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Jessica Schwec

FIFA and the environment - FIFA.com - 1 views

    • Jessica Schwec
       
      FIFA has been working progressively on green initiatives. The organization has increasingly focused on environmental management at the World Cup with the upmost attention being paid to the 2018/2022 Word Cups beginning with the bid process.
  • Issues such as global warming, environmental conservation and sustainable management are a concern for FIFA, not only in regards to FIFA World Cups™, but also in relation to FIFA as an organisation.
  • FIFA has encouraged and engaged with Local Organising Committees (LOC) in regard to environmental protection since 2005 when the German LOC launched the Green Goal environmental programme for the 2006 FIFA World Cup™.
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  • Inspired by Green Goal 2006 and by previous experiences with major international events in South Africa, the South African LOC developed a Green Goal programme for the 2010 FIFA World Cup™.
  • The LOC for the FIFA Women’s World Cup Germany 2011™ launched the Green Goal 2011 programme in early 2010, building on the experiences from 2006 to expand the environmental project.
  • In assuring its commitment to the environment in the future, FIFA decided to include environmental protection in future bidding agreements, starting with the bidding process for the FIFA World Cups™ in 2018 and 2022. FIFA requested comprehensive information on the activities planned to avoid, reduce and offset the negative environmental impacts of hosting the FIFA World Cup™.
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    FIFA has paid noticeable attention to the environmental impact of the World Cup since the 2006 World Cup and green management has increased with every World Cup since with the biggest plans already staged for years 2018 and 2022. The Green Goal environmental program has been in effect since 2005 when FIFA partnered with Local Organizing Committees (LOCs) in order to champion green initiatives. This program has been adapted for every World Cup since. The program combines the resources of host cities, governmental departments, local environmentalists and international partners. Now, FIFA is implementing green initiatives into the bidding process for 2018 and 2022 by requesting information pertaining to the reduction and control of negative environmental impacts from bidders prior to making a decision on where to host the World Cup. In my opinion, FIFA has adequately worked towards environmental sustainability over the past ten years and has powerful plans to continue and improve green initiatives going forward. Previously, the indoctrination of the Green Goal program in 2005 laid the foundation for green goals and growth. Each subsequent World Cup has relied on a Green Goal program to set and measure environmental initiatives. Also, FIFA has already begun working on the Green Goal for 2018 and 2022 by requiring potential host destinations to incorporate environmental sustainability into the management structure of the mega-event. Management is required to set measurable objectives in six key areas: water, waste, energy, transportation, procurement and climate change. In addition, potential host destinations are required to plan and explain how they will incorporate stakeholders and the community via an Environmental Advisory Board. All of these aspects must be outlined in the bid submitted for consideration by FIFA and will be weighed heavily during the host location decision process.
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    FIFA's decision to use involved green standards as part of the bidding process for World Cups 2018 and 2022 is ingenious. The rigorous standards and expectations eliminate cities that are unwilling or unable to do the research and prep work required for the environmental concerns associated with such a large and prestigious event. However, these same circumstances caused increased competition between the remaining cities and come with some sort of financial cost. The increased competition between potential host cities and the associated higher costs pertaining to the implementation of green strategies may be seen as negatives to involved commercial/government entities and community conservatives. The following comparison explains how this may be so. Companies often design buildings with minimal closets despite having a large need for storage space. The philosophy behind this is "closets don't make money." On the contrary, entertainments space (i.e. Casinos), larger sales floors (i.e. Car Dealerships) and management offices are all spaces in which money is generate and therefore income is maximized by maximizing the "money-generating space" and minimizing spaces (i.e. closets) that do not do so. Similarly, green initiatives guarantee extra expenses and do not generate a significantly increased income. Some entities may view green initiatives as "closets." In conclusion, FIFA is a powerful force in the green initiative campaign. The organization has worked tirelessly the last 15 years to implement and improve environmental initiatives related to the World Cup. Despite the outside chance that a significant portion of the population will view green initiatives as costly non-necessities, I believe that FIFA's Green Goal program will be a success. It provides an expanding platform for each subsequent Word Cup by requiring environmental initiatives to be implemented at the management level and begin at the earliest point possible: bidding.
Ling Xiang

Recent technology trends in Event Management " Event Registration and Management Softwa... - 2 views

