The US Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that hospitality jobs will increase 17 percent through 2012; meanwhile, the industry's turnover rate was nearly twice that of all occupations last month. The magnitude of the industry's turnover is demonstrated by a recent nationwide survey by CareerBuilder.com. According to the survey, about 12 percent of hospitality workers plan to leave their jobs in the fourth quarter of 2005. READ MORE

Workplace diversity is hardly a new notion. The push for diversity gained prominence in the 1970s and 1980s as an influx of women entered the workforce. When EEOC reporting requirements emerged in the 1990s, the concept took on even greater importance. Today, embracing diversity means far more than creating more and equal opportunities for black and Hispanic workers. Diversity initiatives also benefit Asians, Native Americans, women, people with disabilities, and gay and lesbian workers. READ MORE

Manchester Pride, in Manchester, England, is a celebration of lesbian, gay, bisexual & transgender life. Annually, the 10-day festival draws thousands of gay and lesbian tourists from England, Europe and around the globe. Gay tourists come for parties, live music, a parade and a candlelit vigil. Manchester Pride raises more than lb100,000 for HIV/AIDS charities. During Manchester Pride 2009 in August, I interviewed Graham Bradford, Regional General Manager, Malmaison Hotels, Great Britain. Mr. Bradford is responsible for the Malmaison Hotels in Leeds, Manchester and Liverpool, England to discuss his views on how gay and lesbian tourism can build room and food and beverage revenues. READ MORE

Spa Benchmarking is one of the “hottest” topics in the spa and hospitality industries. It is a relatively new discipline; therefore, it is filled with challenges and opportunities. While spa benchmarking studies are very much needed, not all studies are useful... some can actually be quite damaging and harmful. There are too many studies that lack credibility, integrity, quality and reliability, yet they receive significant press coverage. Poor information, conclusions and recommendations can be very detrimental when a spa relies on this information to make operational, personnel, marketing and investment decisions. READ MORE

Hotels and spas share many attributes, perhaps none more salient than that both are in the service industry. Whether we're selling rooms for the night or massages for the hour, what differentiates one service provider from the next is the overall guest experience. Frontline employees shape guests' perceptions and make the difference between a "Wow!" experience and just an average one. READ MORE