FEATURED
ARTICLE
HSMAI's
6th Travel Internet Marketing Strategy Conference Reveals The Power Of The
Consumer
MCLEAN, VA -- The impact
of trends on the Internet landscape, effectively using metrics, legal
issues, blogs and what the future holds for travel and hospitality
industry marketing defined the Hospitality Sales & Marketing
Association International (HSMAI) 6th Travel Internet Strategy Conference
held last week in New York City. A recurring theme in the day’s sessions
was the influence and power of the consumer.
ECONOMIC
INSIGHTS
Weekly
U.S. Lodging Performance 4/09/06 - 4/15/06 | Smith Travel
Research
20 April 2006 | Smith Travel Research (STR) is the recognized leader
in providing accurate, actionable information and analysis to the lodging
industry. Since 1985, the company has served the industry operating on the
key principals of integrity, confidentiality and customer service. STR
provides timely information and analysis to all major North American hotel
chains and a growing number of chains in Europe and Asia.
MKG’s
Ranking Of The Top 10 Groups Worldwide | Ranking Positions Haven’t Changed
Much… But Supply Is In Full
Growth!
10 April 2006 | The 2006 edition of the ranking of the top 10 hotel
groups worldwide marks a turnaround in the development of the supply of
the biggest hotel companies. While the top 10 groups showed 1.2% growth in
their supplies at the beginning of 2005, this growth is up by 6.9% at the
beginning of 2006. After several years of moderation, the giants of the
hotel industry worldwide (68% of hotel chains worldwide last year) have
shifted into high gear….
Compete,
Inc.'s Latest Study Reveals which Generational Segments are Willing to go
the Distance in Their Travel
Planning
10 April 2006 | Boston, MA - Compete, Inc. today announced findings
from a new travel study, "Online Travel Comes of Age." The study's
findings reveal that consumer's travel planning preferences vary
dramatically across generations, providing savvy marketers the opportunity
to create distinct strategies for targeting specific generational
segments.
Industry
Opposition to Proposed ISO Standards for Tourism Services - to Include
Hotel & Restaurant Services | Heard Loud and
Clear
6 April 2006 | Paris | David McMillan, CEO of the International
Hotel & Restaurant Association (IH&RA), represented the
international hotel and restaurant industry at a meeting of the
International Organization for Standardization (ISO) held in Tunis last
week, 27-28 March, to voice industry opposition to the inclusion of hotel
and restaurant services in the scope of the work proposed for the ISO
Technical Committee.
HOTEL HIGHLIGHTS &
OPENINGS
Dubai Plans $27 Billion
Hotel And Resort Complex | AME
Info
1 May 2006 | His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum,
UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, has unveiled the
Bawadi hospitality project in Dubai - a AED 100 billion hospitality and
tourism development which will see the construction of the world's largest
hotel.
W Hotels
Makes the Next Stop on Its Global Expedition: Santiago, Chile; W Santiago
Hotel Will Be the Brand's First Property in South
America
1 May 2006 | NEW YORK | W Hotels, the world's fastest-growing
luxury hotel brand, announced today plans to build its first hotel in
South America, W Santiago Hotel scheduled to open in 2008.
Wynn
Resorts to Break Ground on Encore at Wynn Las Vegas on Original Site of
the Desert Inn
1 May
2006 | LAS VEGAS, Wynn Resorts will break ground
today on its newest expansion, Encore, on the site of the original Desert
Inn. The resort will be erected adjacent to Wynn Las Vegas on the north
side of the property and is scheduled for completion in December 2008.
Carlson
Hotels Worldwide Adds Seven New Properties To Its Global Portfolio Of
Brands In March
24 April
2006 | MINNEAPOLIS | Carlson Hotels Worldwide
today announced that the company has added seven new locations to its
global portfolio of brands in March. These include a Radisson Hotels &
Resorts® property in China, two Country Inns & Suites By Carlsonsm
hotels in the U.S., two new Park Plaza® Hotels & Resorts in Canada and
Germany, and two Park Inn® properties in Ireland and the Russian
Federation.
Millennium To Open 35 Hotels
In 5 Years Throughout Middle East And North Africa
Regions
24 April 2006 | Millennium Hotels & Resorts announced the
opening of its regional headquarters in Abu Dhabi and its plans to develop
35 hotels in the Middle East and North Africa region (MENA) over the next
5 years.
