All eyes are on the spreading coronvirus, COVID-19. Here you can follow the development and the impact of the coronavirus on the Hospitality Industry. Visit the WHO | World Health Organization for more information about the virus.
Elanor Investors Group Launches AUD346 Million Hotel Accommodation Fund, SC Capital Partners Sets Sights on Japanese Hotels, Hong Kong Tourism Board Extends ‘Hong Kong Neighbourhoods’ Program to Promote Domestic Tourism, Sun Group Launches the Sun Tropical Village Project in Phu Quoc.
The delta variant is slowly but inevitably absorbing the news cycle heading into Autumn 2021 as cases swell across the world and governments take pre-emptive measures to stop a fourth wave of COVID-19 from triggering another round of economically harmful lockdowns.
Independent hoteliers are leveraging the unique characteristics of boutique properties to capitalize on demand during a year challenged by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Like many industries, hotels are at the mercy of the delays in the global supply chain.
In July, President Biden issued an executive order that included a call to make consumer-friendly changes in the travel industry. We asked experts to weigh in on the prospects for change.
At the start of the pandemic, I implemented, when considered in retrospect, was an uncharacteristic experiment. For an entire day, I tried not to touch anything in a public space. After a few hours of what seemed like a long game of playground tag, I realised that it was impossible to shun much of our physical contact outside the home effectively.
A total of 57 deals (comprising mergers & acquisitions [M&A], private equity, and venture financing) were announced in the global travel and tourism sector during August 2021, which is a decline of 17.
People do not resist change, they resist loss. Loss of what is familiar, what they know and what does not frighten them. Losing that creates fear, fear of the unknown, fear of what could be and an unchosen, unseating of a daily norm.
Hotels in Europe that rely on international business travelers face a painfully long wait until recovery that could stretch to more than four years.
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The Business Travel Association (BTA), the authoritative voice of business travel, has today revealed 76% of travellers returning to the UK said their PCR test result was not looked at or verified by the UK Border Force.
In August 2021, Tranio joined forces with the International Hotel Investment Forum (IHIF) to conduct a joint survey on the impact the global COVID-19 pandemic has had on the hospitality sector since March 2020, and to zero in on what we can expect from the market going forward.
"The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) supports the goals of the six-point plan to tackle the surge of COVID-19 put forth by President Biden today. The importance of vaccinations and testing are important and GBTA fully supports these initiatives.
Sylvia Burbery is delighted that she no longer spends most of her life travelling for work.
MMGY Travel Intelligence, MMGY Global’s research and insights division, has released the findings from the 2021 “Fall Edition” of its Portrait of American Travelers® survey fielded in late July. The report highlights continuing strength in traveler sentiment, including high expectations for holiday travel.
U.S. leisure travelers plan to significantly pare back travel plans amid rising COVID-19 cases, with 69% planning to take fewer trips, 55% planning to postpone existing travel plans, and 42% likely to cancel existing plans without rescheduling, according to a new national survey conducted by Morning Consult on behalf of the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA).
One year ago today, Scandic launched the largest network of coworking spaces in the Nordic countries. Driven by the growing trend in flexible working, the concept has opened up hotel spaces to both budding entrepreneurs and established businesses as well as students.
Marriott’s chief executive has warned that the company is in a “fight for talent” as it tries to recruit 10,000 staff to its US hotels to keep pace with a sharp rebound in bookings. Tony Capuano, who took over after the death in February of his predecessor Arne Sorenson, said pandemic redundancies had “rattled” workers’ confidence in the travel and tourism sector, prompting acute staff shortages.
Hoteliers in the U.S. had been pinning their hopes on business travel picking up after Labor Day, but those projections are dimming as COVID-19 cases increase nationally.
The Business Visits & Events Partnership (BVEP), the umbrella body and advocacy group representing the UK events sector, has today published its Shape of Events Report.
Universal Studios Debuts in China, Con Dao Airport in Vietnam to be Expanded, Cambodia’s Mondulkiri Tourism Plan for 2021 to 2035 Approved, Malaysia’s Terengganu Reopens Tourism Sector on 1 September
Creative Supply founder Youri Sawerschel and Frame Magazine’s Tracey Ingram sit down for the first in a series on space and branding, bringing together insights from Sawerschel’s realm of brand strategy and brand design, and Ingram’s role as editor at large for one of the world’s leading interior-design publications.
These days, when someone asks what I do for work the next question invariably revolves around the future of the industry. Will business travel return? When and how much of it?
Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO said: “Protecting public health must remain the priority and WTTC strongly supports safety protocols to stop the spread of COVID-19. However, the EU’s recommendation to reimpose restrictions on U.
The media, when communicating about the prospects for airlines, aircraft manufactures, the hotels, and vendors that serve these sectors report on the return of business travel to pre-pandemic levels. But nobody knows! It’s reasonable to estimate an upcoming business travel recovery with an abstraction from what occurred after prior recessions, especially the post-financial crisis period.
Local and state mandates regarding the operation of restaurants during the pandemic hit the hotel industry hard. Was the hit hard enough to force permanent changes to how hotels deliver food and beve.
Key Takeaways - The occupancy recovery has flat-lined and RevPAR gains have lost some momentum as we head into fall. - International travel restrictions continue to benefit U.S. hotels and the bulk of inbound travelers are now coming from Latin America, a meaningful change since prior to the pandemic.
U.S. hotel performance continued to decline from previous weeks, according to STR‘s latest data through 28 August.
U.S. Travel Executive Vice President of Public Affairs and Policy Tori Emerson Barnes issued the following statement on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendation advising unvacc.
Business travel as we’ve known it is a thing of the past. From Pfizer Inc., Michelin and LG Electronics Inc. to HSBC Holdings Plc, Hershey Co., Invesco Ltd. and Deutsche Bank AG, businesses around the world are signaling that innovative new communications tools are making many pre-pandemic-era trips history.
