| Industry
News
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ECONOMIC INSIGHTS ---
Customer
Service Increases in Travel and Hospitality | destinationCRM.com
Hotels and travel companies still have a lot
of work to do on their email responsiveness efforts,
according to a report released on Monday. With the success
of Web-based resellers like expedia.com, orbitz.com,
priceline.com, and travelocity.com, hotels, airlines,
and car rental companies are feeling the crunch.
Smith Travel Research | USA Monthly Performance
Report
26 July 2005 | 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.
View From
The Bottom Different Than From The Top
By Robert Mandelbaum - PKF Hospitality Research
During the recent recovery of the U.S. lodging industry,
much attention was given to the growth in top-line performance
measurements. Numerous articles have been produced exalting
the growth in occupancy and average daily room rates
(ADR). After reading these analyses, one might think
that the hotel industry lives on RevPAR alone.
Click
Here for more Industry Insights on HSMAI's
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HOTEL HIGHLIGHTS & OPENINGS ---
J.D. Power
and Associates Reports: Hotel Guest Satisfaction is
Up, Despite Rising Room Rates and Increased Occupancies
WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif. -- Despite rising room rates
and increased hotel occupancy, customer satisfaction
in the hotel industry is up, according to the J.D. Power
and Associates 2005 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction
Index StudySM released today.
New Luxury Chain Has Plans To Open 6 Hotels
| USAToday.com
27 July 2005 | West Paces Hotel Group, an investment
firm controlled by hotelier Horst Schulze, said Tuesday
it'll spend $700 million to launch a luxury hotel chain
that will compete with Four Seasons and Ritz-Carlton.
The new chain, called Solis Hotels & Resorts, will
initially open six hotels, the first coming next year
in Chicago.
The acquisition of Louvre Hotels by Starwood
Capital Group might position Starwood Hotels & Resorts
in Second Place in the Ranking of Hotel Groups in France
and in Europe
25 July 2005 | The investment company, Starwood Capital
Group LLC has acquired all the assets of the Taittinger
Group, which included Louvre Hotels. It has also associated
itself with Lehman Brothers for the acquisition of the
Le Méridien Group.
The AmericInn Lodging System Reaches Brand Milestone
| 200th Hotel Opens in Jackson, Minnesota
CHANHASSEN, Minn., The AmericInn Lodging System celebrated
the achievement of a milestone on June 30, 2005 with
the opening of the chain's 200th location in Jackson,
Minnesota. Encompassing 10,604 guest rooms in 21 states,
the AmericInn brand has become one of the most rapidly
growing lodging systems in the hospitality industry.
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Here for more Hotel Highlights on HSMAI's
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BUSINESS/MEETINGS ---
Convention
Industry Council Releases A New Tool That Is Taking
The Hassle Out Of Planning Meetings And Events
McLean, Virginia -- The Convention Industry Council
(CIC) has released APEX OfficeReady for Meeting and
Event Planning – a user-friendly toolset containing
a collection of more than 200 event management and business
templates, including those developed through APEX (Accepted
Practices Exchange) as the industry standard. It is
designed to interface with the Microsoft Office suite
of software programs, specifically Word, Excel, and
PowerPoint.
CIC Announces International CMPs
13 July 2005 | McLean, VA | The Convention Industry
Council (CIC) is pleased to announce five newly designated
Certified Meeting Professionals (CMPs) who passed the
April 18, 2005 CMP examination in Frankfurt, Germany.
In its twentieth year, the number of individuals who
have obtained the CMP credential now totals 10,302 in
26 countries making CMP the most widely recognized meeting
industry designation in the world.
--- FEATURED BUSINESS/MEETING DOCUMENT ---
FutureWatch
2005 | Global Meetings Industry Growth in 2005 Underscores
Overall Economic and Corporate Health
For the second consecutive year, the multi-billion dollar
global meetings industry will experience solid increases
in key economic impact indicators including spending,
international travel, employment and training budgets
underscoring overall fiscal and corporate health, according
to FutureWatch 2005, an annual report by Meeting Professionals
International (MPI) and American Express.
Adobe PDF Document (Download Acrobat Reader) | File
Size: 1141 Kb
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LEISURE TRAVEL ---
Priceline.com
Survey Reports 9% Average Increase In Retail Hotel Room
Rates For Summer 2005
NORWALK, Conn. | Hotel rooms are a little pricier this
summer. According to a new priceline.com(R) (Nasdaq:
PCLN) survey of retail hotel room prices in 35 cities
for the June 15-August 15, 2005 period, the company
found that, on average, hotel rates are up 9% year over
year.
PATA at ITB: Asia Pacific Destinations to Share
Growth to 2007
BERLIN, The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) today
revealed forecasts that show that every destination
in the PATA region, including those that were affected
by the December 26 quake and tsunami, is predicted to
post positive arrivals growth to 2007.
