The hospitality industry continues to flourish and in addition to contributing billions to Britain's GDP, it provides jobs for a huge amount of workers across the UK. To put that into perspective, in 2014, it was estimated that hospitality was responsible for a massive contribution of around £143 billion - this is 10% of the UK's entire GDP. And as for employment, figures suggest that the industry is directly employing 4.7 million workers and indirectly employing 775,000 people. If the industry continues to grow, it's expected that as will the GDP contributions and of course, more jobs and opportunities will be available to workers. READ MORE

The opportunity to drive their dream car is on the bucket list of many. That goal can be checked off fairly easily these days as luxury car driver experiences are available through a variety of venues, including hotels and resorts. Dreamers no longer have to shell out hundreds of thousands to drive a Lamborghini; they can reserve a luxury suite at certain high-end hotels and enjoy the privilege of driving one for a few hours. Of course, for hotels and resorts offering this luxury service, new risks come with the experiences. In this article, we discuss what hotel and resort owners participating in these luxury driver experiences can do to make sure they have taken the proper steps to protect their guests, employees and their bottom lines. READ MORE

Like never before, marketers are competing for attention. Snapchat Spectacles, Instagram Stories, 360-degree videos and Facebook Live are all helping fill consumers' free time. So, as marketers, how do we use all the data now available to figure out how to get the right stories out on social media, smartphones, tablets and other channels? And how do we make our content interesting enough to compete with the fad du jour occupying people's minds? I challenge myself and my team to think about three key means to earn attention in today's marketplace. READ MORE

The 21st century discerning digital native traveler can be clearly characterized as hyper connected, better informed, and technology savvy. In this “Age of I” hotel brands need to gain a competitive edge by taking heed of these guests and making them feel interconnected. The next frontier is undoubtedly clear and real. This write up will focus on three marketing trends that need attention and if executed can be of grave value to any hotel businesses' marketing efforts. Mobile marketing platforms, predictive analytics strategies and contextual marketing tactics are new hotel marketing frontiers. Hoteliers cannot lose sight of these in the next decade. READ MORE

The booking shift to mobile in the travel industry raises questions on how marketers can adjust their strategies to reach a mobile audience. This in conjunction with quickly evolving virtual reality technology opens doors for travel marketers to make an impact and get ahead of their competition. Using VR to enhance mobile websites, apps and advertising can increase mobile bookings and raise brand awareness and credibility. READ MORE