U.S. Travel Reacts to September Jobs Report
U.S. Travel Executive Vice President of Public Affairs and Policy Tori Emerson Barnes issued the following statement on the September jobs report released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics:
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Building a diverse service culture through the J-1 Visa Program
As the world opens back up to welcome leisure and business travelers alike, the J-1 Visa Program is also reopening – a program that embodies and embraces cultures from every corner of the globe. The J-1 Visa Program is an Exchange Visitor Program which offers cultural and educational exchange opportunities in the United States. The various categories of J-1 visas are overseen by the U.S. State Department, and there are distinct guidelines for each.
By Cindy Johnson, Strategic Solution Partners Consultant and President of Global Hospitality Connections, Strategic Solution Partners
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts Named One of the Best Places to Work in New Jersey
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts has been named among the Best Places to Work in New Jersey by NJ Biz Magazine, for the second year in a row. This prestigious annual list recognizes the top places of employment in New Jersey that benefit the state's economy, its workforce and its businesses.
Hoteliers Hope Flexible Schedules, 'Gig Pay' Can Ease Labor Crisis
The U.S. hotel industry has been struggling with its labor shortage since before the COVID-19 pandemic, and the resulting drop in and outsized recovery of demand has only exacerbated the problem.
Marriott warns of ‘fight for talent’ as hotels struggle to find staff
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. “We’ve got to do a consistent job of sharing the narrative that it is in fact an industry segment where incredible careers can be built,” he told the Financial Times. “The ability to tell that story around the globe is more important in the face of this fight for talent than it has ever been.” Marriott, the world’s largest hotel company, has about 10,000 vacancies at its 600 managed hotels across the US. Capuano said the challenge was “particularly acute” in states such as Florida, one of the markets that has bounced back fastest from the pandemic thanks to soaring demand for resort holidays. Covid-19 infections have surged in the state during the peak summer months of July and August. At the end of August Florida’s seven-day rolling average was more than 20,900 new cases per day.
Northampton Community College (NCC) and Penn State Sign Hospitality Management Transfer Agreement
Northampton Community College (NCC) students seeking a four-year bachelor’s degree in hospitality management can now add Penn State Berks or the School of Hospitality Management in the College of Health and Human Development at Penn State University Park, to their list of possible schools at which they can pursue their academic degree in hospitality management.
Hyatt Place Phoenix/Downtown Announces Leadership Team
Hyatt Place Phoenix/Downtown, a 238-room premier hotel, is slated to open its doors next month. The hotel expects to offer business and leisure travelers a chic, intuitive and refined stay right in the heart of downtown Phoenix on the famed theater row. In addition to top-notch facilities and amenities, the property is pleased to announce its leadership team, including: David Belk as General Manager; Griselda Chacon as Director of Sales; Jes sica Uy as Associate Director Sales; and Mike Shippy as Director of Operations.
Nick Horgan joins Tambourine as Chief Sales Officer
Tambourine, the Fort Lauderdale-headquartered digital marketing technology company serving hotels, resorts, and tourism destinations worldwide, is delighted to welcome Nick Horgan as Chief Sales Officer. In the newly created position, Horgan will oversee enterprise-level new business development. “With more than 26 years of strategic sales experience, Nick will be an incredible complement to our team as Tambourine continues to rapidly expand and diversify,” said Chief Revenue Officer Scott Quintal.
M3 Receives National Recognition as Top 2021 Employer
M3, the hospitality sector’s #1 cloud-based accounting, financial and data management platform in North America, was recently recognized in Energage's quarterly national Culture Excellence Awards, which acknowledges companies based on employee feedback. M3 received high scores in the following categories: Formal Training, Top Managers, Work-Life Flexibility and Employee Value Proposition.
Ian Schrager Announces Mandatory Covid-19 Vaccination For All Visitors To Public Hotel
Ian Schrager has today announced that all guests, visitors and staff to his pioneering downtown PUBLIC hotel will be required to show proof of Covid-19 vaccination upon arrival. This is the first hotel in New York City to introduce such regulations.
Hospitality Financial Leadership – No Townies
I like writing stories about hotels and my experiences in the hospitality business. It is no wonder, I guess, in part because I grew up in a unique place. Guess what it had and still has? A great hotel.
By David Lund, The Hotel Financial Coach, David Lund
Hospitality Education Can Help Solve the Industry’s Workforce Crisis
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. Now the new challenge is how to staff up to meet traveler demand without sacrificing the guest experience.
By Yong Shen, CEO of Swiss Education Group (SEG), Swiss Education Group
North American Hotel Guests Want Breakfast Back, J.D. Power Finds
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. The hotel industry overall maintains a strong overall customer satisfaction score in the J.D. Power 2021 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index (NAGSI) Study,SM released today. But now that the pandemic is waning, hotel guests have made it clear they want breakfast and other hotel amenities.
Sonesta Announces Recent Expansion Of Franchise & Development Organization
Sonesta International Hotels Corporation today announced the recent growth of their Franchise & Development team under the leadership of Chief Development Officer, Brian Quinn.
The Castell Project, Inc. Accepting Nominations For 2021 Castell Leadership Programs
Officials of Castell Project, Inc., a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to accelerating the careers of women professionals in the hospitality industry, today announced that the organization is accepting nominations for its 2021 Castell Leadership Programs.
AHLA Urges Swift Passage Of Bipartisan Senate Per Diem Bill
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.
How The H-2B Work Visa Program Can Help With Hotel Staffing
If your hotel in the U.S. experiences major swings in demand based on the season you might be the ideal candidate for the H-2B Work Visa Program.
By Cindy Johnson, Strategic Solution Partners Consultant and President of Global Hospitality Connections, Strategic Solution Partners
Hotel Industry Lauds Bipartsian H-2B Legislation
After the introduction of the Returning Worker Exception Act of 2021, American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) Executive Vice President of Government Affairs Brian Crawford released the following statement today in support of the bill.
Loss and Perseverance
Mike Tyson might have a new career as a philosopher. Indeed, his point about life being comprised of a long series of losses is not only insightful but also motivational. Tyson contends that a person’s drive and stamina to rise above loss is the defining mark of a winner. Martin Luther King, Jr. echoed this sentiment when he argued that “The ultimate measure of a person is not where they stand in moments of comfort and convenience, but where they stand at times of challenge and controversy.”
By James Houran and Keith Kefgen
WTTC Projects 2M U.S. Jobs Could be Created This Year Should International Travel Resume This Summer
The latest research compiled by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), reveals that more than two million jobs could be created if international travel reopens before the busy summer period.