Durban, South Africa will host the Commonwealth Games in 2022. Due to the 2010 World Cup, hotels were oversupplied and many suffered low occupancies due to the financial crisis of 2008/09. What has the Durban hotel industry learnt from this?
Now, it is the hotel industry’s turn to ratchet up the adoption of cloud-based property management systems, focusing on vertical adoption of SaaS products. This does not mean that our industry will not purchase horizontal SaaS solutions, it just means that these horizontal solutions do not necessarily meet the needs of our relationship and service-based, complex ecosystem.
From the busiest spring travel dates to the most popular destinations, the report examines how travel plans around the world are shaping in Q1 2017
We surveyed over 164 travel experts in the travel industry to see what they thought about this reinvention of travel. Mobile was a clear winner for investment with focus on content marketing and customer experience following close.
Ride-sharing services are now allowed by one-half (50%) of all corporate travel policies, a jump from 44% in June 2016, according to the GBTA Business Traveler Sentiment Index™ Global Report – January 2017, in partnership with American Express.
Last week we covered the first five secrets of luxury hotel websites - Here’s Part 2 and the final five tips for luxury hotels and resorts:
Lodging Interactive published a new article on Hotel Business Review explaining how customer service has become the NEW marketing.
Jobless rates were lower in December than a year earlier in 236 of the 387 metropolitan areas, higher in 111, and unchanged in 40. Nonfarm payroll employment was up in 292 metropolitan areas over the year, down in 87, and unchanged in 8.
IATA released global air freight markets analysis for December 2016, showing a 3.8% increase in demand compared to 2015
In today’s digital age, hoteliers are forfeiting opportunities – and potentially revenue – by failing to offer guests the individualized experiences they are increasingly demanding, according to the results of a major survey of hoteliers and consumers just published by Oracle Hospitality and Phocuswright.
Update from Restaurantchains.net on growing and emerging restaurant concepts
In year-over-year comparisons, the country’s occupancy rose 0.8% to 56.0%, and average daily rate (ADR) increased 1.2% to CAD137.84. As a result, revenue per available room (RevPAR) grew 2.0% to CAD77.23.
In year-over-year comparisons, the industry’s occupancy increased 1.4% to 57.8%, and average daily rate (ADR) rose 2.3% to US$119.93. As a result, revenue per available room (RevPAR) grew 3.8% to US$69.35.
Compared with 2015, the Caribbean’s occupancy decreased 2.3% to 66.7%, and average daily rate (ADR) was down 0.3% to US$201.50. As a result, revenue per available room (RevPAR) fell 2.6% to US$134.48. The absolute occupancy level was the lowest in the Caribbean since 2013 (66.7%).
IATA announced full-year global passenger traffic results for 2016 showing demand (revenue passenger kilometers) rose 6.3% compared to 2015.
Theft of confidential data by hackers is a major threat to businesses worldwide and the hotel industry is no exception. Hoteliers remain vulnerable to hackers seeking confidential information such as guests’ credit card data and employees’ personal information. They are also vulnerable in other ways. In a recent hotel breach, the hackers did not go after confidential data, but rather sought a ransom payment after taking control of the hotel’s technology.
India Poised to Move Up from 10th Largest Global Business Travel Market to 6th By 2019
The resort hotels had a strong Q4 sourced by significant increases of international arrivals at main airports during Q4 2016 compared to same quarter last year.
Deploying the right technology can help on many fronts, from making it easier for guests to watch or listen to their own entertainment content to providing apps that enable instant communication with staff.
The Baird/STR Hotel Stock Index for January outperformed the MSCI REIT (RMZ) (-0.9%) but lagged behind the performance of the S&P 500 (+1.8%).
2016 was an exceptionally strong year for Canadian hotel transaction activity and in many markets, a robust year for operating performance.
Hotels in London recorded a 2.6% decline in profit per room in 2016, which was in spite of a 0.5% increase in RevPAR, according to the latest data from HotStats.
Madrid achieve a 3.8% increase in GOPPAR for 2016, according to the latest data from HotStats.
Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) are leading the competition when it comes to online engagement, particularly with regards to mobile traffic, according to new research from EyeforTravel and Jumpshot
Hotel Industry Real-Time Indicator - HIP - Report on Current Business Activity
Update from Restaurantchains.net on growing and emerging restaurant concepts
The study addresses many travel research behaviors regarding average booking times, influential sources, price factors and loyalty programs. The results are compiled from more than 2,300 respondents, all of whom planned and experienced at least one vacation in the past year.