The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) today warned the UK government that with the furlough scheme coming to an end, it has just 30 days left to save travel businesses which are struggling to survive.
Purple bands on LinkedIn have been a far better visual than the multiples of greens we witnessed in the recent past. While hospitality recruitment has taken a turn for the better, it is another story that the COVID era has upended the hospitality talent landscape completely.
U.S. business travelers are scaling back travel plans amid rising COVID-19 cases, with 67% planning to take fewer trips, 52% likely to cancel existing travel plans without rescheduling, and 60% planning to postpone existing travel plans, according to a new national survey conducted by Morning Consult on behalf of the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA).
Julia Simpson, President & CEO of the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) said: “It’s a welcome and positive step by the Italian government to remove quarantine for those from the UK who are fully-jabbed.
The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has called upon the UK government to finally bring an end to the widely discredited travel traffic light system.
U.S. Travel Association Executive Vice President of Public Affairs and Policy Tori Emerson Barnes issued the following statement on news that the European Union recommends removing the United States .
Global hotel performance is improving month by month. That’s the good news. The more pressing concern is if it will remain that way. The hotel industry remains fragile, dodging each and every new impediment thrown its way.
Hotel profitability has come a long way since the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, and particularly in the past few months, according to data from STR, CoStar's hospitality analytics firm.
The French hotel industry was counting on the end of health restrictions to finally reboost the activity. That's a done deal, as summer 2021 was much better than in 2020: +47% in turnover for the period from July 1st to August 21st, even if this is still quite below pre-COVID levels (-20.
The Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) Foundation is supporting the hospitality industry by distributing a second round of COVID Relief Fund grants to hospitality professionals worldwide, bringing the total amount of grants to $170,000 distributed to nearly 400 recipients worldwide.
The lack of an internationally recognized vaccine certification system could hinder travel recovery as many travelers are left confused about quarantine requirements and travel restrictions. With varying rules, some may opt for domestic trips, dealing a blow to destinations that are dependent on international visitation, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.
The business travel industry continues to report an overall willingness and optimism about the return to business travel. However, the rise of the Delta variant and other variants has become a cause for uncertainty and increased concern over the past month.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Despite every corner of the hotel industry being challenged, a handful of hotels in the U.S. have been able to grow either occupancy, rate or both during the 12-month period ending March 2021.
Research conducted by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has revealed Sri Lanka’s economy could face losses of more than LKR260 million each day it remains on the UK’s disruptive and damaging ‘red list’ for travel.
Regions around the world continue to see increased pandemic-related challenges, with the situation varying greatly by country. Fortunately, more than 4.6 billion doses of coronavirus vaccines have been administered in more than 190 countries, providing the tourism and hospitality industry a much-needed confidence boost, especially during the current summer months.
There is a lot of good news to pull out from STR's latest full-year 2021 forecast for the hotel industry — leisure demand surpassing pre-pandemic levels and hoteliers holding rate through the downturn — but a hazy outlook for corporate spending is keeping growth projections for the remainder of the year somewhat muted.
At a time when many Americans are patronizing hotels for the first time in almost 18 months – and cases of the Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 are on the rise – hotels must cease the dangerous trend of ‘hygiene theater’ and adopt an effective, sustainable, cost-effective and risk-based approach to hygiene interventions.
According to research conducted by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), the South African economy could face massive losses of more than ZAR 181 million every week it’s on the UK’s ‘red list’ for travel.
Many of us are starting to get back on the road and experience travel again while trying to figure out the new game and what has changed.
A new survey from The Vacationer (https://thevacationer.com/labor-day-travel-survey-2021/) shows 137 Million American adults (53%) plan to travel for Labor Day this year. Despite the increase in travel from the Fourth of July, 75% (194 million adults) say Covid-19 and the Delta variant is either a big concern or a slight concern when considering Labor Day plans.
Destinations across North America (USA, Mexico and Canada) are at different stages of tourism development. However, one common factor is that the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 have been hard felt for each respective tourism economy, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.
In this episode of HNtv Insiders, Emma Banks, VP F&B Strategy & Development EMEA at Hilton talks with Naim Maadad, chief executive and founder at Gates Hospitality, about the past 18 months in business and the revival of the F&B industry post-pandemic.
Freeman (www.freeman.com) is the global leader in exhibition management. Family owned and operated, they are the ‘go to’ folks behind numerous convention centers with a bevy of services to create memorable, large-scale events.
Corporate travel, which took a big hit during the pandemic, is showing green shoots again. But will it approach prepandemic levels any time soon? How will the shift toward remote work affect the return of internal meetings, client visits, and conferences? The answers to these questions will determine how businesses and travel providers pivot to function in the new normal.
When making purchases, almost everyone has experienced being offered special programs for which they can sign up. Promising future discounts and rewards in exchange for loyalty, these programs are by now nearly ubiquitous.
China, usually seen as the global leader in the hotel industry’s recovery from the pandemic, took a massive fall last week in its hospitality comeback due to the Delta variant. Prior industry optimism about the country’s ability to quickly rally after a setback doesn’t seem to apply this time around.
More than 60% of small and independent hoteliers in the Mediterranean say bookings are rising faster than at any time in the last 12 months.
It is no news that the pandemic has accelerated the digitalization of the hospitality industry. Now more than ever, travelers and hotel guests are expecting to be able to use their phone to plan and manage their travel experience.
The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA), the Biden Administration and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) collaborated over the last several months to expand and improve the SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program for the hotel industry, which was heavily impacted by COVID 19.
Non-essential travel across the land border between the US and Mexico remains restricted 17 months on from the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and this could have devastating impacts for Mexico’s tourism industry, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.
We are 100% open at all our hotels and while there are still some closed hotels, they are now the exception, not the rule.
Employees manning the frontlines of customer service, whether behind the hotel front desk or the restaurant counter, come face-to-face with folks from all walks of life for hours on end.