Sabre Holdings Completes Acquisition of lastminute.com
20 July 2005 | SOUTHLAKE, Texas & LONDON -- Sabre
Holdings Corporation (NYSE:TSG) is pleased to announce
that the acquisition of lastminute.com plc ("lastminute")
by Travelocity Europe Limited has completed. This means
that the proposal to redeem lastminute.com's bonds is
now unconditional and the bonds will be redeemed on
August 3, 2005.
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FEATURED LEISURE TRAVEL BOOK ---
Niche Tourism: Contemporary Issues, Trends and
Cases
By Marina Novelli
"Niche Tourism: contemporary issues, trends and
cases examines one of the fastest growing areas within
the tourism sector. The concept of 'niche tourism' has
emerged in recent years in counter-point to what is
commonly referred to as 'mass tourism'. It implies a
more sophisticated set of practices that distinguish
and differentiate tourists. In a globalising world of
increasing 'sameness', niche tourism represents diversity
and ways of marking difference." This book provides
an integrated picture of specialty/niche tourism as
a whole, looking at both the 'macro' and 'micro' niche
area. It has a comprehensive theoretical framework,
and discusses initiatives, policies and strategies adopted
internationally. International case studies emphasize
the links of theory to practice.
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INTERNATIONAL ---
Massive
manhunt for terrorists in Egypt in wake of Sharm attack
| Haaretz.com
SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt - Just days after the latest
London strikes, the world reeled from yet another apparent
Al-Qaida-linked hit. Egyptian investigators said they
were looking into the possibility that foreigners carried
out the string of blasts that leveled the reception
area of a luxury tourist hotel and ripped apart a cafe
crowded with Egyptians at 1:15 A.M. Saturday morning.
Statement
from Tourism Industry Response Group (TIER)
The Tourism Industry Emergency Response (TIER) group
met 22 July to assess the impact on tourism following
the 7 July incidents in London. The group released new
research, commissioned through Oxford Economic Forecasting,
which draws from a number of industry sources during
the two-week period of 7 to 20 July.
InterContinental
Hotels Group Opens More Hotels than Any Other International
Hotel Company in Asia Pacific
25 July 2005 | Singapore -- InterContinental Hotels
Group today announced that by the end of July, it would
have opened eight new hotels, adding a total of more
than 2,500 rooms in sought-after locales in key destinations
in Asia Pacific. The Group is believed to have opened
more hotels than any other international hotel company
in Asia Pacific. Its ever-growing pipeline is a reflection
of its commitment to be where its customers want to
be.
Corporate
Demand Does Not Take A Brake In May - BDO Reports
The absence of long week-ends in May has benefitted
those hotels positionned on the business segment and
it has brought prejudice to the hotels with a more leisure
orientation. Finally, the Parisian hotel performances
turned out to be more dynamic than regional hotel markets.
Click
Here for more International Info on HSMAI's
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TRAVEL INTERNET MARKETING FOCUS
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Jupiter
Finds 57% Of Travelers Want To Research
29 July 2005 | JupiterResearch, a division of Jupitermedia
Corporation, has found that online travel consumers
compare airfares listed on an average of 3.2 Web sites
and hotel rates on an average of 3.0 Web sites. Though
some industry observers claim consumers are overwhelmed
by the experience of searching online, the majority
of online travel consumers feel empowered by their online
travel research.
The .travel Registry And WTO Agree On Priority
Right To States To Ensure Each Country’s Place
Name Rights Are Preserved
Madrid, New York -- Tralliance Corporation, New York,
the .travel Registry, in cooperation with the World
Tourism Organization, has affirmed a priority right
to the nations of the world to register their respective
country, cities, and place names in the .travel Registry.
Priceline.com Survey Reports 9% Average Increase
In Retail Hotel Room Rates For Summer 2005
NORWALK, Conn. | Hotel rooms are a little pricier this
summer. According to a new priceline.com(R) (Nasdaq:
PCLN) survey of retail hotel room prices in 35 cities
for the June 15-August 15, 2005 period, the company
found that, on average, hotel rates are up 9% year over
year.
Hotels Flock to Free Internet Bookings
Virginia | When hoteliers in Virginia Beach, Virginia
were offered free internet bookings via the Convention
and Visitors Bureau’s website, www.VBFun.com,
they signed up for the service in unprecedented numbers.
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REVENUE MANAGEMENT FOCUS ---
Manugistics
to Showcase Next-Generation Chain Group Pricing Technology;
In the 'Year of ADR,' Chain Hotels Capture More Group
Business; Manugistics Centralized Solution Drives Higher
Daily Rate
21 June 2005 | HITEC Conference | ROCKVILLE, Md. --
With chain hotel operators calling 2005 the "Year
of ADR," Manugistics Group, Inc.