  • attendees can ask questions to the speaker via tweets or Facebook comments real time during an event.
  • FIFA World Cup
  • cool application that had been created especially for the World Cup that highlighted the real time schedule of the games and results as they took place. This event alerted us to the huge potential that has hardly been scratched.
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  • The drastic improvements in the Audio-Video equipments, staging and lighting instruments have made sure that you need to make your event stand out.
  • Technology has made sure that geographical impediments no more stop you from attending an event half way round the world. The webinars and live meetings are the newest venues for events the world over.
  • Social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter have completely altered the way we think about event promotion.
  • Recently – online registration for events has taken the center stage with a lot of small players like Eventzilla. 
  • Now the event attendees can ask questions to the speaker via tweets or Facebook comments real time during an event. With the world tweeting away night and day, there is no doubt that technology has changed our life completely
  • The barriers have been stomped down and the walls have fallen.   Technology has made sure that geographical impediments no more stop you from attending an event half way round the world. The webinars and live meetings are the newest venues for events the world over.
  • The drastic improvements in the Audio-Video equipments, staging and lighting instruments have made sure that you need to make your event stand out. No more can you pass off an event with just a great speaker. Even with the best of the content and ingredients, you need to upgrade the stage show to make sure that the attendees are left wonder struck.
  • The FIFA World Cup this year was a lot of fun for us. And we are not talking about football. Our excitement was because of this cool application that had been created especially for the World Cup that highlighted the real time schedule of the games and results as they took place. This event alerted us to the huge potential that has hardly been scratched.
  • has made sure that geographical impediments no more stop you from attending an event half way round the world. The webinars and live meetings are the newest venues for events the world over. Planners and
  • No more can you pass off an event with just a great speaker. Even with the best of the content and ingredients, you need to upgrade the
  • stage show to make sure that the attendees are left wonder struck.
  • The barriers have been stomped down and the walls have fallen.  Technology
  • Social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter have completely altered the way we think about event promotion.   Letters are antiquated and emails outdated. Nowadays, you ‘tweet’ and ‘poke’ your way around the events
  • Social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter have completely altered the way we think about event promotion.   Letters are antiquated and emails outdated. Nowadays, you ‘tweet’ and ‘poke’ your way around the events
  • With the advent of the iPhones, Androids and Blackberrys, smart phone applications have become the next-gen platform for event management. From charting an event to locating it on the map, you can do it all on your mobile. 
  • With the advent of the iPhones, Androids and Blackberrys, smart phone applications have become the next-gen platform for event management. From charting an event to locating it on the map, you can do it all on your mobile.
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    The event today is not only between planner and organization; it's more like the communication and interaction among attendees. The technology assists the needs and expectation of attendees, which allows them to engage more during meetings and events. Besides, App or other online software facilitates attendees to get full knowledge of location, content and activity in one event. In addition, Audio-Video equipment mentioned in article also emphasized that lighting plays an important role to make one event stand out. In another words, creating great experience is definitely what technology is for.
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    This article talks about how technology has changed the world completely, especially Event Management. For example, the FiFa world cup puts out cool application so people could know the highlight, real time schedule of the games and result. Some other example are the stage show, this drastic change improved in the Audio - video equipment, stage and lighting. Technology has change in Live Meeting. Live Meeting webinar and live meeting are use halfway around the world. Also, the Social Explosion like facebook and Twitter is the big thing around the world. Even the Mobile Application are used now in iPhones, Androids, and Blackberrys has become the next -gem platform for Event Management
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    Now the event attendees can ask questions to the speaker via tweets or Facebook comments real time during an event. With the world tweeting away night and day, there is no doubt that technology has changed our life completely.
Chengcheng Feng

Global Distribution Systems in Present Times - Four Major GDS Systems; Amadeus, Galileo... - 1 views