Dusit Thailand Public Company Limited (DUSIT), one of Thailand’s leading hotel and property development companies, has reported its 2Q21 results, with total revenue of THB 587 million, a year-over-year (YoY) increase of THB 163 million (or 38.
Paramount Pictures to Develop Southeast Asia’s Biggest Theme Park in Bali, Taiwan’s Progressive Reopening After Pandemic Alert Lowered to Level Two, Hong Kong Eases Border Restrictions to Overseas Travellers from 9 August 2021, IMG Australia’s AUD120 Million Pullman to Be Constructed.
As travel returns, you might start feeling some airfare sticker shock. It’s not necessarily because more people are vacationing again, though they certainly are. It’s more likely because fewer people are doing trips for business.
On June 15th, four hospitality and technology industry experts joined School of Hotel Administration (SHA) Professor Chekitan Dev to discuss the post-pandemic outlook for business travel in a keynote webinar titled Your Itinerary: Preparing for the Comeback of Business Meetings, Conferences, and Travel, presented by the Center for Hospitality Research (CHR) and eCornell.
Cornell research: United States hotel prices have rebounded above their statistical lower bound in all regions except the Mountain states, signaling a return toward their pre-pandemic level—although we are not quite there yet.
The Indian restaurant industry has been on a roller coaster ride, with several lows and few highs since the onset of the pandemic. The strict lockdown regimes of the first and second pandemic waves in the country have had a severe and long-lasting impact on the dine-out culture, with industry associations estimating that 25-30% of the outlets have shut down in the last year.
With Australia battling a rise in COVID-19 cases, domestic travel has reduced drastically. While Australia’s domestic recovery was strong in H1 2021, the reintroduction of lockdowns and state border closures will serve as a blow, and set to weaken and slow down the domestic travel recovery.
After being one of the highest-performing countries during the early portion of 2021, Australia’s hotel occupancy has been on a rapid decline amid the latest COVID-19 lockdowns across the country, according to data from STR through 1 August.
At a time when the recovery of our sector is raising many issues, we are facing our old demons: adding value to our industry and our professions. Today, more than 100,000 jobs remain vacant in French restaurants, hotels and other tourist properties.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) released the IATA World Air Transport Statistics (WATS) publication with performance figures for 2020 demonstrating the devastating effects on global air transport during that year of the COVID-19 crisis.
Online travel agency Booking Holdings Inc (BKNG.O) said on Wednesday its quarterly revenue more than tripled and trounced estimates, driven by strong demand in Europe and the United States as more people planned their long-delayed getaways.
The prospects for a swift tourism recovery have been dealt a blow in recent months as the Delta variant has spread rapidly across many parts of the world. While vaccination rates have continued growing in most developed countries, rising COVID-19 cases have forced some governments to reimpose restrictions or, at the very least, slow plans for reopening their economies.
Sonder, a leading next-generation hospitality company that is redefining the guest experience through technology and design, today released new survey findings, providing data and insights into the return of travel following one of the most severe downturns in the travel and hospitality industries in history.
Explore the evolution of the marketing campaign during the Covid-19 pandemic and the impact of the crisis on the travel and hospitality industry. The white paper includes insights and analysis from The Leading Hotels of the World’s Chief Marketing Officer Phil Koserowski and the author of Corporate Agility’s Michael Wong.
The increase in demand for hotel rooms during the COVID-19 pandemic has been a double-edged sword for the U.S. hotel industry.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, urban hotels and hotels located in STR’s top 25 markets led the U.S. in performance, with high occupancy and higher rates courtesy of the leisure and business travelers who flocked to these metro centers.
Hotel demand growth has outpaced expectations for this leisure-driven summer travel season, but that doesn't mean the overall recovery is further along than anticipated, forecasting experts said at the Americas Lodging Investment Summit.
As Bangkok grapples with rising numbers of Covid infections, leading tourism voice KP Ho, Executive Chairman of Banyan Tree Group, has told European envoys, airlines, senior officials and business leaders, that for Phuket Sandbox to succeed it is imperative for Phuket to be given “green” destination status.
Partners Group, GIC and Salter Brothers Acquire Australia’s Travelodge Hotels for AUD620 Million, Thailand-based Minor International Sold Two Hotels in Algarve, Portugal, Clark International Airport’s New Passenger Terminal Completes Construction, Samui Plus Model Expected to Generate THB180 Million in the First Month.
A Pictorial Update on Our Latest Thoughts and the Facts and Figures Influencing Our Industry.
Gauging the global hotel industry’s recovery is a lot like poker: you play the hand you’re dealt as best you can and you never know what the next one will bring.
Travel rates are returning to pre-pandemic levels in parts of the world. How is the hospitality industry responding? Keith Barr, CEO of the multinational InterContinental Hotels Group, and CBRE’s Rachael Rothman, Head of Hotels Research & Data Analytics, join Spencer to discuss what’s next for the hospitality sector and what lessons the industry has learned from COVID-19.
The ALIS Conference came and went this week, bringing Downtown L.A. hotels to life with optimism and hope that normal for the hotel industry is coming in the not-too-distant future. Here are some collective takeaways from our team that was in attendance.
The Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) and TrustYou present Do You Know Your Guests?, a new white paper that discusses how the pandemic changed guest behavior, including how they travel and what they expect from hotels; best practices for responding to guest feedback; and how automated solutions can help.
A few months ago, I offered a cautionary outlook for the hospitality talent pipeline as the industry moves through recovery, noting that “hotel companies may not be sufficiently staffed with sales, marketing, and revenue professionals at the property and above-property levels to meet the return — now or in the years ahead.
The RIU chain is presenting its new Sustainability Report for 2020 — a year marked by the challenges facing the tourism sector as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, but in which it strengthened CSR with 30 social and environmental actions worldwide to support the local community and protect children, that directly or indirectly benefited 13.
