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Accor is taking its commitment to sustainability to a higher level with the launch of PLANET 21, this is a comprehensive sustainable development program involving environmental, social and community support programs. It aims to place sustainability at the core of its business strategy worldwide. With this program, Accor is making 21 commitments and the same number of quantified goals for the year 2015, such as 15% reduction in water consumption, 10% decrease in energy use and 85% use of eco-labelled products at Accor's owned and leased hotels worldwide. These moves are all aim to reminds us the urgent situation of our planent that we should change our methods of production and consumption patterns to ensure the sustainability of the planet.

In the article, "Travel Agents Increase Use of GDS to Book Hotel Rooms," it talked about how the leading global provider of revenue is generating solutions for hotels, it shows how important GDS platforms are to travel agents. "84 percent of respondents indicated that they were using their GDS platform the same amount or more often than in the past, with 35 percent stating that they are using GDS more." Back in 2009, when the last study was conducted, about 26 percents of travel agents said that they used their GDS platform more often than in the past. This study also states that the annual GDS shopping displays will be over $50 million in 2011, which will increase more than a million bookings compared to 2010. There was another survey that was done and they surveyed different travel agents from across the world that were subscribed to a major GDS system. In the survey the travel agents indicated that promotional messages are effective and often prompt bookings. Out of the travel agents they surveyed, 66% said that they were aware of the "promotional messages requested addition information by looking at the screen attached to he promotional message." From this survey it showed that promotional messages are an excellent way to reach travel agents and from reaching the agent, they also reaching the customer, it's a win-win reaction.

I enjoyed the part about brand and promotional messaging, that is always a lure for me. When I see an attractive offer, evern If I'm not interested in booking or going to the destination, I often click on it anyway just to see the offer. It is a very effective marketing tool.

Week 4 Article Summary 15 Benefits of Having Digital Menu Boards in Your Restaurant. This article discusses the positive ways in having a digital menus and explains the benefit it has on the restaurant. The focus of the restaurant should be more on the quality of food being served. Even though there are a lot of restaurant that give you an experience like no other but if the food is not top quality it will be hard to bring customers back. Having this type of digital menus could enhance the guest experience while helping the restaurant increase revenues. Here are ten of the top fifteen positives reasons of having a digital menu boards. 1) Digital menu displays will make communication easier. This starts form the customer directly to the kitchen. It will also allow the establishment to display videos and animations that will catch the eyes of the customers and could highlight specific menu items. 2) Saves time by easy updates on display. The software will allow the restaurant to update the menu very easy. You could add and take away dishes without having to print all new menus. It will also allow you 86 items that are sold out at any time during the shift. 3) Sound Investment of saving money. With the system allowing you to change menus, it will save money because you won't have to pay to print new menus every time you want revise it. 4) Digital displays create a more memorable experience. With having a digital screen, it will allow the customer to stay entertained by having a right mix of graphic videos and allowing them to keep them occupied during down times. 5) Better Visibility of menu. The display on the tablet will allow the guest to see a nice HD screen with colors that will make it easy to see and read. 6) 24/7 support. No matter what time of day, there will be support for mangers to trouble shoot any issues that might be happing at time. 7) Boost sales up to 21-23%. It has been said that having an emenu will increase revenues by allowing the establ

As Heidi Richards states there are 21 tips to hosting a successful event. No matter what the event is there are certain components that when properly executed will keep people talking about the event long after it is over. Even the simplest of events require some planning and preparation. Some of the tips include: One If you are planning to host an event with more than 20 people its best to hire an assistants to help you out with the minor details, Second you can craft custom-made invitation to invite guests to your event. Follow up with the guest who registered and provide details, such as location, time and dress code, Third encourage your guests to bring plenty of business cards to exchange with other guests, Fourth reflect on inviting your customers, suppliers or prospects, when creating your invitation list, Fifth create targeted emails to these groups to let them know what you are offering, and to Sixth design a postcard Invitation to send via email or a free online invitations such as Yahoo Invites. Heidi provides knowledge and expertise into a making this list of constructing a successful and unforgettable event.

I love those tips~ It is so helpful. I like the tip that If you are planning to host an event with more than 20 people its best to hire an assistants to help you out with the minor details.

Hilton is a renown hospitality brand and they have been very successful over the years. Hilton's operating systems is commonly known as System 21. This systems allows employees to save and retrieve data promptly; for example Hilton Honor members can quickly update their points and reward status., they become eligible for upgrades. This system provides enhanced levels of service both during the check-in and check out processes in addition to improved guest recognition.