BUSINESS/MEETINGS
International Meeting
Planners Will Get Connected With Business Partners When HSMAI Kicks Off
Its Third Annual, Five-city ‘World
Quest’
24 April 2006 | MCLEAN, VA | Answering the call for meeting planners
seeking international business partners, the Hospitality Sales &
Marketing Association International (HSMAI) will kick off its third annual
World Quest with a five-city tour beginning July 24, 2006.
AH&LA Releases New
Meeting Planner Brochure
27 March 2006 | Washington, The American Hotel & Lodging
Association (AH&LA) has created a new brochure, “Meeting in the
Middle: A Quick Primer for Meeting Planners on Negotiating Convention and
Event Contracts.” The brochure gives meeting planners an overview of
important topics and legal issues in meeting contracts that may arise
during labor negotiations this year between many hotels and UNITE HERE,
the labor union representing hotel employees.
Business
Travelers Report Sharp Improvement In Personalized Hotel Service |
Accenture Survey Finds
13 April 2006 | NEW YORK | Hotels are doing a much better job of
providing personalized service than they have previously, according to
results of a survey of business travelers released today by Accenture
(NYSE: ACN). Nearly one-third (31 percent) of the more than 1,100 U.S.
business travelers surveyed said that hotels recognize them as frequent
customers and tailor reservations to fit their basic preferences, from
room location to pillow type.
International
POWWOW | May 6 - 10, 2006 | Orlando
INTERNATIONAL
Visitors
To Barcelona Continue To Rise But Hotel Performance Heads South | Deloitte
Reports
12 April 2006 | Barcelona is the ideal all round destination with
sand, sea and sunshine on the doorstep of a city rich in culture and
tradition. Over recent years the number of visitors to the city has risen
significantly. However, despite this hotel performance has been
struggling. Figures from the HotelBenchmark™ Survey by Deloitte show that
in 2005 revenue per available room (revPAR) fell to its lowest level in
five years.
Conrad
To Manage Shanghai’s Newest Luxury
Hotel
10 April 2006 | Shanghai, Hilton Hotels Corporation, a world-leading
hospitality company, and Shanghai Li Xing Hotel Company Ltd recently
announced the signing of an agreement for Hilton to manage Conrad
Shanghai; Shanghai’s newest and most spectacular hotel development.
[CAPTURED] Ice Bar,
Located In The Hip Kube Hotel, At Porte De La Chapelle In Paris, Created
By Parisian Artist Laurent Saksik
10 April
2006 | A barman is pictured inside the first Ice
Bar, located in the hip Kube Hotel, at Porte de la Chapelle in Paris,
created by Parisian artist Laurent Saksik. Sprinkled across the City of
Light, tucked away in areas far from the well-worn, tourist trail are a
growing number of trendy, young hangouts sexing up the capital's drinking
scene.
Mandarin
Oriental To Open Luxury Hotel In
Barcelona
10 April
2006 | Hong Kong, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group
has today announced that it will manage a new, luxurious hotel currently
under development in Barcelona. The project provides the Group with a
unique opportunity to expand its luxury brand in Europe and in particular,
into one of Europe’s foremost travel destinations.
Westin's
First Resort in the South Pacific Opens in
Fiji
6 April 2006 | WHITE PLAINS, N.Y | Starwood Hotels & Resorts
Worldwide, Inc., (NYSE: HOT) announces the opening of The Westin Denarau
Island Resort & Spa on the island of Fiji. Formerly the Sheraton Royal
Denarau Resort, which opened in 1974, the resort has undergone a $15
million renovation to its 271 guestrooms, restaurants, a two-tiered
beachfront pool and state-of-the-art spa.
Accor
China Opens Record Five Hotels In One
Month
4 April 2006 | BANGKOK | Accor is poised for its largest ever
expansion in China, with a record 5 hotels opening in just over one month,
and 30 hotels under development and scheduled to open in time for the 2008
Olympic Games.
TRAVEL INTERNET MARKETING
FOCUS
TIA
Report | Online Travel Bookings Increase At The Expense Of Telephone
Reservations
20 April
2006 | New York City | Preliminary data released
at TravelCom 2006 by the Travel Industry Association of America (TIA) and
D.K. Shifflet & Associates Ltd. show that last year, for the first
time, more trips were booked online than by any other method.
Online
Revealed Canada Announces Online Travel Conference Agenda with Speakers
from Google, Tralliance, and the Canadian Tourism
Commission
13 April
2006 | The Canadian online travel Conference sets
the pace for online tourism marketing in Canada with speakers from Google
Canada, the CTC, eMarketer, and other online marketing experts who will
share best practices and strategies for marketing Canadian tourism product
online.