Housekeeping models are shifting as the industry progresses through the COVID-19 pandemic, and operators are met with balancing guest preferences with the current labor market.
After many months of video calls replacing in-person meetings, business travellers are slowly getting back on the road.
While no hotel escaped unscathed from the COVID-19 pandemic, extended-stay hotels reported some of the highest occupancies over the course of 2020.
Malcolm Kerr, Managing Director of Horwath HTL UK has been talking to prominent executives and advisors to get their perspective on the major challenges facing owners and how they are preparing for an uncertain future.
Westminster’s 3,700 bars, restaurants and pubs, 56 theatres, 21 LGBTQI+ night time venues and world-class retail and cultural offerings are ready to jump back to life. The hotel industry will be playing a vital part in contributing to the safe and successful reopening this summer.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) called on governments to take action to address the high cost of COVID-19 tests in many jurisdictions and urged flexibility in permitting the use of cost-effective antigen tests as an alternative to more expensive PCR tests.
For some travelers, app-based food delivery companies like Grubhub and UberEats have already rendered hotel room service nearly obsolete.
According to the Amex Trendex1, a trend report from American Express, US consumers are spending their time and money gearing up for a return to in-person activities this fall. Parents are preparing for their kids to go back to school, and many working adults are getting ready to head back to the office.
Health crises are every hotel manager’s worst nightmare, but they are becoming increasingly common. In a fascinating and prescient case study that bridges the gap between theory and practice, Dr Clare Fung and Dr Alice H.
The global wellness economy, valued at $4.5 trillion, is rapidly outpacing the growth of the global economy, with ever-increasing demand attributed to several contributory factors. Aging populations, fast-paced lives and high-pressure jobs are resulting in an increase in chronic conditions, stress, depression and sleep problems.
New research from Expedia Group reveals shifting views on travel, including positive sentiment on vaccine passports, increased budgets, and an enduring demand for safety and financial security. The Traveler Value Index examines the views of 8,000 people in eight countries to understand their values and expectations as the pandemic becomes more controlled in many parts of the world.
In 2019, grandparents had never heard of Zoom, scanning a QR code for a menu felt weird, and getting texts from a business still felt novel. Early adopters and innovative hotels and businesses have messaged with guests for years, creating serendipitous connections with guests.
The COVID-19 pandemic was an unprecedented setback in Nashville’s growth, particularly within the lodging, convention, and tourism industries, similar to trends across the nation. According to STR, occupancy levels declined by 44% in 2020, while ADR contracted by 30%.
As the world finally starts to reopen and we emerge from the pandemic, there are so many things that have been altered or impacted by Covid-19.
With cities locked down, borders closed and mask-wearing people limiting exposure to each other, it’s not surprising that airlines, hotels and travel experience providers all saw staggering drops in their businesses during 2020.
The United States is not ready to lift restrictions on international travel as the Covid-19 delta variant gains a bigger foothold around the world, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in a press briefing on Monday.
Corporate travel managers projected virtual meetings to replace 27 percent on average of 2022 travel volume, according to a new Morgan Stanley survey. On average, travel manager respondents projected 44 percent and 19 percent of their travel volume to shift to virtual meetings in 2021 and 2023, respectively.
All tides ebb and flow, and since the COVID-19 pandemic changed the way most of the world works, we’re seeing a distinct turning of the tide from being in favor of the employer to holding firm for the employee.
When the Waldorf Astoria Residences Miami opens in a 100-story tower on Biscayne Bay sometime in the mid 2020s, it'll be one of the tallest hotels in the United States. The downtown skyscraper will turn heads for another reason, too: around 60 percent of the hotel will be private residences that each start at $1 million.
The Hôtel Martinez is famous for a strict access policy to protect its famous guests.
When Alex Diaz was furloughed last March, along with most of his colleagues, he did not expect to be back anytime soon.
At the close of 2021’s second quarter, analysts at Lodging Econometrics (LE) report that the total U.S. construction pipeline stands at 4,787 projects/598,111 rooms, down 14% Year-Over-Year (YOY) by projects from Q2 2020’s 5,582 projects/687,801 rooms.
Prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Raleigh was growing rapidly given its high quality of life and status as the state capital of North Carolina. The city has attracted large national and multinational corporations, such as Duke Energy, Citrix, Red Hat, Amazon, IBM, Accenture, and PNC.
“The tourism sector is founded on natural, geographical, cultural, and historical properties. To recognize their value and preserve them, UNESCO began labeling the most prominent of these properties as World Heritage Sites (WHSs).
I wrote two articles during the pandemic, one around the beginning and one in the middle. It’s time to complete the trilogy.
U.S. Travel Association Executive Vice President of Public Affairs and Policy Tori Emerson Barnes issued the following statement on the announcement that the United States has extended border restric.
The return of business travel has been debated ad nauseum, but there is agreement on this: changes in corporate programs, mandates and approvals will either slow - or accelerate - travel's return.
The ability of hotel companies in the UK and Europe to attract and retain staff has never been more crucial as a combination of new immigration policies making it more difficult to employ foreign workers and the on-going impact of COVID continue to threaten staffing levels.
The biggest crisis in the history of tourism continues into a second year. Between January and May, international tourist arrivals were 85% below 2019 levels (or a 65% drop on 2020), UNWTO data shows.
Internet of Things (IoT) technology can help to ease traveler concerns regarding personal health and wellbeing, while allowing travel and tourism companies to collect a wealth of data for a range of internal and external benefits, according to GlobalData.
On June 15th, four hospitality and technology industry experts joined School of Hotel Administration (SHA) Professor Chekitan Dev to discuss the post-pandemic outlook for business travel in a keynote webinar titled Your Itinerary: Preparing for the Comeback of Business Meetings, Conferences, and Travel, presented by the Center for Hospitality Research (CHR) and eCornell.