This is an interesting article that describes some of the new technology being implemented to improve how employees are getting paid based on the current workforce's spending habits. These include the ability to be paid by debit cards, ability to be paid daily and have the flexibility to move the money around, AI intelligence to keep track of the employees' work hours on their own devices, and integration of many payroll functions into one platform. With so much technological advancement, it seems that payroll management is one that is still behind with many companies still working with the old clock in and out method which is time consuming.

This article is eye-opening as it proves how important technology such as HRIS systems are within the Hospitality industry. This article does this by describing common human errors that occur when working with data and then immediately providing ways that these errors can be avoided or limited by the use of this technology. For instance, the article states "It can become challenging to track each employee's availability and providing updates to all of your staff as soon as possible." The next section responds to this situation with "Having an employee time tracking tool that's integrated with your payroll system ensures that all data can easily be found in one place. This eliminates the need for multiple systems, where information can be easily misplaced." The industry is ever-changing thus it is becoming increasingly more difficult to keep up with all of the duties. Moreover, human error will always exist as we are not perfect. For these reasons, businesses need to incorporate technology systems to create a more productive and effective workplace.

This article goes over the importance of HRIS in regards to the employees. It talks about how the employee must be comfortable with the process and understand it as well. They must have a good experience with it.

Maestro reported a 21% increase in online hotel reservations from June 8 to June 15 of this year. This was an increase that was seen at multiple properties that use Maestro. Maestro is also creating many new options for contactless services that the hotels can offer such as mobile key, kiosks, and text messaging.

Securing Your Return on Investment, with the conference sessions focused on how tourism and meeting industry professionals can apply sound safety and security practices to protect, and even improve, their business ventures' bottom line in the current economic landscape.

Hospitality eBusiness Strategies (HeBS), the hospitality industry's leading Internet marketing and distribution consulting firm today announces the firm will present at the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) "Revenue Management & Internet Marketing Strategy Conference" in Orlando, FL. HeBS' Chief eBusiness Strategist, Max Starkov, will discuss "Mobile Marketing for Today and Tomorrow" on June 21, 2010 at 9:30 AM at the Orange County Convention Center. 

The revel systems is a POS system for restaurant, it is based on the secure clouding technology and also working on the ipad. It's a great opportunity for businesses to keep all of their existing data, and continue with the accounting suite they have always used, without any extra steps or changes.

Fifty percent of respondents to a recent Unisys (NYSE: UIS) online poll said cloud computing is their top IT investment priority for 2012. This is the second straight year respondents to a Unisys poll named cloud as the chief priority for IT investments in the coming year.Other respondents to the poll listed cyber-security (21 percent), mobile/social computing (21 percent) and big data (8 percent) as their top 2012 IT priorities. From the U.S. federal government's 'cloud first' policy to enterprise business units' demands for greater IT responsiveness, business decision makers are embracing both private and public cloud computing models. They now see the cloud as a vital way to obtain IT services that enable them to provide solutions for clients and deliver competitive products to market quickly and cost-efficiently."

I think it`s very good potential investment in cloud computing.Because the economy is coming out of one of the worst recessions in recent history and companies have a different mindset than they did in the past, the first factor is cost cutting. All companies in all industries have been looking for ways to lower costs when times are tough and cloud computing will help facilitate this. The second factor is increased production. In a perfect world a company could lower cost and increase production at the same time.So cloud computing is the best way.

Priceline has launched their online same day booking application for iPhone users.  The app will soon be available for Android users as well. Travelers are able to search for last minute inventory from 165 countries and 200,000 properties, the app shows a list of available hotels in the area of the device the user is using to search for hotels.  The quick 2 step process to booking a hotel is easy to use and user friendly, guests also get a map with directions on their display to help them find their hotel.  This technology was introduced last year and had secured $1 billion in transactions 40% of the mobile bookings were for the same day reservations. Today's travelers and consumers are looking for instant deals, bookings, and conformation, with the technology of this app and the continued improvements consumers continue to be in their favor. 

Global Distribution System (GDS) & Alternative Distribution System (ADS) GDS & ADS Today's Global Distribution System (GDS) is comprised of 4 major GDS channels: Sabre Amadeus Worldspan Galileo The latter two, as of 2006, have been aggregated under the TravelPort banner. There are also a number of smaller, regionalized GDS connections including Abacus and Patheo. Included with GDS connectivity are hundreds of Alternative Distribution System channels that are effectively "hybrid distribution" mechanisms in that they provide web-based visibility to 3rd party merchants while "pulling inventory" from the GDS. These include household names such as Travelocity and Expedia and not-so-well-known sites such as e-Bookers and Opodo. A single "switch," Pegasus, provides overall system connectivity (Wizcom was acquired by Pegasus in July, 2004) and the industry is now seeing a proliferation of "direct-connects" to by-pass switch transaction and pass-through fees to mitigate acquisition costs. Connectivity to, and marketing within, the GDS is vital to the success of any hotel and resort given that 17-21% of worldwide bookings are made by travel agents through this channel. To have access to the GDS, your operation must belong to a Central Reservations Service (though you could try to create a proprietary CRS) and that is where the Hospitality Performance Group distribution program can bring value to your operation. We work closely with a number of CRS providers and can match you with one that is appropriate to the distribution needs of your property. Approximately 80,000 travel agents globally use the GDS. Hotel and resort "book-ability" has been an element of the GDS since the 80's (see the HPG history timeline) and given the vast selection provided to agents, GDS marketing can prove extremely productive--particularly in an extremely competitive market or when your operation's feeder markets are global. Working with our GDS marketi