Based on what I hear from the hotel sales and catering sales managers I train each month, the vast majority of inquiries for groups, meetings, conferences and catering events are being received electronically.
Global Rescue today released results of the Global Rescue 2017 Travel Safety Survey. The data reveals that a clear majority (84%) have concerns for their safety for 2017 travel. Among participants expressing some level of concern, more highlighted Europe compared to Africa and the Middle East.
The guest’s road from your hotel marketing campaigns, to your website and finally to online booking is a delicate, razors’ edge journey filled with several opportunities for the customer to bounce, turn back, and never return. However, many hoteliers assume a booking is guaranteed once a visitor is on the website and ready to buy.
European tourism demand continues to grow and proves resilient to safety and security challenges and political turmoil. Overall growth, however, has slowed from the previous year (+5% in 2015) affected by those destinations required to rebuild market confidence following tragic events. The most visited region in the world welcomed 620 million international tourist arrivals in 2016, a 2% increase compared to the same period in 2015.
Travel weathered an abundance of challenges and continued to grow throughout 2016, according to the U.S. Travel Association’s latest Travel Trends Index (TTI). The final TTI based on 2016 data shows that travel to and within the U.S. grew 2.4 percent from December 2015, while the forecast component shows that travel will continue to expand at a moderate pace in the near term.
International travel’s share of U.S. exports rises to highest level since 2000, according to new Commerce Department data.
For the week of 29 January through 4 February, the Canadian hotel industry saw occupancy increase 1.8% to 55%, ADR increase 2.8% to CA$138.35 ($105.58) and RevPAR increase 4.7% to CA$76.07 ($58.05).
During the week ending 4 February, the U.S. hotel industry reported a 1.5% decrease in occupancy to 55.6%, nearly flat ADR (+0.2% to $119.58) and a 1.3% RevPAR decrease to $66.51.
Profit per room at Doha hotels fell by 23.3% in 2016, representing a second consecutive year of significant profit decline for properties in the Qatar capital, according to the latest data from HotStats.
AlixPartners, AM:PM and HVS have published the Q4 2016 Hotel Bulletin. The Hotel Bulletin analyses demand, supply pipeline and transactions in the hotel market in 12 cities across the UK. This edition includes a focus on trends in UK hotel supply.
New Data Reveals Dramatic Bottom Line Impact
STR analysts note that the occupancy level was particularly impressive given that Sydney has experienced significant supply growth. A primary driver of January performance was the Amway China Leadership Seminar (6-18 January), which according to Australian Special Events, welcomed more than 8,000 international delegates to the market.
The 2017 Smart Decision Guide to Hospitality Revenue Management features the latest research findings, insights and recommendations for achieving increased hotel occupancy, revenue and profitability with next-generation revenue management technologies.
STR analysts note that the market continues to struggle from significant supply growth and weak demand performance. The country’s 3.5% increase in supply for 2016 was the highest for a total year since 2011.
STR analysts note that Abu Dhabi’s ADR levels were once again pressured by supply growth in the market. However, the market’s hotels did record a significant uptick in RevPAR (+23.6%) on the last day of the month, mainly due to the Global Space Congress (31 January-1 February).
In Hong Kong last October at HICAP (Hotel Industry Conference Asia Pacific) Baker McKenzie discussed this topic with a panel of industry experts representing owners, operators and consultants in front of an audience of approximately 200 conference attendees.
Managing Editor Michelle Renn interviewed fellow Atlanta based hospitality expert Paul Breslin, Managing Director of global consultancy Horwath HTL, to discuss 2017 industry predictions for various topics including the Marriott-Starwood merger, Manhattan’s historic NoMad District, and the overall outlook for the industry this year.
New Research, Underscores Economic Benefits of Hotel Industry Across U.S.
New year, new administration, new economic data for the travel industry. Here’s a sampling of January 2017’s most compelling findings from the U.S. Travel research team.
Recently, a small hotel group asked us an extremely smart and on-point question: 'How do I create a loyalty program that is not a loyalty program?' They understood that while major brands such as Hilton, Marriott, Accor Hotels, and Choice Hotels International spend millions in infrastructure and technology to support a complex loyalty program that they cannot replicate, there is still a need to recognize, engage and retain guests.
STR analysts note that January is routinely the weakest performing month of the year for Berlin hotels. However, the market’s occupancy levels grew as demand outpaced supply by a substantial margin.