April’s unemployment rate is at 6.1% but the lodging sector’s unemployment rate is at 13.8% due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which is where it was also 30 years ago. Although the industry is seeing a demand for jobs, the labor pool is shallow.
Long before he was interested in hotels, Anthony “Tony” Capuano wanted to be a fighter pilot.
Midway through 2021, a new report and state-by-state job loss breakdown released by the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) find that while leisure travel is starting to return, the hotel industry’s road to recovery from the pandemic is long and uneven, with urban markets disproportionately impacted.
The darkest days for the tourism industry may soon be over, according to the chairman of a multinational hospitality firm.
The number of travel managers who consider their organizations'' employees willing to travel for business appears to have plateaued since May, according to a new survey by the Global Business Travel Association.
California’s hotel development trends are showing the effects of both recovering demand as well as lasting pandemic challenges.
The top factors influencing a guest’s choice in hotel accommodation according to STR Research in May 2021 are: location, price & value for money, cancellation policy, previous stay, positive reviews/personal recommendations.
The last year hasn't only altered our relationship with work. It has also changed our ideas about its intrinsic value. An eastern adage says that work is the best entertainment. This sentiment is echoed in western literature in The Return of Sherlock Holmes (1905) in which the detective tells his sidekick, Dr Watson, that work is the best antidote to sorrow.
No business sector was hit harder by the pandemic than hospitality. And none has experienced such a meteoric rebound. It’s a testament to how vital travel and the hospitality industry are to our lives and relationships.
Between industry leaders lobbying for easing of travel restrictions in time for summer holidays, and eyes and ears firmly on vaccination rollouts and the Delta variant, so much seems to be riding on the next few months.
While the industry awaits the return of corporate and international travel, which is expected to return in the fall, hotel general managers see a growing transient business and signs of a recovery.
Amid a worldwide pandemic, the lodging industry faced a downturn that was greater than the past two lodging-market declines combined; fortunately, most markets have begun to recover in both occupancy and average daily rate (ADR).
Travel management company (TMC) Egencia Travel’s game-changing new tool, which enables business travelers to compare rail alternatives to flights before purchase, will meet the modern-day demands of corporate travel programs, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.
In 2020, the pandemic meant a near-complete brake on travel, and in our Global Wellness Summit trends report released in January, our trend the "Year of the Travel Reset" argued that this long travel pause gave both consumers and suppliers an unprecedented opportunity to think about rebooting travel for the better: to make it, in a word, more "well.
Marketing budgets have fallen to their lowest recorded level, dropping to 6.4% of company revenue in 2021 from 11% in 2020, according to Gartner, Inc. In the annual Gartner CMO Spend Survey, Gartner surveyed 400 CMO and marketing leaders in North America, the UK, France and Germany from March 2021 through May 2021, tracking the critical areas marketers are investing in and where cuts are being made from people, programs and technologies.
The travel industry is beginning to show promising signs of recovery as parts of the world reopen and vaccinations continue. We see from Google searches that people want to travel, provided they feel safe to do so: Global searches for “where to travel,” “can I travel” and “covid travel restrictions” are near all-time highs.
In the past 15 months, the hotel industry has suffered one of the most significant losses in gross booking quantity ever. However, despite volumes in 2020 being 69% lower than the previous year, we have been monitoring the reservation types, channels and rates to gain insights into trends that could help hotels plan the recovery.
The COVID-19 pandemic is a once-in-a-generation crisis with lasting economic and societal consequences. Crises and disasters often bring unpredictable catastrophic changes to the market. Yet, effective management of a crisis can help businesses reduce the event's negative impacts and shorten the recovery time.
Frontline hotel staff did not have an easy job during the past year. Tasked with enforcing mask mandates, reminding guests which services were temporarily unavailable due to the pandemic and putting their own health at risk daily, these workers still managed to keep guests happy.
While some destinations and segments, like city-based hotels that cater to business travellers, may take longer to experience sustained occupancy and revenue growth – it is a misconception to think RevPAR is suppressed in all markets and for all property types.
Hotels around the world are facing the unique situation of opening or ramping up business after COVID-19 closure. This is not a traditional ‘soft’ or ‘grand’ opening. There is little to no sense of celebration.
In the lead up to the first lockdown, there was definitely a formula that worked for travel content. From couples posing in the waterfalls of Bali and beaches of Tulum, to floating breakfasts and beautiful sunsets from beautiful houses in the Maldives - we’re aware of many examples of how successful aspirational travel content was made.
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the timeshare industry was significant; however, industry leaders are optimistic that the recovery is underway and that the recovery timeline may be relatively short.
Today Ascenda, the technology company that makes banking rewarding, revealed consumer confidence in travel is returning quickly according to leading indicators from its bank solution TransferConnect, the world's largest global exchange for frequent traveller miles and points.
New Pokémon Wonder Theme Park Opens in Japan, Macau Lifts Quarantine for Guangdong Travellers and Introduces a ‘Blue Code System’ for Future Hong Kong Travellers, Hong Kong Unveils HKD4 Billion Water World Ocean Park, Tianfu International Airport Debuts in Chengdu, China.
The UK’s status as the most visited destination for US tourists in Europe is threatened by the mandatory quarantine on arrival. The list of European destinations now allowing US tourists to travel without quarantine is growing, meaning other European hotspots could prove to be more desirable in the short term, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.
The Irish government is expected to sign off on plans to reopen indoor hospitality later.
For the week leading into the Fourth of July holiday, U.S. hotels sold more rooms this year than in 2019, and at least outside of the top 25 largest markets, commanded record-high rates.
More than half of U.S. hospitality workers wouldn’t go back to their old jobs and over a third aren’t even considering reentering the industry, according to a survey that underscores hiring challenges for restaurants, bars and hotels.
Restarting business and international travel was a “top priority” of the Biden administration, according to Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo. Speaking on a virtual forum conducted by the American Hotel & Lodging Association, Raimondo said the department would soon announce a package of $750 million in aid to the US travel and tourism industries.
