2020 will be known as the most devastating year in history for the travel and hospitality industries, with mass layoffs and cancellations changing the game overnight. All eyes are on the travel industry as it adapts to the shifting COVID-19 landscape, and its success will be crucial to the healing of our economy and world. The good news – new data shows there's pent-up demand for travel among Americans. Pulling from his decades of experience in the travel industry, MMGY Global CEO Clayton Reid shares his predictions and recommendations for hospitality executives getting back on their feet in a post-COVID-19 world.

All of us in the hospitality industry must stay focused on the clients that brought us success prior to the crisis. Even without a crystal ball, I'll go out on a limb and predict a future where businesses, and life, are still with us. Things will be different. By design, and out of necessity, behaviors and attitudes will shift. Technology will play an ever-greater role, helping us to approach things in entirely new ways. Undoubtedly, there's a lot we'll be surprised by. From where I sit, there's also a lot to be hopeful about.

There is not a single business that hasn't been affected by COVID-19 in one way or another, and while the impact is still in the very early stages, there are already key takeaways. Taking a look at the healing our environment has encountered during this pandemic, we've realized the true impact we have. Sustainability and the commitment to our environment should be a priority year-round and returning to a world post-pandemic is our time to implement real change. It's up to every business to implement new strategies and encourage a sustainable industry for the future. But where do we start?

There is no underestimating the human and financial scale of the challenges we now face due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. Times like these test the leadership of our organization, even though none of us have seen anything like this before. Regardless, outstanding leaders at all levels will seize the moment with outstanding communications, genuine concern for all team members and solid direction that solves issues and inspires confidence. If we stay positive and lead with healthy doses of compassion and common sense, we will emerge from this situation stronger, with our organizational culture and relationships enhanced.

Marketing during the pandemic presents an extraordinary challenge to all hotel executives today. Christian Gonzalez, Regional Director of Sales & Marketing of Rosewood Hotels & Resorts' Mexico region, shares how to maintain meaningful engagement with your core audiences during these difficult times, why this is a time for creative solutions, and strategies for how to connect despite the distance. Learn how emotional connectivity and storytelling can make a lasting impact with guests and ultimately inspire long-term loyalty well beyond these times of crisis.

"Hospitality is a social business. It's a person to person business-that's how we provide our service. The act of social distancing is foreign to what we know in hospitality. Until this virus has cleared itself from the US, it's going to be hard to resume our level of personalized service to our guests," writes Jim Beley, General Manager of The Umstead Hotel and Spa in Cary NC. In this article, Beley, a 48-year hotel veteran, weighs in on how COVID-19 has affected the hospitality industry and the steps his team is taking to ensure a successful reopening, whenever that may be.

Geneva's hotel management school provides a three-year program for future managers in the hospitality industry. The worldwide pandemic, Covid-19, has deeply affected the restaurants and hotels in Switzerland, imposing a total shutdown since March 2020. Ecole Hoteliere Geneve, The Hotel Management School of Geneva (EHG), had to close its doors but was able to stay in session with virtual classes thanks to a new digital platform and the remarkable commitment of EHG management, teachers, and the school's student body.

Few hoteliers understand the impact of the COVID-19 crisis better than Daniel Hostettler. Not only is he the president of Ocean House Management (OHM), a luxury hotel group in New England, but he is also president of Relais & Chateaux, North America, in constant contact with its 88 properties nationwide. In this article he shares his four-part strategy for countering the effects of the crisis and gives some predictions for how and when the industry will recover. He says the next six months are going to be tough, reducing annual budgets by at least 35% and, in some cases, a lot more.

The hospitality trend in recent years has been to shrink rooms and build out more amenities in the common spaces. To accommodate social distancing practices, that may change. This is where Internet of Things (IoT) solutions come into play. Guests may opt to order more room service to avoid crowds while eating, or take advantage of the desk in their rooms instead of heading down to the coworking space. They may fear the gym and seek in-room opportunities to work out, opting for video workouts instead. Without question, more time will be spent in the room as a safe haven.

What can hotel and hospitality executives learn from a previous crisis to deal with this one. After 9/11, not all airline brands bounced back with the same resilience. What was the difference? Research reveals the practices leaders can use to position their organization to respond strongly as the world recovers. How will you lead through this unprecedented crisis? What are the proven approaches that can deliver positive outcomes for your company, team, customers, and yourself? You can use these three evidence-based best practices of compassionate leadership to strengthen your organization and brand today and when the crisis eases.