the Federal Ministry of Health and the Federal Ministry of Economics have stated their opinion that ITB Berlin be cancelled. This evening at 1827 hrs, the responsible health authority of the district of Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf in Berlin imposed significantly tighter restrictions on holding the event. Among its requirements the authority stipulated that each participant would need to prove to Messe Berlin that they were not from a designated risk area or had not been in contact with a person or persons from a risk area. It is not possible for Messe Berlin to satisfy these requirements overall.
Haynes MarComs, a specialist technology marketing and PR consultancy, recently celebrated its first birthday with six client acquisitions and team expansion. With the birth of a new decade, it aims to become a market leader with its own unique personality providing boutique services to scaling tech and service companies.
The list of high-ranking speakers at the industry's leading think tank continues to grow - Big names and leading international companies with information on the most important questions about the future: shift in customer expectations and luxury travel - Exclusive survey by Travelzoo and ITB Berlin with information on the latest developments and trends - New panels on the coronavirus in response to the latest developments and new requirements for exhibitors
The Merrion Hotel in Dublin comprises four adjoined-terrace houses originally built around 1760 for wealthy Irish nobility. But nowadays you don't have to be nobility to be a guest here, nor particularly wealthy, as nightly rates range from a few hundred to well over a thousand Euros nightly depending upon room type selected. Regardless of the room selected, you'll be treated to perhaps the finest guest service you can find in Ireland's charming capital.