Americans are increasingly looking to take more, but shorter, vacations this summer, according to travel insurance company Allianz Partners.
Hoteliers had to change how they served food to guests during the pandemic, but as the recovery nears, they must again adapt what food and beverages they serve and how they serve them when large groups and events business return.
It seems that, finally, the light at the end of the pandemic tunnel is in sight—at least in some parts of the world. In 2020, total global business travel expenses contracted by 52 percent, while managed corporate-travel spending in the United States plummeted 71 percent, or $94 billion.
A total of 74 deals (comprising mergers & acquisitions, private equity, and venture financing deals) were announced in the global travel and tourism sector during June, which is an increase of 39.6% over 53 deals announced in May, according to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.
The island nation of Sri Lanka has emerged as one of the most sought-after tourist destinations in South Asia since the three-decade-long civil war in the country ended in 2009. The country, popularly known as the Pearl of the Indian Ocean due to its rich natural beauty and cultural heritage, offers tourists a plethora of experiences with multiple attractions ranging from pristine beaches, beautiful rainforests, tea plantations, wildlife parks, to historical sites, ancient ruins, temples and even casinos.
Woody Wade, a Swiss-based expert on the strategic technique of scenario planning, has just launched “SEE YOUR NEW NORMAL”, a handbook for managers wanting to understand how their post-pandemic terrain could develop.
Asia Pacific was the region hit hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic according to the new annual Economic Trends Report from the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC).
Morocco is located in North Africa, a lot of its country depends on tourism, and it is the second or third largest industry in Morocco. There are 585 hotel properties in Morocco participating in the Smith Travel Research (STR) data.
Despite an uptick in leisure travel, a new report released by the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) shows that the road to recovery for the hotel industry is long with 21 of the top 25 U.S. hotel markets remaining in a depression or recession.
The Excellence Collection announces all its properties are now open following temporary closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Today, Excellence Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic has opened its doors and officially brings the brand to a full operation of its hotels and resorts.
London, UK: UK families face yet another ‘lost summer’ thanks to the controversial traffic light system, quarantines, costly COVID-19 tests and confusing travel rules and regulations, says the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC).
Talking on day three of IBTM Wired, Ozan Varol, rocket scientist turned bestselling author and professor, shared his four-step moonshot thinking process.
As the summer travel season begins and the EU prepares for further easing of international travel on July 1, Hosts on Airbnb from across Europe met with European policymakers last week to discuss the future of tourism.
Many will perceive Tokyo 2020’s tourism legacy to be overwhelmingly negative, due to it taking place during a pandemic and the side-effects that have come with that. However, some positives can still be drawn when looking to the future of Japanese tourism, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.
As some of the biggest and most business-based markets in the U.S., the top 25 markets have struggled the most of STR’s 166 markets over the past 14 months.
Red Roof®, the leader in economy lodging, has announced the launch of a month-long fundraising campaign to accelerate its support for the work of Leuva Patidar Samaj of USA (LPS) and its Leuva Patidar Samaj of USA COVID Relief India Project 2021, as the organization works to provide support for hospitals in Gujarat, India province which have been impacted by the devastating effects of the COVID pandemic.
The crash in international tourism due to the coronavirus pandemic could cause a loss of more than $4 trillion to the global GDP for the years 2020 and 2021, according to an UNCTAD report published on 30 June.
Travel is an unstoppable force, and meetings and events create meaningful human connections. Again and again, history has shown both statements to be true – we’ve seen recessions slow business and storms devastate communities, but we always rebuild, we always recover and we always innovate.
In 2019, the tourism industry in Ireland was valued at over €9bn to the economy, with overseas visitor numbers at their highest-ever level at 10.8m. Similar to other countries, COVID-19 has had an extreme impact on the tourism sector, with a lack of international visitors and restrictions on hospitality, tourism and leisure businesses.
We take care: As part of its Safe Travel Campaign, Deutsche Hospitality is immediately introducing an option which will permit all hotel guests in Germany to undergo a rapid and physician-authorised digital coronavirus test.
From mid-June 2021 Indian states started easing COVID-19 induced lockdown in a cautious way to get back to normal. As a result, six major metropolitan areas are forecasted to grow by 9.7% in real terms in 2021 and unemployment rate set to decline by 0.
Are you tracking the Market Recovery Monitor each week? Utilizing data and benchmarking to navigate recovery will be a key focus of the 2021 Hotel Data Conference. Click here for registration, with both in-person and virtual options available for our 13th annual event in Nashville.
Ascott to Acquire Two Properties in Paris and Hanoi, Far East Consortium Sells Four-star Dorsett London Hotel, Thailand’s Cabinet Approves Phuket Sandbox Scheme, Australia’s State Governments Announce New Measures to Boost Tourism Recovery.
Tourism is slowly and steadily getting back on its feet with the gradual relaxation of COVID-19 norms across the world. Recent reports indicate that flight and hotel bookings have been increasing steadily, especially to popular tourist destinations in the US and Europe.
Tourism eyes around the world are focused on a resort island in Thailand next week for the reopening of international, vaccinated travel to the Phuket Sandbox. A key emerging storyline from the island’s frenzied runaway to 1st July has been the remarkable cross sector partnerships that has become a true catalyst of change.
The recovery in the leisure sector is imminent, and we argue that small groups aren’t far behind given that ‘revenge travel’ also implies a strong yearning to reconnect and congregate. A return to healthy numbers won’t be evenly spread across all hotels, though.
One of our readers asked me the following question: What is your advice for a company that is struggling during COVID-19?
As European countries reopen their borders, travelers are eager to begin exploring the continent again, travel advisors said.
After more than a year stuck on video calls, company executives are ready to hit the skies and meet customers face to face again, fueling airline industry optimism that business travel is poised to rebound despite the rise of Covid-era workarounds like Zoom.