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FEATURED REVENUE MANAGEMENT INTERVIEW ---
 Interview
w/ Nancy Hopkins, CMP, Marriott International and Barb
Bowden, CRDE, Peabody Hotel Group – Commenting
on HSMAI’s Revenue Management Strategy Conference
Outgoing event chairperson Nancy Hopkins and incoming
chair Barb Bowden discuss HSMAI’s second annual
Revenue Management Strategy Conference in Los Angeles,
prior to HITEC 2005. The event has grown considerably
since the inaugural conference in 2004 and both guests
share their insight on the current event and what lies
ahead in the future.
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RESORT MARKETING FOCUS ---
Independent
Resorts Conclude 2005 Annual Conference
28 July 2005 | WILLIAMSBURG, Va. -- Independent resort
owners, General Managers, CEO’s, CFO’s,
Risk Managers, Human Resource personnel and Insurance
Executives gathered at The Sagamore, Bolton Landing,
New York, July 9-12 at the association’s 19th
annual meeting.
2005 Spa
Industry Survey Finds Americans Spend $912 on Spa Services
a Year and Buy Their Home Skincare at the Drug Store
In an effort to measure spa performance, Coyle Hospitality
Group surveyed 2110 people, representing consumers throughout
the United States. The survey covered a variety of service
related issues from how many treatments are booked per
visit and key enjoyment/disappointment factors to treatments
requested and where spa products are purchased.
The Leading
Hotels of the World, Ltd. Launches New Luxury Destination
Club: The Leading Residences of the World
The Leading Hotels of the World, Ltd. today announced
the launch of The Leading Residences of the World (LRW),
a luxury destination club that offers a new level of
elite vacation experiences in luxurious residences located
around the world.
[MULTIMEDIA]
Luxotels – An Exclusive New Gds Reservation Service
That Meets The Requirements Of Today’s Expanding
On-line Luxury Market
Great Hotels Organisation has recently launched Luxotels,
the exclusive GDS reservation service that provides
essential elements to give four and five star hotels
a powerful e-distribution edge over their competitors.
There is no doubt that people are spending more money
on-line with luxury products being one of the fastest
growing areas. Luxotels not only embraces this trend
but also takes it to another level in advanced reservations
services.
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HOTEL DIRECTOR OF SALES & MARKETING FOCUS ---
Hear Me
Out: Talking & Listening to Your Current Guests
May Be The Best Way To Get More Of Them Through the
Door | by Rick Hendrie
According to conventional wisdom, the best way to get
new customers is to go out and advertise to the consumers
that you do not currently have. Guess what? It costs
3 to 5 times more to attract a new guest than it does
to encourage a current customer to
Effective
'Down-Selling' Maximizes During Peak Demand | By Doug
Kennedy
Many of today's best-run lodging facilities have invested
heavily in helping their reservations and sales agents
improve their skills at 'upselling' to higher-rated
accommodations, which has no-doubt had a positive financial
impact. Yet the reality for many lodging accommodations
is that higher-rated rooms and/or suites often are the
most popular, especially during periods of peak demand.
Doubletree
Hotels Packs Powerful Punch with 'The Dot'; Empowers
Individual Hotels with Interactive, Real-Time Online
Marketing Toolkit
14 July 2005 | BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. | Doubletree(R)
Hotels is bringing the power of an advertising agency,
marketing firm and printing house into one handy, online
toolkit for its portfolio of more than 150 properties
across North America. The new Doubletree Online Toolkit
(DOT) makes the design, copy development and approval
of marketing materials for its individual hotels easier,
faster and more cost effective.
--- COLUMNS ---
Relevance
Or Revamp - The Challenge To CVB’s | By John R.
Hendrie
18 July 2005 | Literally every Destination Marketing
Organization is under duress. Budgets have been slashed,
resources and staff diminished, mandates of more with
less to the echo of irritable stakeholders, "What
have you done for me lately?" The public trough
and trust is no longer bubbling and rushing along –
it is barely moist.
Effective
'Down-Selling' Maximizes During Peak Demand | By Doug
Kennedy
Many of today's best-run lodging facilities have invested
heavily in helping their reservations and sales agents
improve their skills at 'upselling' to higher-rated
accommodations, which has no-doubt had a positive financial
impact. Yet the reality for many lodging accommodations
is that higher-rated rooms and/or suites often are the
most popular, especially during periods of peak demand.
Hotel
Web Basics That Really Work…Content is King |
By Neil Salerno
Whether you call it the Internet or an electronic channel,
it’s still an inexpensive and effective means
of promoting your hotel. There are some simple tactics
which promote success in web marketing. Don’t
be fooled by those huge numbers of “hits”
on your site. The true measure of your site’s
success is the number of reservations it generates.
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FEATURED EVENT ---