  • Among the “shelves” on which buyers search for travel services are world’s global distribution systems and the Internet distribution systems
  • The airlines realized that by automating the reservation process for travel agents, they could make the travel agents more productive and essentially turn into an extension of the airline’s sales force. It is these original, legacy GDSs that today provide the backbone to the Internet travel distribution system
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    October 2002 - The travel marketplace is a global arena where millions of buyers (travel agents and the public) and sellers (hotels, airlines, car rental companies, etc.) work together to exchange travel services. This is a good article talking about four major GDS System companies in the world nowadays. When we do some research in GDS area, it is better for us to know some information about these four companies. They are Amadeus, Galileo, Sabre and Worldspan. The author said that Aadeus is Number 1 inlocations worldwide compared to other three companies, Galileo International is a cautions follower when it comes to technology when compared to other GDS companies. Sabre's competitive strenghs are market position, global reach, stable product line, diversification of revenue streams and intellectual capital. And Worldspan has successfully developed the strategies and solutions to ensure the company's long-tern success. After read this article, I think I have the big picture of what GDS System is. The author gave us the strength of different systems. I know what are these GDS companies doing right now in the world. And what is the best is that the author used some accurate data to support the point. So in my point of view, I don't only understand the knowledge related to GDS System, but also learn the way to write my paper, that is using lots of numbers.
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    I don't know why but I was failed to highlight this article. I did it in My Library.
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    It is a great article that provides some detailed information on the four most famous GDS. and it was separated into four parts by explaining the four major GDS one by one. It is talking about the history, current status and development of these four major systems to help readers understand what exactly it is and how it works. I like this because it helps me create an overview of GDS systems.
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    Interesting article that summarize important information about major GDS companies. GDS companies such as Amadus, Galileo and Sabre are platforms in which a range of travel related services are offered through electronic switches and routers .
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    This article introduces four major GDS systems' characteristics and strength. I think these information will be useful for hotels when they choose the GDS systems.
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    According to the World's Leading CRS/GDS System 2011, Sabre is the winner profile. And the Amadeus, Galileo, Worldspan and Zurich Systems were nominated.
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    This is about GDS!
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    In the travel marketplace it is global where buyers and sellers work together to exchange travel services. Global distribution systems and the internet distribution systems have become electronic supermarkets linking buyers to sellers and allowing reservations to be made quick and easy. Travel today is sold most on the internet, it is a vast networks of suppliers and a wide customer pool in a centralized maket. Currently today there are 4 major GDS and they are continuing to grow. This article pretty much summed up what we learned in the past 2 classes
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    SUMMARY A global distribution system (GDS) represents a computerized system used for managing different transactions within the air travel and hospitality industry There are currently four major GDS systems: 1. Amadeus (2) Galileo (3) Sabre (4) Worldspan Amadeus Founded in 1987 by Air France, Iberia, Lufthansa, and SAS, Amadeus is the youngest of the four GDS companies. Amadeus is a leading global distribution system and technology provider serving the marketing, sales, and distribution needs of the world's travel and tourism industries. Its comprehensive data network and database, among the largest of their kind in Europe, serve more than 57,000 travel agency locations and more than 10,500 airline sales offices in some 200 markets worldwide... Galileo International Galileo International was founded in 1993 by 11 major North American and European airlines: Aer Lingus, Air Canada, Alitalia, Austrian Airlines, British Airways, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Olympic Airlines, Swissair, TAP Air Portugal, United Airlines, and US Airways. It is a major player in the GDS business throughout the world: North America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia/Pacific region. Galileo International is a diversified, global technology leader. Sabre For more than 40 years, Sabre has been developing innovations and transforming the business of travel. From the original Sabre computer reservations system in the 1960s, to advanced airline yield management systems in the 1980s, to leading travel web sites today, Sabre technology has traveled through time, around the world, and has touched all points of the travel industry. Worldspan Founded February 7, 1990, Worldspan was originally owned by affiliates of Delta Air Lines, Inc., Northwest Airlines, and Trans World Airlines, Inc. It is currently owned by affiliates of Delta Air Lines, Inc. (40%), Northwest Airlines (34%), and American Airlines, Inc. (26%). Since its 1995 advance into the world of Internet technology fo
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    This article is about the GDS system, and it introduced four major GDS system in present times. GDS is a worldwide computerized reservarion network used as a single point of access for reserving airline sears, hotel rooms, rental cars, and other travel related items by travel agents, online reservation sites, and large corporations. The for major GDS systems, Amadeus, Galileo, Sabre, and Worldspan owned and operated as joint ventures by major airlines, car rental comopanies, and hotel groups. GDS is also called automated reservation system (ARS) or computerized reservation system (CRS). Among the four major GDS systems, Amadeus is the youngest one and has done remarkably well during its short tenure. With its strong company infrastructure worldwide, impressive product set, and growing customer base, Amadeus is one of the most significant players in shaping the future of the GDS. Galileo's competitive strengths include market share, well-balanced and global presence, relationships with diverse groups of travel vendors, technologically advanced information systems, highly skilled personnel, and a stable product line. Gralileo is a follower when it comes to technology, but is has established successful relationships with entities such as Go, UK's best low-cost airline. Sabre's competitive strengths include market position, global reach, stable product line, diversification of revenue streams, and intellectual capital. Sabre business model is a strong one, and continues to make significant progress in advancing both its electronic travel distribution and its information technology solutions businesses. The last one Worldspan has a legacy of industry firsts that are not well known. It continues to look at benefits of creating its own consumer brand and has been partnering with different companies to expand the services that it can provide to its customer base.
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    GDS is started on the airline industry. And with it development, the airline company recognized that the GDS is becoming more and more important and necessary. And in my opinion, the GDS can not only focus on the airline. It can be on the internet. That is means they should built some sub-company around the world and it will help to form a kind of net that can cover all over the world. So that it is reduce the pressure of airline and increase the short distance distribution. it will be more efficiency for the guest and less human labor.
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    More and more customers rely on global distribution system to buy hospitality products in present time. This article introduces four major type global distribution systems, Ama dues, Galileo, Sabre and Worldspan. There are also some smaller GDS existed in the world. Amadeus is the youngest of the four GDS companies. Galileo International is a diversified, global technology leader. Galileo's competitive strengths include well-balanced and global presence, relationships with diverse groups of travel vendors, technologically advanced information systems and a stable product line. Sabre's competitive strengths include market position, global reach, stable product line, diversification of revenue streams, and intellectual capital. Worldspan provides worldwide electronic distribution of travel information, Internet products and connectivity, and e-commerce capabilities for travel agencies, travel service providers, and corporations.
anonymous

