In October 2020, EHL hosted its annual Sustainability Week with a vast array of online seminars, activities and discussion panels. Considering the current impact on the hospitality industry of ongoing COVID-19, the theme of sustainable tourism is more than ever a relevant and urgent topic.
People often ask what sort of contract I had with hotels. The answer is none. Staff called because I was easy to reach and quick to respond. Once they called a few times, they were not inclined to change.
Developments in technology have resulted in a wealth of changes across all industries. Not only has technology changed the capabilities available to businesses, but it has also caused shifts in the realm of consumer culture and customer expectations.
The breaking news on the successful trails of COVID-19 vaccine has boosted hotel companies' stock price and valuations. However, hotel owners still need to focus on cash reserves in this unprecedented pandemic crisis.
"Sustainability needs to be viewed from a large Ecosystem perspective and as such, certifying only hospitality needs to expand to everything that pollutes the world. When addressing the sustainability agenda in a multidimensional manner and across the whole supply chain, the onus is not on what you inspect but on what you expect."
In conjunction with The Hotel School at Cornell University, William Carroll published this white paper on October 1, 2020.
As we approach Thanksgiving, I can't stop thinking about turkey and stuffing—and all the different ways to prepare them.
With the pandemic still raging and hotel operations still in flux, hoteliers are still left figuring out what to do next. Churning out profit in the age of COVID is a Herculean task, but consulting the right data can be a step in the right direction.
The early days of the COVID-19 crisis have exposed shortcomings among big actors in online distribution (such as OTAs), especially regarding reimbursement in the event of force majeure. The subpar handling of this exceptional situation has caused newfound distrust among many users, who are now likely to seek out alternatives when booking their next trip.
While drive market couple and family retreats have dominated the summer of COVID-19, new challenges will present themselves as the weather cools. But we may still realize brisk business for the forthcoming holiday season.
"More by force than by choice, the tourism industry is looking for reinvention. Nanotourism (Dekleva and Gregorič, 2014) – at the opposite of mass tourism - probably best describes the transition, which has taken place over the past few months to reboot local economies."
Few have felt the impacts of COVID-19 more than the hotel industry. Fortunately, however, recovery seems to be on the horizon. Recently, U.S. hotel weekly occupancy hit 50% for the second time since the pandemic's low point, according to STR's latest data.