Price is the most important factor to 47%* of consumers when selecting accommodation, according to a poll by GlobalData. The data and analytics company notes that, with less budget for travel but a strong desire to escape, many will turn to budget providers to satisfy their travel cravings.
The whole travel industry is grappling with the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Travel priorities have changed radically for both leisure and business customers—with dramatic consequences for airlines and hospitality businesses.
With a 40% drop in the number of overnight stays in 2020, the Swiss hotel sector is on the verge of suffocation. An exceptional season this summer, however, could limit the damage.
American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) President and CEO Chip Rogers released the below statement after Senators Jerry Moran (R-KS) and Tim Kaine (D-VA) introduced S.2160, the “Restored, Equitable, Coronavirus Adjusted Lodging (RECAL) Act,” a bipartisan bill that would require the General Services Administration (GSA) to calculate federal per diem rates for fiscal years 2022 and 2023 using data from 2018 and 2019, prior to the pandemic wiping out 10 years of job growth in the hotel industry.
Across the globe, we have experienced the loss of things we took for granted and the collective power of continued, small actions.
Crises tend to give rise to remarkable innovations and insights. Today is just such a moment, raising challenges to many long-held beliefs about how companies should operate. In this episode of the Inside the Strategy Room podcast, McKinsey’s global leader Kevin Sneader talks with senior partner Celia Huber about the eight trends that will shape the post-COVID-19 economy, which he writes about in his recent article.
The COVID-19 pandemic caused global disruption to daily operations at colleges and universities. In response to the seemingly overnight switch to a virtual environment, the financial accommodation for testing and personal protective equipment, and the need to address declining enrollment, higher education leaders have been forced to be more strategic with their expenditures.
The founder of the Tata Group, Jamsetji Tata, said, “In a free enterprise, the community is not just another stakeholder in business, but is in fact the very purpose of its existence.” In line with this ethos, Indian Hotels Company (IHCL), South Asia’s largest hospitality company, today announced that it had crossed the milestone of over 1 million meals delivered by its culinary platform – Qmin to healthcare providers battling the fierce second wave of the pandemic.
Many occasional pre-pandemic pub-goers might never return, posing a risk to the survival of Britain’s historic pub culture, according to new research.
The last year has been one of the most unpredictable for many of us, especially those in the hospitality industry and holidaymakers looking for a much needed break away from home. As we’ve all encountered, plans can change during this time of uncertainty.
Warmer weather and low coronavirus case numbers are raising hope in some countries in Europe that vaccine rollouts could usher in a more normal summer after an erratic year of lockdowns.
Travelers are starting to hit the road again as millions are vaccinated against COVID-19 and are feeling more comfortable about taking long-overdue vacations, with one of the biggest segments of the vaccinated population being senior citizens.
While there was a surge in news about the implications of the Airbnb IPO back in December 2020, this development should still be top of mind for hoteliers because it will affect the long-term forecast and vision for every property worldwide.
The second wave of the pandemic caused by the variant of the COVID-19 virus, which was first identified in the United Kingdom has been the most severe in India. As a result, travel and tourism have been halted across the country, and the impact on the hotel industry is immense, especially in major cities such as Mumbai.
The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) – the world’s largest business travel association and worldwide leader in education, research, networking, and advocacy for the industry – is today writing to EU governments calling for strong political impetus, decisive action, and seamless coordination to safely re-open travel across the EU.
The travel industry has been stopped short by the coronavirus pandemic but as the nation recovers, Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian said he expects travel to bounce back to normal.
As Europe opens up after months of lockdowns and restrictions, interest in travel has risen distinctly, with two-thirds of Europeans intending to take a trip by the end of November 2021. Only 15% remain uncertain, and 15% are not willing to travel.
We know that the pandemic has changed hospitality sales and marketing, but how? In ways that you've probably imagined and others that you might not have. Senior-level hospitality sales and marketing executives - from both brands and hotel management companies (HMCs) - who participated in HSMAI's recent series of Executive Roundtable programs discussed the trends, challenges, and priorities on their radar a full year into this industry-disrupting crisis.
European Union governments in a meeting in Brussels have agreed to add the United States to their list of countries from which they will allow non-essential travel, EU diplomats said. Ambassadors from the EU’s 27 countries approved the addition of the United States and five other countries at a meeting on 16 June, with the change to take effect in the coming days.
We are all that kid in the back seat, knowing we haven't arrived but unable to stop asking if we're there yet. Does the stream of border openings, cruise restarts and lifting of protocols, quarantine.
Around the country, cities are recovering from a devastating year for business travel and tourism. Perhaps the biggest change? They’re finally showcasing the history of all the people who built them. In early March 2020, Van Johnson, the mayor of Savannah, Ga.
Lingering COVID restrictions and a patchwork approach to reopening across the country will prevent the economically crucial business travel segment from recovering until at least 2024, according to a Tourism Economics analysis released Tuesday by the U.
This afternoon, the All Party Parliamentary Group for Business Travel convened to discuss the ongoing impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the business travel sector.
Vulnerability and loss of control are two of COVID-19’s biggest lessons. Unlike past threats, this one was unique in its ability to deliver damage under the guise of invisibility. It couldn’t be seen; it couldn’t be heard; it couldn’t be smelled; it couldn’t be touched.
Airbnb believes in sharing the company’s success with our stakeholders, including the communities our Hosts call home. That’s why we created the Airbnb Community Fund to distribute $100 million over 10 years to organizations that are strengthening communities around the world, including $10 million distributed throughout 2021.
Leading figures from the private and public sectors gathered at Angsana Laguna Phuket on June 12 to re-confirm the re-opening of Phuket to international visitors on July 1 and to detail requirements and updates regarding vaccinations, length of stay, PCR testing and SHA Plus certification.