article_32_vol_5__1_.pdf - 1 views

shared by anonymous on 05 Jun 20 - No Cached
  • Much has changed in the business world since the birth of technology and the subsequent discovery of the world wide web (www) in 1989.
  • Much has changed in the business world since the birth of technology and the subsequent discovery of the world wide web (www) in 1989.
  • According to South African Tourism (2015), more than 180 million bed nights were sold in 2015, making the hotel industry an attractive client of e-commerce.
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  • suppliers and customers meet in a virtual space to perform transactions using Internet technology as it has the potential to add substantial value to business operations and competitiveness of a business.
  • scene of the famous lion-buffalo-crocodile battle watched more than 75 million times on YouTube)
  • e-commerce has not only
  • changed the way business is conducted, but has increased the revenue of organisations tremendously, in particular that of the travel and tourism industry.
  • The top three visited travel sites include Booking.com, Expedia.com and Hotels.com.
  • online travel booking is the specific business-to-consumer (B2C) transaction in the context of online tourism
  • right: © 2016 A
  • understand how the various online sales platforms interconnect.
  • the internet consumer of today assumes all businesses worthy of trade have a website;
  • it is not enough for hotels to rely on their web pages alone for room sales.
  • An aspect of e-commerce revolves around how social media affects a hotel’s online presence, and how it is used as a tool for gaining a notable share in the e-commerce market for hotel room sales.
  • In an increasingly competitive market place, tourism products require an effective distribution strategy for a firm to reach its target tourists and local markets
  • Although the statistic does not identify the specific modes used to make room reservations, it can be presumed that electronic sales made up a considerable percentage as sales method.
  • The Internet is an ideal platform for the tourism industry
  • 1) they are intangible, 2) their production and consumption cannot be separated, 3) they are perishable, and 4) they are seasonal
  • survey conducted in Hong Kong of 249 leisure travellers, 80% searched for hotel information using Web tools, with more than half making their bookings through hotel host websites or third-party websites
    • anonymous
       