[CAPTURED] Starwood
Hotels Launches New Blog; TheLobby.com to Provide Insider Access to
Hotels, PGA Pros, Five-Star Chefs, Nightlife Gurus and
More
12 April 2006 | WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. | Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.
(NYSE:HOT) and its Starwood Preferred Guest program, the world's number
one hotel loyalty program, is introducing a new online blog.
TripAdvisor imitates
Wikipedia | bostonherald.com
12 April 2006 | TripAdvisor founder Steve Kaufer wants you to leave
the guidebook on the shelf. His site is launching a new interactive
section that allows users to contribute to an up-to-the-minute online
guide - sort of a Wikipedia for travel. “What we’ve done is added the
ability for multiple people to collaborate and write anything on our
site,” Kaufer said. The information can be printed and packed, replacing a
bulky book, he said.
TravelCLICK Reports Fourth
Quarter Worldwide Hotel Revenue from Electronic Channels Up
10.9%
10 April 2006 | CHICAGO | TravelCLICK's eMonitor results for the
fourth quarter of 2005 show that worldwide electronic hotel revenue from
the Global Distribution Systems (GDS) and key Internet sites combined was
up 10.9%. Electronic room nights year-to-date through the fourth quarter
increased by 5.4% from the same time last year, while ADR increased by
5.5% contributing to a revenue growth of 11.2%.
Search
Engine and Email Marketing are Re-Shaping Advertising Investments | By
Duane Crandall
6 April
2006 | An estimated $270 billion is spent on
advertising each year with approximately 90 percent of that invested in
‘traditional’ methods. As I’m sure you have heard, read or seen, the
Internet is altering this at an increasingly rapid pace. In particular,
Search Engine Marketing (SEM) and EMail Marketing (EMM) are quickly
becoming the [advertising] industry standard for reaching, targeting, and
selling to businesses and consumers alike.
TravelCom 2006 Takes
E-commerce And Online Marketing To The Next
Level
7 April 2006 | WASHINGTON, DC – The Travel Industry Association of
America (TIA) is bringing together the best minds in the business for the
nation’s largest travel marketing and distribution conference, TravelCom
2006, taking place April 17-19 at the Hilton New York in New York City.
FEATURED DOCUMENT
DOWNLOAD
Cabin
Fever | Smooth Times Ahead For The Cruise Industry | By John Zamora,
Deloitte
Whichever way you look
at it – there’s plenty of room for growth in the cruise industry.
Currently, the number of tourists worldwide who book cruise vacations
stands at around 13.4m, representing about 1.8% of the total world travel
market, as estimated by the World Tourism Organisation. This article was
written by John Zamora, Partner at Deloitte Miami and published in the
Tourism, Hospitality and Leisure Executive
Report.
Revenue Management
Strategy Conference | June 19 | Minneapolis
REVENUE MANAGEMENT
FOCUS
Revenue
Management Conf. To Highlight Practicalities, Group Business &
Research Publication
18 April
2006 | Challenging participants to exert stronger
leadership, the 3rd Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association
International (HSMAI) Revenue Management Strategy Conference in
Minneapolis on June 19, 2006 will offer forward-thinking ideas, issues and
strategies when it presents a comprehensive program on “The Politics of
Revenue Management.”
Hotel
Prices, Tax Included |
usatoday.com
7 April
2006 | When it comes to booking a hotel room
online, figuring out the total cost of a night’s stay can be as annoying
as listening to a fellow guest snore through a paper-thin wall. Responding
to pressure from consumers and government regulators, many travel sites
now display a taxes-and-fees-included price for airline tickets and car
rentals on the first page of search results.
Hotel
Revenue Management.... The Way I See It | By Neil
Salerno
4 April 2006 | The way I see it, there are almost as many versions
of revenue management as there are people actually using it. Whether it’s
referred to as yield management or revenue management, it’s obvious that
it means different things to different people, but no matter what
definition or tasks are applied to revenue management; it can work magic
if it’s applied correctly and consistently.
RESORT MARKETING
FOCUS
[CAPTURED] The
Ritz-Carlton to Operate Lake Tahoe's First 5-Star Ski-in/Ski-out
Resort
29 March 2006 | In a major boost to North Lake Tahoe's reputation as a world-class
resort destination, East West Partners, veteran developer of award-winning
resorts at prime ski locations including Beaver Creek, Breckenridge and
Vail, and its partner Crescent Real Estate Equities Company (NYSE: CEI),
signed a letter of agreement today with The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company.
