With annual spending exceeding $6 billion, tourism is the world's largest industry. Travel and travel-related industries employ over 234 million people worldwide. That's almost 9 percent of the world's population. By 2016, travel and tourism will account for approximately 10 percent of the global economy. Our success in this rapidly growing and important industry depends on our ability to develop and build high-quality facilities, both domestically and abroad. When considering international expansion, our understanding of cultural differences-whether they be as complex as a tax code or as simple as a personal greeting-is crucial to ensuring future success. READ MORE

There was a time when the name said it all: In New York, New York, it was the Waldorf. In San Francisco, California, it was the Fairmount. In Atlanta, Georgia, it was the Winecoff. In McAllen, Texas, it was Casa de Palmas. And in Garden City, Kansas, it was the Windsor. In today's vernacular, these hotels then were the grand dames of the communities. Sadly, the aging grand dames have had a poor survival rate. Such was the saga of the Blackstone Hotel in Chicago... READ MORE

Hotel companies face big challenges - bringing the best possible value to their guests while competing with increasingly similar products from brand to brand. Hoteliers spend large amounts of time and energy focusing on how to do this through care, comfort and amenities, but often end up with properties that have few if any distinctive features. One method for achieving differentiation is to institute a seamless culinary theme throughout all hotel food and beverage departments. READ MORE

Until now, customers seeking short lead time meetings have had to fax, phone and email and then wait for manual responses to RFPs. But planners increasingly want the freedom to book meeting space, catering, audio visual and guest rooms for small groups on the Internet. For hotels, letting customers view live proposals and book small meetings on-line can drive market share and customer satisfaction, while reducing administration, sales and marketing costs. John Arenas provides tips on how to offer your availability of free-to-sell, inventory directly to buyers 24 hours a day, seven days a week for incremental revenue. RFP. RIP?. READ MORE

Some employee acts are so offensive that immediate response is in order. Your employee handbook enumerates them: theft, fraud, insubordination, sexual harassment, etc. Others fail to rise to that level of concern, yet, like small cancers left untreated, begin to poison the organization. Those latter acts may be committed by otherwise likeable employees and, in fact, may be difficult to pinpoint. (Did Mary really mean to do that?) Yet you know, and the employee knows, that mischief has taken place. READ MORE

The country's steadily growing demand for energy will continue to present challenges for legislators, both at the federal and state levels. Two energy-related issues in particular-rising prices and global climate change-will demand innovative and bipartisan solutions. The nation's electric utilities believe that a key component of these solutions will be an expanded commitment to energy efficiency. We are working with the new Congress and with state legislators and regulators to broaden the role that energy efficiency plays in addressing these issues. We are encouraging the hotel industry, and all sectors of the economy, to join in this effort. READ MORE

The spa or health and wellness segment is one of the fastest growth segments in the hotel market in the USA, in many EU countries and elsewhere, that is in Eastern Europe, and in Asia. In Austria revenues in health and wellness tourism are reported to be 30% higher than traditional tourism. The pace of development suggests that hotel spas are meeting a demand that has not been satisfied in the traditional beauty channel. Indeed hotel spas are growing in countries, among them France, where the traditional beauty market is stagnant. READ MORE

Despite the constant barrage of news about corporate theft and fraud, there are still far too many situations in which hospitality companies unknowingly pay criminally-minded individuals or phony companies posing as legitimate vendors. How is it possible that "legitimate" companies have a private mailbox at the local UPS Store, a private residence, or even a prison address? Or that invoices a month apart with consecutive numbers both get paid? Or "invoices from a "vendor" whose address happens to match that of a company employee get paid? READ MORE

There is a lot of movement and focus towards personalizing your guest's experience in our industry today. What exactly is "personalization of the guest experience"? You could think of personalization as the next wave in product differentiation and creating and reinforcing guest loyalty. At the highest level, it has to do with delivering to all of our guests a more intimate stay, and on an individual level, delivering a unique service or product to each guest according to their preferences. READ MORE

What other industry is so directly involved with serving its customers in many significant areas to their well being? Food, drink, and sleep are three of the most important needs of an individual. But just meeting these needs does not ensure a successful operation or client loyalty. Nor does it ensure that the customer's needs were met with good service in a hospitable manner. This article will address the opportunity and benefit for the hospitality industry to be the leader in providing hospitality and setting standards for other industries to emulate. READ MORE

First, what is public relations? Who can honestly explain public relations? Try it right now before reading further. Answer the question - what is public relations? The text book definition is: The identifying and nurturing of relationships with publics that are essential to the success of an organization. The PR industry definition is: The sum total of the opinions your audiences have of you, your product, or your organization. (And do you know what that opinion is?) How did you do? Is it now clear as mud? READ MORE

A recent report on the groups and meetings industry published by PhoCusWright, "Groups and Meetings: Market Opportunity Redefined," estimates the current size of the meetings industry in the U.S. at $164.1 billion and projects it to grow to $175 billion by 2008. PhoCusWright estimates that nearly one quarter of all online travel in the U.S. will be groups and meetings related by 2008. What the hotel community should recognize is that a key factor in this growth is the anticipated increase in small meetings. While the total market for corporate meetings will be relatively flat, PhoCusWright reports that corporate meetings with fewer than 25 attendees are projected to grow a 13% in 2007. Obviously, this shows that to grow your business in this market you have to focus on increasing your market share and attracting more small meetings. READ MORE

"Build it and they will come" may work in The Field of Dreams, but in the hotel industry, the more accurate sentiment may be "Build it RIGHT and they will come". To realize the highest room sales potential, it is important for owners and managers to make sure that each room is configured to its highest and best use. Many times, with very little expense, room revenues are significantly impacted through occupancy and/or average rate increases, by making minor adjustments. This is especially true in the case of small, boutique hotels, where each room sold has a significant financial impact. By understanding and implementing a few basic principals, owners and managers can potentially avoid costly miscalculations in revenues and expenses by building it correctly or by reconfiguring an existing property. READ MORE

Outsourcing over the past several years, has taken on a negative perception in the market place. It has recently been associated with the idea that big businesses outsource some of their support services and functions in foreign countries in order to reduce expenses, and that this is invariably at the expense of customer satisfaction as well as local jobs. An example of outsourcing gone bad is technical support services moved to foreign countries where the technicians who are not fluent in the customer's native language, try to communicate complicated technical information and provide solutions to problem. And, to make matters worse, the service is also priced at a high rate per minute; so inefficient problem solving is very, very costly to the customer. But, in the case of small independent hotels, outsourcing can provide major benefits which would allow these properties to provide specific services and expertise that they would not be able to offer because of the costs associated. As selling rooms is the primary goal, these enhancements only create an opportunity to increase demand for your property. READ MORE

"Build it and they will come" may work in The Field of Dreams, but in the hotel industry, the more accurate sentiment may be "Build it RIGHT and they will come". To realize the highest room sales potential, it is important for owners and managers to make sure that each room is configured to its highest and best use. Many times, with very little expense, room revenues are significantly impacted through occupancy and/or average rate increases, by making minor adjustments. This is especially true in the case of small, boutique hotels, where each room sold has a significant financial impact. READ MORE