Mateja Simic Crowned World’s Best Receptionist by Bucherer 2026
Mateja Simic from The St. Regis Doha won the 30th annual competition, assessed through front office role plays and back office operational evaluations.
Press Releases
Doug Kennedy’s Next Staff Training Webcast: Hospitality IS…
Kennedy Training Network launches 2026 webcast series with three sessions focusing on hospitality culture, luxury service delivery, and group sales techniques.
Labor and Employment Roundup: What to Expect in 2026
JMBM law firm outlines 15+ new California employment laws taking effect in 2026, including expanded paid family leave, AI regulations, and strengthened whistleblower protections.
Excellence Endowment Bolsters Senior Living Programing in Hospitality Management
Penn State's School of Hospitality Management receives $50,000 total from Liberty Lutheran and Waverly Heights to expand senior living career programming.
AI in Hospitality Is Not About Replacing People — It’s About Stabilising the Ones You Have
Pertlink's AI playbook provides hotels with practical tools to reduce turnover and stabilize operations using AI as decision support, not staff replacement.
UN Tourism and International Baccalaureate Organization partner to grow tourism education at high school level
The partnership will focus on joint initiatives to enhance skills development and professional training for high school students entering the tourism sector.
Dusit Thani College begins new wave of global expansion, introduces fast-track hospitality training in Saudi Arabia
The six-month program launches in Riyadh in January 2026, targeting Saudi Arabia's projected 2.7 million hospitality jobs by 2025.
New 2025 Hotel Labor Costs & Trends Report Finds Operators Improve Labor Efficiency Amid Rising Wages and Softer Revenue
Report reveals U.S. hotels cut labor hours by 7-15% across departments while maintaining profitability despite wage increases up to 5.9%.
HotelData.com and Actabl
U.S. Hospitality Hits an All-Time Workforce High as a New Labor Crisis Emerges, New 2025 Report Finds
Despite reaching record workforce levels, the industry faces 70-80% annual turnover in hotels and restaurants, with QSR exceeding 100%.
Doug Kennedy’s Next Staff Training Webcast: Using The Value Pyramid Model To Sell Guest Experiences and Not Just Quote Rates
Kennedy Training Network offers free 40-minute webcast series on sales techniques, starting with December 19 session on moving beyond rate-focused selling to experience-based value propositions.
UN Tourism joins AWE in delivering practical solutions for more accessible and inclusive tourism businesses
UN Tourism and AWE released five practical steps for tourism businesses to improve accessibility, targeting a market of 1.3 billion people with disabilities.
Accor marks International Day of Persons with Disabilities with milestone progress in inclusive employment
Accor has hired 35 people with cognitive disabilities across Australia through its Diversity Pathways program, partnering with Flinders University.
Accor wins three Major Awards at 2025 HM Awards
Accor's Adrian Williams was named Australasian Hotelier of the Year while the company claimed Accommodation Chain of the Year for the fourth consecutive time.
Accor Launches Australia’s First National Silly Sock Day to Support Women and Children Escaping Domestic Violence
Accor will sell 5,000+ limited-edition socks across Australian hotels with all proceeds funding additional beds in domestic violence shelters.
Report benchmarks representation of women, Black leaders in hotel industry
Penn State study of 10,000+ hospitality leaders shows women's representation stagnant at senior levels while Black leadership declined from 2.2% to 2.1% over three years.
HSMAI Foundation Releases Special Report on How Generative AI Is Transforming Executive Hiring in Hospitality
The Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) Foundation today released its newest special report, “How Generative AI is Reshaping Executive Hiring in Hospitality,” featuring new insights, industry benchmarks, and a case study from SearchWide Global. The report offers an in-depth look at how artificial intelligence (AI) is accelerating and redefining executive recruitment strategies across the hotel and travel industry, while providing guidance for leaders pursuing senior roles on navigating this rapidly evolving landscape.
UN Tourism Welcomes TikTok Superstar Khaby Lame as Ambassador, Recognizing Pivotal Role of Creative Economy
UN Tourism has welcomed Khaby Lame, the world’s most-popular TikTok creator, as its newest Ambassador.
Ascott Launches Holistic Disability Inclusion Playbook For Accommodation Sector, Setting New Hospitality Benchmark
The Ascott Limited (Ascott), the wholly owned lodging business unit of CapitaLand Investment (CLI), has launched the Disability Inclusion Playbook for the Accommodation Sector. As one of the world’s first open-access, holistic disability inclusion playbooks, it sets a new benchmark for inclusive hospitality. Developed by Ascott in partnership with disability inclusion specialists Colorful Earth, it is supported by SG Enable (Singapore’s focal agency for disability and inclusion), World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance (a global coalition driving sustainability in hospitality) and Valuable 500 (a global non-profit of over 500 multinational corporations advancing disability inclusion).
Sommet Education & Tanmeya Capital: Saudi-Swiss Partnership Launched to Build National Talent and Educational Ecosystem in Tourism, Hospitality, and Culinary Arts
Under the patronage of His Excellency Mr. Ahmed bin Aqil Al-Khateeb, Minister of Tourism, a landmark Saudi-Swiss partnership was announced at the "TOURISE 2025" Summit in Riyadh to advance innovation, develop national talent, and build human capital in tourism, hospitality, and culinary arts, in line with Saudi Vision 2030.
IHG Hotels & Resorts Partners with the Job Plus and the Tourism and Hospitality Skill Council to Create Career Opportunities for Young People
IHG Hotels & Resorts (IHG) has entered into a strategic partnership with The Job Plus and the Tourism and Hospitality Skill Council (THSC) to skill and empower young people from underserved communities, creating meaningful career opportunities for them in the service and hospitality industry. This marks the beginning of a long-term partnership aimed at driving sustained youth employability in India, particularly within the hospitality sector.