Recap |
HSMAI 6th Annual Resort Management Conference Hears Prediction Of 5%
Growth In Leisure Vacations, Urges Focus On Total Guest
Revenues
4 April 2006 | MCLEAN, VA | Predictions of a 5% growth in leisure
vacations along with recommendations to focus on total guest revenues
highlighted the 6th Annual Resort Management Conference presented by the
Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI), the
University of Denver School of Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management
(HRTM) and the International Resort Managers Association (IRMA) at
Pinehurst Resort, North Carolina, last week.
SALES & MARKETING
FACULTY
How Do
Guests View Your Hotel? Cornell Study Says: Ask Them To Show
You
4 April 2006 | Ithaca, NY, Hoteliers regularly ask guests to fill
out comment cards and surveys about whether they are satisfied with their
hotel stay. But even when guests do fill out customer-comment cards or
respond to surveys, what drives their comments is not always clear.
For The
4th Year In A Row IMHI Ranked N° 1 Among Hotel And Tourism Post Graduate
Degrees In France
31 March
2006 | The MBA in International Hospitality
Management, offered by the Institut de Management Hôtelier International
(IMHI), has been ranked Number 1 among Hotel and Tourism Post Graduate
degrees in France. The ranking was established by SMBG, a consultancy
specialised in higher education. SMBG based their ranking on interviews
with both graduates and recruiters.
Talking
Education Part 2 | The leaders of yesterday are the dinosaurs of today! |
By Bert van Walbeek
29 March
2006 | The last time I stood in front of my
students I was asked what they should do when they encounter the
“we-have-done-it-like-this-for-25-years“ mentality of supervisors and
senior management in the companies they are presently working in, while
completing their Master studies.
COLUMNS
The Bed
Race | Hotel Companies' Everlasting Pursuit of Differentiation | By Gabi
Baumann
10 April 2006 | According to Michael Porter, there are three
approaches to outperforming other firms in an industry; Differentiation,
Overall Cost Leadership, and Focus. Differentiating a product or service
of a firm means to create something that is perceived industrywide as
unique. Design, brand identity, image, technology, amenities, and customer
service all present opportunities for hotel companies to distinguish
themselves from the rest.
Web 2.0
Begins to Sprout in Travel | PhoCusWright FYI By John
Bray
20 April 2006 | Throughout the last year, a lot of buzz has been
generated around the emerging impact of a phenomenon dubbed Web 2.0. It
was about how consumers were “taking back the Web” and relying more on new
technologies like social networking and mashups to make buying decisions,
essentially rejecting traditional marketing channels as sources of
persuasion. All around there are signs of this emergence.
Hotel
Common Sense | 'A Bakers Dozen' of Ideas for Hotel Management Company
Executives | By John Hogan, MBA CHA MHS
CHE
13 April 2006 | The front page of the December 26, 2005 Chicago
Tribune offered a most interesting headline: DOES ANYONE HAVE TIME TO
THINK ANYMORE? In a period of cell phones, text messaging, palm pilots and
blackberry hand held devices that keep many people accessible and
responding well beyond the ten hour workday, one wonders about the value
of free “think” time any longer. We often see a top ten list of ideas.
Vertical
Dashboard | Building Professional and Organizational Skills | By Gene
Ference
10 April 2006 | Spring has arrived! (OK, we know full well that it's
Autumn in Australia, but from where we sit here in the United States, it's
Spring!) Time for the great outdoors to come alive, to stretch and flex
its muscles, allow for and nurture new growth, and to reach new heights.
So too, should it be a time for your business to take stock of itself and
make sure your managers and supervisors are up to their tasks of taking
your company to new heights.
Mere
Battles In The War For Recognition | By John R.
Hendrie
10 April 2006 | Our terminology has become more bellicose and
contentious as we compose, frame and wage our efforts for Consumer
Awareness and recognition of our various Brands. In the last several
years, we have had the “Bed Wars”, then we moved into the “Amenities War”,
ever ramping up our escalation of strategies and tactics to remain
competitive or take the lead. Now, we are even looking at the
“experiential”, surely a stealth movement.
Hotel
Web Site Productivity… The New Way to Measure Your Site’s Effectiveness |
By Neil Salerno
6 April
2006 | The way I see it, search engines have
become so convenient, user-friendly, and accurate that online consumers
are being converted into search addicts. Search engines have become an
essential part of the Internet. I feel bad for many hotel web sites that
are not yet search-friendly and/or have not improved their site content to
accommodate search requirements.
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