      They wouldn't be able to gather this information on technology unless they had the proper technology to do so.
  • Social commerce should be considered broader than the act of sharing shopping experiences with others, as it has challenged and redefined traditional vendor-push business models and marketing strategies (Gonçalves Curty & Zhang, 2013:260-261).
  • E-commerce allows the tourism consumer to purchase tourism products and packages online and act as his or her own travel agent by building personalised travel packages and eliminitaing the need for traditional processes
  • From a hotel business perspective, e-Procurement is a good example of the innovative use of technology in the lodging industry
  • 2B
  • E-procurement can be defined as a business-to-business (B2B) tool that supports the buying process
  • implementing e-procurement has become an important enabler for achieving a flexible and responsive supply chain.
  • An example of e-procurement or a business-to-business transaction would be a hotel selling its rooms to OTAs on a wholesale or commission basis.
  • e-commerce in the modern tourism and hospitality industry is important because the Internet is the lowest cost hotel-booking channel, most travellers research hotel reservations on the Internet, and social media and online hotel reviews are an increasingly important decision factor.
  • there are three most common retail sales channels – brick-and-mortar, catalogue and the Web – across the elements that characterise the shopping and business ownership experience
  • Travel services are categorised into Accommodation and Airlines, as these two components constitute a large part of the hospitality industry.
  • This research study is focused on room sales, therefore the distribution channels used for this purpose will be explained, namely, Online Travel Agents (OTAs) and merchant sites.
  • Today, e-commerce focuses on profitability.
  • challenge for retailers is to attract the attention of the digital natives (consumers who have grown up in the digital world) and persuade them to spend more, as well as to attract digital immigrants (consumers who are presumed to resist new technology or at least have trouble accepting it) to this way of shopping.
  • Social media can increase communication for a website and create brand awareness.
  • a social network is a virtual community, profile site or website on the Internet that brings people together in a central location, to talk, share ideas and interests or make new friends.
  • platforms such as social network services (
  • is one of the main reasons for advancement in Web 2.0 technologies and developments in e-commerce.
  • social commerce providers started their businesses by combining group-buying with selling discount coupons offered from their partners over the Internet.
  • E-commerce mainly helps in the generation of leads, presenting information about the tourism product to the customers, and facilitating the transaction process electronically
  • consumers have become the storytellers and are the new brand ambassadors.
  • social media is driven by word-of-mouth and if done properly can improve positioning in the market
  • e-commerce is still new. Getting (2007), maintain that most online communities are free and are growing at a rapid rate.
  • An online rating site is a system of ranking places, products and services via customer reviews based on past experiences.
  • TripAdvisor is classified as a meta-search engine, which is defined by Webopedia (2015) as a search engine that queries other search engines and then combines the results.
  • the prevalence of traveller reviews had a significant impact on the online sales of hotel rooms and that hotel managers should seriously consider the impact that online reviews of their hotels on these websites have on the consumer.
  • Online channels allow the potential customer to see the location details and compare hotel prices easily, as well as read online reviews which have a wider reach and are less ephemeral than traditional word-of-mouth reviews.
  • Figure 1 further illustrates the direct booking channel guests have to hotels via the Internet.
  • Reservation System (CRS) in the 1960s to the Global Distribution System (GDS) in the 1980s and the advent of the Internet in the early 1990s, the tourism industry has always been confronted with the rise of new technological developments
  • rapid growth of online travel agencies caused traditional indirect distribution channels through tourism intermediaries to decline
  • The Internet has become an integral part of everyday life. In order for businesses to be sustainable, they need to have an e-commerce presence
  • it is a service that can be readily offered to global markets and it can become a trade platform joining suppliers and buyers from around the world
  • with technological advancements, firms are increasingly reaching out to their customers through a variety of channels such as e-commerce, m-commerce and brick-and-mortar establishments. Heinemann and Schwarzl (2010:1) contend online retail today is taking place at a higher level of evolution than in the initial years of e-commerce.
  • there are technical and non-technical aspects associated with e-commerce
  • How can hotels compete in a digital world and what will their future business models look like?
  • an intranet as a private network, operated by a large company or organisation, which uses internet technologies, but is insulated from the global Internet by a firewall (a system designed to prevent unauthorised access). An extranet, however, is an intranet that is accessible to some people from outside the company
  • studies in the tourism and hospitality arena have indicated that ICT is a tool particularly suited to this industry for a variety of reasons.
  • The Internet has become an integral part of everyday life. In order for businesses to be sustainable, they need to have an e-commerce presence
  • The hospitality industry is an ideal trade for making use of e-commerce and the social web.
  • Reputable booking sites such as Booking.com, Expedia.com and Tripadvisor are visited by over 300 million online visitors each month.
  • Internet users have become demanding in their expectations of company presence online.
  • “if I can’t find enough information on your hotel it’s probably not a good choice.”
    • anonymous
       