In March 2021, Medallia, in collaboration with the School of Hotel Administration’s (SHA) Center for Hospitality Research, launched an online hospitality community to crowdsource ideas with impact. With the COVID-19 pandemic hitting travel and the hospitality industry especially hard, the community was conceived as a place for hospitality thought leaders, from industry professionals to SHA professors and alumni, to support each other with innovative ideas and solutions to the industry’s most pressing issues and challenges.
A recent GlobalData poll has revealed a shift in consumer preference towards booking holidays directly, instead of going through an online travel agency (OTA). A total 39%* of respondents said they would typically book directly, followed by 17% that opted for OTAs and price comparison sites.
Remote work is here to stay. Even if companies start to require teams to return to a central office following full population vaccination, the benefits of allowing for flexible work conditions are too good to ignore.
More than a year after the fact, it’s still stunning to look back at the performance figures across the travel industry from April 2020. Numbers cratered in every category. Overall RevPAR for US hotels fell to $17.
Hospitality work is one of the most enduring professions in human history, but it is not immune to the passage of time. Advancements in technology have made it easier for hotels to simplify operations, sharpen pricing strategies, and better know their customers.
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating effect on the business travel industry. The international sector was by far the worst affected, facing a 75% drop in total trips. Domestic business tourism also suffered, dropping by 56% (63% decrease overall in 2020).
RMS North America, a leading provider of cloud-based reservation and property management systems to the hospitality industry, released its 2021 State of the Industry Report. The report offers actionable insights on what travelers are looking for and how hospitality businesses can adapt to meet new consumer expectations.
Foodservice is of increasing strategic importance as a differentiator for many hospitality businesses, and as a management subject it is core in all hospitality degrees. A crisis, like COVID-19, however, demands alterations to course content, because the effects of this and similar future crises are expected to have drastic and long-lasting effects.
EHL’s Institute of Real Estate, Finance & Economics is pleased to present the first update of the European Hotel Transaction Price Index that was initially launched last year. In 2020, European hotel transaction prices decreased on average by 11.
As the hotel sector prepares for life after the second wave (W2), we must recognise that this was not the same as W1.
According to STR, Boston’s revenue per available room (RevPAR) fell by more than $100 last year, from $147 in 2019 to $42 in 2020, recording a 71.3% decline that was severe by any measure, but also when compared with that of other major metropolitan areas.
Hospitality management education is an applied discipline; it not only applies general business theories and concepts to the hospitality industry (Morrison & O’Gorman, 2008), but it also builds theory from industry examples (Hsu, Xiao & Chen, 2017; Khan, 2019) and as a result provides pragmatic and practical learnings for university students and executive education participants.
Organizational behavior analyzes what people do in the workplace, and human beings - with their strengths and their weaknesses, their aspirations and their fears, their commonalities and specificities – as well as the factors that determine their behavior, will not change fundamentally in the very short term.
In support of AAHOA’s recent $100,000 donation to organizations supporting COVID-19 relief efforts in India, M3 has matched the organization’s contribution with an equal donation of $100,000 to Samaritan’s Purse, an international humanitarian aid organization providing ongoing COVID-19 relief efforts in India.
Braze, a comprehensive customer engagement platform, today revealed findings from its newest data report, Ready for Takeoff: 2021 Travel Industry Trends, Insights, and Strategies . The research includes findings from a survey of 9,500 consumers across 13 global markets conducted by Wakefield Research, which explored COVID-19’s impact on consumer behaviour, expectations, and sentiment around travel.
Groups360 and Hilton (NYSE: HLT) today announced the global launch of GroupSync Engage, the hospitality industry’s first integrated direct booking solution for group room blocks, across the majority of the Hilton portfolio.
The hotel industry last year watched the pandemic wipe out business travel and corporate events that help fill its guest rooms and banquet halls, turning 2020 from a boom year to a historic bust.
No matter what you think about the travel industry, it will not only be back but it will be bigger than ever. It just won’t be exactly be the same. What will be the major changes? Business travel will actually go down but personal, experiential and blended (stay/work/play) travel will rise.
Direct selling, both telephone and website, has gained a large share of sales during the pandemic, demonstrating its great sales capacity and resilience. This huge increase has meant that many hoteliers have changed their passive or neutral attitudes towards direct sales to considering it a strategic pillar in their distribution.
This article focuses on the power of touch in service encounters. It is a timely topic as physical distances in restaurants have never been so important. In many countries, restaurants are closed. In other countries, tables in restaurants are kept separate at a significant distance, and service providers and customers wear masks.
Q1 2021 likely marked the last quarter of RevPAR declines for the U.S. hotel industry during the COVID-induced downcycle. Recent improvements in demand, air travel, operational viability and asset pricing indicate that a recovery is firmly underway.
These and other findings are found in "How Hotels Have Responded to Covid—One Year Later," by Kimes and Roberts. In their worldwide survey of 391 hoteliers, they found that since demand was limited, hoteliers concentrated on trying to generate demand while maintaining rates.
Between January and March 2021 destinations around the world welcomed 180 million fewer international arrivals compared to the first quarter of last year. Asia and the Pacific continued to suffer the lowest levels of activity with a 94% drop in international arrivals over the three-month period.
While the recovery varies widely, global hotel performance has shown signs of improvement across most world regions. From roadmaps to reopening across Europe to travel bubbles between key Asia Pacific markets and the overachieving Middle East in between, most of the world's hoteliers have started to finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Metro Detroit experienced a decade of revitalization and growth. However, with the onset of the worldwide pandemic, the lodging industry faced a downturn that was greater than the past two lodging-market declines combined.
In 2020, under the influence of COVID-19, Horwath HTL conducted a special Sentiment Survey on the Influence of the Novel Coronavirus Outbreak in February, June, September and December of 2020 and March of 2021.
CapitaLand’s wholly owned lodging business unit, The Ascott Limited (Ascott), is the first hospitality company in the world to offer its guests global access to a comprehensive suite of telehealth, telecounselling and travel security advisory services.
