Luxury hospitality is back and booming. According to a 2024 McKinsey & Company report, demand for upscale tourism and hospitality is expected to grow faster than any other travel segment. However, as this industry continues to evolve, so does the modern traveler and the type of stay they are looking for.
The 2023 AHLA ForWard Conference in Chicago brought together over 600 women in the hospitality industry who were excited to learn from, encourage, and support each other. The conference's mood was incredibly upbeat, with participants buoyed by the sense of community and shared experiences. Here's a brief summary of some of the most inspiring moments of the conference from hertelier correspondents Lan Elliott of DEI Advisors and Gloria Kennett of Hyatt Hotels & Resorts.
After a period when consumers were prioritizing spending on travel and experiences regardless of the expense, hotels in some markets are now beginning to see that trend slow down as inflation persists.
Travel is picking up in the U.S. In December, 55 percent of Americans traveled, 10 percentage points higher than the same time last year. However, the number of respondents who travelled decreased by 2 percentage points in December compared to September indicative of typical seasonality in travel with the winter season commencing.
Three trends give U.S. hoteliers confidence that demand for hotel rooms will continue to grow this year: remote work, rising wages and a larger population of retirees.
Like Hollywood, travel is a glamor industry. Pictures of people on sunny beaches, partying on Las Vegas pool decks, clinking glasses aboard cruise ships or splashing in crystal-clear waters from Bali to Bermuda are designed to do only thing: sell travel and experiences.
From this summer’s air travel chaos to staffing shortages in hospitality sectors around the world, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on travel persists to this day.
Crypto owners looking to combine their digital assets with something in the real world have a new option: Take a vacation.
U.S. travel booking firms are spending heavily on marketing to get more people to book flights and accommodation on their apps and websites as they look to make the most of a post-pandemic boom in tourism during the upcoming summer season.
Being a successful owner and operator of hotels is simple, said Tyler Morse, chairman and CEO of MCR Development.
With the pandemic having heightened concerns about overtourism, some destination marketing organizations are turning to geolocation data to find creative solutions.
Traveling during the COVID-19 pandemic is still a divisive topic for some Americans. In the post-vaccine era, some Americans are making travel plans, while others continue playing it safe. Regardless of where they stand on travel, over half of Americans (62%) agree they would feel more comfortable traveling if certain COVID-19 precautions were in place, according to a new NerdWallet survey conducted online by The Harris Poll.
At the latest Americas Lodging Investment Summit, Stephanie Linnartz, president of Marriott International, noted that hotel managers used to refer to Thursday as checkout night, the day of the week when business travelers typically returned home. But since 2021, she noted, that has changed. Now Thursday has become a check-in night, thanks to leisure travelers continuing to dominate hotel stays.
At a period when many hoteliers are hyper-focused on preserving profits, many may be wondering whether the fees paid to brands are still ultimately worth it.
Judging from discussions at the Americas Lodging and Investment Summit, 2022 will be a year of widespread changes to hotel loyalty programs, and there will be fierce competition to enlist new members.
A new survey from The Vacationer (https://thevacationer.com/christmas-travel-survey-2021/) shows 122 Million American adults (47.39%) plan to travel for Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa this year. Of those traveling to a vacation destination or gathering, 12.72% will do it primarily by plane. Nearly 35% will travel 100 miles or more to attend their gathering.
Hoteliers with properties in major U.S. convention markets are not experiencing the usual fall-season pickup in demand from attendees, and are unlikely to match pre-pandemic performance amid continued travel restrictions and vaccine mandates.
As demand for the hotel industry ramped up, so has demand for revenue experts to sort through the data of that demand and maximize rates and profitability.
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.
When Alex Diaz was furloughed last March, along with most of his colleagues, he did not expect to be back anytime soon.