      BOTTOM LINE
  • E-commerce is expected to reach global sales of $1.5 trillion by 2018 (Statista, 2016), and therefore hotels in CT will need to increase their presence on the internet, not only on booking sites, but also on the social web in order to receive a sizable share of electronic sales.
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    This article talks about where the internet has brought us in the business world and where it is taking us. There are other articles included to support the idea that hospitality businesses need the internet inorder to successfully reach out to and market toward customers. Along with the idea that if a business does not have an online presence,that, is an untapped stream of revenue. As well as the combined business efforts that go into delivering a flawless product to its customers via the web. There were two case studies that took place in order to understand the role e-commerce has played and will potentially play in the hospitality industry.
mtorres619

How Hospitality is Going Green - 1 views

  • Embracing sustainable practices is not a new phenomenon. The concept of sustainability was first mentioned in 1987 on an international platform with the UN-sponsored Brundtland Commission’s unveiling of “Our Common Future,” a movement that has since transgressed the globe.i
  • In 1996, three organizations, the World Travel & Tourism Council, the World Tourism Organization, and the Earth Council converged to create a global environmental certification program for the travel and tourism industry.
  • Of course, it is the right thing to do considering global warming and the focus on preserving the planet
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  • Today more than ever before there is an abundance of products on the market and practices available that take the environment into consideration.
  • From energy saving lightbulbs to low pressure or low flow shower heads. Many hotels buy their own linens and launder in house, reusing those linens that are not dirtied lessoning the use of water,
  • detergent and greenhouse gases.
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    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.
rrodr658

How Virtual Reality (VR) can Enrich the Hospitality Industry - 3 views

  • Through this, users can experience a virtual recreation of different aspects of travel, from the flight, to arrival, to some of the key sights.
  • These tours can be made available on hotel websites, allowing guests or potential guests to take a look at their hotel room, or other parts of the hotel, before they book or before they arrive.
  • allowing customers to look for flights, compare hotel prices and book rooms through a virtual reality headset.
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  • Within the hospitality industry, VR has become particularly important, because of the amount of information the average customer needs before they will actually book a hotel room. Rather than reading through descriptions, which may or may not be trustworthy, it offers customers the chance to experience things for themselves.
  • Virtual reality is a computer technology, which utilises images, sounds and physical sensations to make users feel as though they are physically present in a virtual world. Virtual reality technology typically makes use of VR headsets and this equipment enables users to look around and immerse themselves in a digital environment.
  • Virtual reality, or VR for short, is one of the biggest emerging technology trends and the business world is gradually coming to terms with the various opportunities it provides. For those in the hospitality industry, virtual reality has particular appeal, because it can digitally transport potential customers to a hotel or travel destination.
  • While many of the applications of modern virtual reality are entertainment-based, businesses are increasingly getting to grips with VR’s potential as a marketing tool, delivering important information to potential customers in a way they can actually experience, and stimulating multiple senses in the process.
  • allows customers to experience a virtual recreation of a room within a hotel, or take a look at one of the nearby attractions. Essentially, this allows the hotel industry to benefit from the type of ‘try before you buy’ marketing
  • Virtual reality hospitality strategies can help to improve the quality of experience provided at almost every stage of the customer journey. Yet, this can be taken to the next level by embracing the metaverse
  • allow customers to experience nearby attractions once they have arrived, adding to the hotel experience itself.
  • is one of the biggest emerging technology trends, and the business world is gradually coming to terms with the various opportunities it provides.
  • Virtual reality is a computer technology, which utilizes images, sounds, and physical sensations to make users feel as though they are physically present in a virtual world. Virtual reality technology typically uses VR headsets, enabling users to look around and immerse themselves in a digital environment.
    • rrodr658
       
      VR definition/explanation
  • allows customers to experience a virtual recreation of a room within a hotel, or take a look at one of the nearby attractions. Essentially, this allows the hotel industry to benefit from the type of ‘try before you buy’ marketing
    • rrodr658
       
      VR experiential marketing
  • Virtual Travel Experiences
    • rrodr658
       
      one of the main reasons how VR is being used in hospitality and tourism. VR travel experiences such as tours.
  • Trainees can improve their housekeeping skills in realistic virtual settings and gain valuable insights through interactions with lifelike avatars. VR allows trainees to learn from mistakes, even serious ones, without the anxiety of real-world effects.
    • rrodr658
       
