Last month I talked about the emerging gay and lesbian travel market, and why it's a market worth targeting. So now that you're convinced this is a market your property wants to enter, the question now is "How do you do it?" Deciding to enter the market is a big step, and making sure you do it right is critical. But don't worry, you don't have to go it alone; at the end of this article is a short list and description of some of the key organizations that can assist you in getting started within the gay travel market. These groups and businesses are great resources as you begin to reach out to this market. There are three main areas to consider when reaching the gay and lesbian travel market: Promotions, Relations, and Community Involvement. READ MORE

By now, since reading my last article, you've already started to take the first step in the product development phase: providing diversity training to your staff. With this training, you have the basics you need to offer the gay and lesbian traveller an experience where they can feel comfortable and the service they receive meets their expectations. But how do you build on that? How do you enhance that to really make your property appeal to, and capture, the market? Product development and packaging is where you get to be creative and have fun. Through the development of new products that are created specifically for the gay and lesbian market, you can provide them with the tailored experience that they are looking for. You might be thinking to yourself that you don't have any "gay" product to work with; that you have nothing that would be appealing for a gay and lesbian package. Where do you look? READ MORE

At the recent Americas Lodging Investment Summit conference there was quite a bit of good news - the industry has just finished up the year with record profits for 2006! Transition dollar volume is also at all time high and 2007 is expected to be another record year for RevPAR growth, industry profits and transactions. There was also some not so good news - supply growth is escalating; the rate of RevPAR growth is decelerating and there has been a significant decline in international business (as a percentage of total demand). Additionally, many hotels are facing increased expenses and human resource challenges. And there are also many areas of uncertainty. What does this all mean in terms of where we at in the investment cycle? And where do we go from here? READ MORE

In a tough economic time, it is of vital importance to discuss methods that will not only help you avoid slumping sales, but also to help you grow your business. There are six specific tactics I discuss in this article, from details on how to utilize natural and local search offerings to the importance of building the top of your funnel for your long-term growth. This list is by no means meant to be a comprehensive guide to running a recession-proof online program. However, these are the first steps you can take to ensure the health of your business, now and to come. READ MORE

Haven't spas been around long enough that we know what they are? Why is it important to answer the question? And, even more emphatically, "Why do we care what a spa is"? The understanding can help properties develop, renovate or evaluate their spas or spa plans to produce a more successful spa business. The pasteighteen months have certainly had the hospitality industry scrambling, and at the same time; scrutinizing, evaluating and reflecting on what is valued by our guests. Don't stop here - read further to gain an understanding of 'spa' READ MORE