Last year saw the emergence of a new spectacle, with local residents in some major European tourist destinations undertaking very vocal protests against tourism, often armed with water pistols, to provide an amusing and newsworthy nuisance to some visitors.
Endless dial tones, repetitive hold music and confusing phone trees — these are the last things you want defining a guest’s first impression of your hotel. Yet for many properties, especially those facing staffing shortages, missed calls and delayed responses are daily realities.
These days, every hotel with “multi-purpose” spaces (a horrible word, let’s be honest) and mixed revenue streams calls itself a hybrid concept. But if that’s all it takes, we’re missing the point.
AI is everywhere.
The phrase Alternative Lodging surfaced in the early 2000s as a way to describe options other than hotels. Between 2004 and 2011 industry professionals began to think that Airbnb could be a “potential disruptor to the hotel industry,” according to Hospitality Net. But vacation rentals have been around since the 1960’s.
The French hotel industry presents a contrasting picture as we enter 2025. On the one hand, Paris is shining brightly, buoyed by exceptional momentum. On the other, the regions, including the Capital Region outside Paris, are struggling to keep pace, revealing economic weaknesses to date.
In hospitality, seasonality isn’t just a footnote in the budget—it’s often the main storyline. Whether it’s summer vacationers filling oceanfront suites, fall group travel spiking occupancy, or citywide events creating compression across an entire market, these seasonal surges are what make or break performance.
The Raffles Singapore is hallowed ground for the hospitality industry. A pilgrimage to there should be on everyone’s bucket list, but with such a storied past this can create an almost impassable bar for guest expectations. Yet from our latest visit, exceeding expectations is nevertheless the outcome for every guest, and therein lies a world of instruction on how to operate an ultraluxury hotel.
A lot has been said about communication breakdowns in hospitality. But the truth is, it’s rarely just about miscommunication. It’s about disconnection—from purpose, from process, from each other. And it shows up in the details: missed handoffs, shifts left uncovered, a new hire struggling alone on their first weekend shift.
Have you ever heard of transdisciplinary research? Maybe you have heard of multidisciplinary or interdisciplinary and thought that they were all the same. Although they sound similar, there are some key differences. So, what is transdisciplinary research (if not a tongue-twister for non-native speakers)? How does it differ from multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary research, and why should you care about it?
AI is no longer a futuristic buzzword in the hospitality world, it’s already reshaping how hotels operate, communicate, and make decisions. From guest messaging to revenue management, AI is becoming deeply embedded in the day-to-day functions of hotels around the world.
In 2028, Los Angeles will become the center of global attention as it hosts the XXXIV Summer Olympic Games. Although the event is still several years away, in the tourism and hospitality industry, time moves differently. Preparing for such a large-scale event isn’t a matter of “later” - it’s a strategic priority for today.
Guests walk into your lobby and see gleaming floors, fresh flowers, and spotless glass. They want crisp sheets, clean bathrooms, and air that smells fresh instead of like cleaning chemicals. But they have no idea about the teams working around the clock, the equipment running in back rooms, or the detailed systems that make everything look effortless.
In a world fractured by conflict and fatigued by geopolitics, tourism may seem like a footnote. Frivolous. Secondary. Indulgent.
From reading online reviews to comparing amenities and pricing, the process can be overwhelming, so they crave certainty and objectivity.
In eight days, I had the honour of travelling across eight extraordinary countries—Namibia, Zambia, Rwanda, Tanzania, Mozambique, Ghana, Ethiopia and Nigeria. Each one taught me something vital not just about tourism, but about transformation. Every conversation, every connection, every challenge, also offered a powerful, unifying message.
Economics is essential in the hospitality industry because it helps businesses understand and respond to market dynamics, optimise resource allocation, and make informed financial decisions. These principles also allow companies to adapt to fluctuations in tourism and global economic conditions. A solid grasp of economics enables hospitality professionals to operate efficiently and competitively in a dynamic and often unpredictable environment. By studying economics, we gain insights into how markets function, how prices are determined, and how policies can influence employment, inflation, and economic growth. It also equips us to critically assess trade-offs, evaluate costs and benefits, and make informed decisions in both personal and societal contexts to understand how individuals, businesses, and governments allocate limited resources. Economics also provides a framework for addressing pressing global challenges such as inequality, financial stability and sustainability.
The following article would be too “out there” to be accepted in our industry but for the revelations occurring in the last few years that have given the majority pause to question the conventional wisdoms that have lulled us into accepting, with sinking heart, the inevitability of non-optimum situations.
It’s said that all is fair in love and war, although it seems like what we’re dealing with in current events seems like it’s hard to know where one begins and the other ends.
As the luxury industry navigates economic uncertainty and evolving consumer values, the definition of luxury transforms. Beyond exclusivity and craftsmanship, today's cautious customers demand social, sustainable, and experiential impact. In response, luxury brands are redefining their strategies, blending innovation, circularity, and hospitality to create more meaningful, future-forward experiences. This article explores how luxury brands are responding to growing economic pressure, prioritizing sustainability, embracing innovation, and integrating hospitality to meet the evolving expectations of today’s conscious consumer.