Have you ever asked yourself, "how do travelers decide where to stay?" Did you ever question how travelers view your hotel, resort, bed & breakfast or inn compared to your competition? If these questions sound familiar, then qualitative marketing research may provide some of the answers you seek. This article is the first in a series about qualitative marketing research. It provides a basic overview about this methodology, especially for those in the hospitality industry who are not fully acquainted with it. READ MORE

As the world's largest single industry, the hospitality industry as a whole continues to become more complex, competitive, global, and technological. As such, the industry struggles with a high percentage of low-skilled or unskilled workers and a scarcity of well-trained personnel at management levels. In this ever-changing environment, companies are looking for employees who will be successful in tomorrow's economy. These people should possess specialized job skills and should be able to think critically, communicate clearly, manage ethically and contribute to the community. Therefore, attention must be given to improving the level recruitment and training provided to potential managers, especially if they are responsible for delivering the experience demanded by the luxury traveler today. READ MORE

Spa guests seem to be shopping virtually everywhere but their favorite spa. Mass marketers understand this, and have slapped the word "spa" on everything from dish soap to shoes. Spa guests are ready, willing and able to shop your Stay Spa. But what motivates them to buy? Will retail be merely an afterthought in your spa facility? The "Stay" Spa's notoriously weak retail performance-as low as 2% of revenues in some facilities-- has created a chicken-or-egg dilemma for spa designers. Do Stay Spas retail poorly because their clients aren't interested in home care products, or because the spas themselves make it difficult to shop? Here's how to ensure that you reap the rewards of retail. READ MORE

Today, there is a major shift in thinking on how to build a major corporate personality. To play the game, one must clearly figure out the secret powers of e-commerce and the role of new technologies in contrast to traditional print and old-fashioned, mass-advertising driven models. During the last century, mega corporations throughout the world followed the prime rules of building corporate image and name identity in the strictest sense. Their goal was simply to achieve an elite, world-class image by having their name and logo brightly displayed on skyscrapers in every city. They ran massive advertising campaigns to promote their identity and claimed ownership to specific colors and designs, all in an effort to create a single visual global icon. They used every opportunity, from naming stadiums to sponsoring parades.The objective was simple: to demonstrate their exclusive power and their domination by big image. READ MORE

Despite the growing attraction and convenience of purchasing goods and services by credit card, businesses of all kinds - including hospitality companies - are sitting ducks for credit card fraudsters. The problem is two-fold: While until recently, most credit card fraud involved "guests" using stolen or fraudulently obtained credit cards to pay for hotel charges, now the Internet has added a new dimension of credit card fraud threatening hospitality businesses. For example, cyber criminals can hack into a company's customer database and steal large batches of guest credit card information that they then sell on the black market. Or, they can use the stolen credit card information to manufacture counterfeit credit cards, which they then use to fraudulently purchase goods or services. Making matters worse, like companies in other industries that have been hacked by information thieves, hospitality companies could suddenly find themselves on the receiving end of lawsuits claiming damages for liability related to the theft of confidential guest information. To prevent incidents such as these, optimizing the company's information security defenses is the obvious first step. READ MORE