This article talked about the GDS and ADS. It said there are four major GDS channels: Sabre, Amadeus, Worldspan, Galileo. Besides, there are also small channels like Abacus and Patheo. Then, the article introduced that Included with GDS connectivity are hundreds of Alternative Distribution System channels that are effectively "hybrid distribution" mechanisms in that they provide web-based visibility to 3rd party merchants while "pulling inventory" from the GDS. Then, according to the article, the GDS is vital to the success of any hotel and resort given that 17-21% of worldwide bookings are made by travel agents through this channel. It said that about 80,000 travel agents globally use the GDS So we can say the GDS's is very useful for travel agency business. It has very long history since Hotel and resort "book-ability" has been an element of the GDS since the 80's (see the HPG history timeline) and given the vast selection provided to agents. In the end, the article promoted a new system called HPG.

Trump International Hotels & Tower in Toronto has selected to use MICROS Opera and MICROS RES. The MICROS OPERA system includes property management, vacation ownership, and customer information to manage customer data and provides the most advanced technology. Trump selected MICROS RES because of it's rich restaurant operations functionality. Trump is pleased to be working with just one company that provides so much advanced technology. The company looks to gain more efficiency and secure processes and enable employees to provide superior experiences to their clients/guests.

Sustainability in the hospitality industry was introduced back in the late 80's. Ever since then it has been a growing movement, seeking the best and most efficient strategies for hotels and tourism. In 1992, The United Nations Conference on Environmental Development (UNCED) recognized that travel and tourism would be one of the most benefitted by sustainability trends. In 1996 three organizations (World Travel & Tourism Council, World Tourism Organization, and the Earth Council) met to create a global environmental certification program called "Agenda 21". Consequently, Green Globe was created after to set targets and functioning standards based on environmental development. Hotels receiving the "Green Globe" address issues within their hotel that include: * Greenhouse emissions * Energy efficiency * Management of freshwater resources * Ecosystem conservation * Waste water and solid waste management Hospitality is the fastest growing global industry. In 2014 it was stated that it contributes $7 trillion annually to the total world gross domestic product. There is a huge incentive for sustainability due to customers being conscious of the impact their actions have on the planet. Soon green and sustainability will become the standard rather than an option.

This article has asked 21 professionals about the pros and cons of cybersecurity jobs. The first pro is the salary; overall, they are paid quite well. They also say cyber jobs are everywhere, being in a high demand job, ability to advance in your career, having the opportunity to be self-employed, and the chance to learn new things. The cons of cybersecurity jobs consist of being on call and demanding hours, some tasks are boring or repetitive, job pressure, continuously learning, and lack of resources. In conclusion, there are pros and cons to every job to overall cybersecurity jobs seem to have a high retention aspect to them.

This article talks about how we have seen technology in restaurants change in the past year as well as what to expect moving forward. Restaurants have begun to see how new technologies like contactless pay are allowing them to expedite services and benefiting their businesses. It also discusses how even though things like QRs have become more common they won't replace aspects of service experience that are crucial to hospitality.

According to this article the technology of facial recognition is expected to grow tremendously by 2022. Also, mentioned industries such as homeland security who has been using this form of technology since 2015. When comparing the 2D and 3D technology, 2D technology is more widely used due to its low cost and ease of use. The use of 3D technology has its place in the industry as well due to its ability to recognize facial features more accurately than 2D technologies.

This article covers the research behind and design of software implemented in the Czech Republic to monitor visitor activity in protected areas. The software is designed to act as a "tour guide" and keeps track of visitors through satellite positioning. The article discusses the process by which this software would be developed, rationale for its implementation, and consumer data that may be collected through this process that would benefit National Parks and other protected areas. Theoretical questions in regard to human interaction, privacy concerns, and effectiveness of the application in low-service areas are discussed. Though the application requires more research and strict attention to variables, its implementation worldwide could change how sustainable tourism is managed and would provide important information on consumer habits in protected areas.