      VR used as a training tool to help staff improve and refine their skills. It allows for virtual simulations to happen and practice possible outcomes.
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    Virtual Reality is enhancing the way travelers can decide if they want to book their hotels, by allowing them to take virtual tours of the hotel or experience local attractions via virtual trials, some of these examples include checking out local beaches, even simulated scuba diving. Some of these 36o videos are truly remarkable and I can see how this can encourage guests into booking their trips because it certainly makes me want to try all of these activities.
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    This article discusses the ways VR is utilized in the hospitality industry. It then goes to explain how potential clients can have virtual visits before actually booking.
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    The article is providing examples for the technology of Virtual Reality (VR) and its ability to boost the hospitality Industry. VR has been used more as an entertainment tool but it is now progressively seen as an useful and important marketing tool, as it delivers life like experiences through stimulation of the senses.
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    Virtual reality is a computer technology, which utilizes images, sounds, and physical sensations to make users feel as though they are physically present in a virtual world. For those in the hospitality industry, virtual reality has particular appeal because it can transport potential customers to a hotel or travel destination. The full potential of virtual reality within the hotel industry is only just being recognized.
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    This article goes over how VR/AR is currently impacting the hospitality and tourism world. The main reasons for its big impact on the industry and how the technology is being applied. It mentions examples and touches a little bit on the metaverse topic. It also has a separate article that explains further on AR & AI in the hospitality industry.
Danielle Forem

Real-Life Teaching in a Virtual World -- Campus Technology - 0 views

  • A 3D virtual environment is believed to increase participation and improve retention.
  • Second Life is free to join, so both teachers and students pay nothing to get started. Virtual land--the meeting space--has a fee, but Linden Lab gives a discount to educational institution.s (See secondlife.com/land/privatepricing.php).
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    Second Life is a website that provides companies to use a virtual world to benefit their companies. It hasn't worked that great in small stores and traveling ideas such a cruise lines but education is one idea that has used the virtual world to a great advantage. "The Second Life Educators (SLED) community has an e-mail list that included more than 4,700 working in or interested in education in Second Life." Many universities have made exact replicas of their campus so that students couldn't feel as if they really traveled to get to class. I feel this is the best perk for students because they won't have to spend money on gas when they could just wake up and communicate through a microphone to their instructors. One thing that is surprising is, Second Life is free to join for students and teachers. Its important to keep up with the fast growing technology and this is the perfect way.
Tamara Lang

Large Hotel Group Connects Custom Built PMS to the World via RDX - 1 views

  • The prestigious Regal Hotels Group, which offers thousands of rooms in Hong Kong, has gained powerful and seamless two-way connectivity with hundreds of online travel agents (OTAs) around the world directly from its custom-built Miro PMS after deploying Room Distribution Exchange (RDX) - SiteMinder’s new, direct connectivity platform
  • The move automates and streamlines online distribution for Regal Hotels and will save Regal staff hundreds of hours in manual reservations processing, with the group receiving thousands of bookings every day.”
  • The Vice President for Sales at Regal Hotels International, Dora Liu, stated: “We expect the OTA market growth trend will continue with consumers becoming increasingly internet savvy. In today’s competitive market, we truly understand rate parity across all distribution channels is the key element to success
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    /This article was interesting because it talk about how the Regal Hotels Group was able to connect their custom built PMS to the world via Room Distribution Exchange, a direct connectivity platform. This new technology helped Regal Hotels to gain two-way access to the world's leading booking sites. Regal did not have to change its existing PMS system which could have been costly. RDX gives hotels with traditional PMS the opportunity to reach the world.
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    Building their own PMS puts Regal Hotels Group above everyone else; making them more efficient thus reducing cost and impacting their bottom line. Its interest how a company can see the big picture in technology advancements and implement those cost saving features.
Jingjia Zhang

Ruckus Wireless introduces high-speed Wi-Fi wall switch | Hotel Management - 0 views

  • The Ruckus Wi-Fi Wall Switch redefines the deployment model and cost structure for hotels looking to converge their wired and wireless networks into a single infrastructure capable of reliably connecting a new world of in-room IP-based devices and services. For the first time, hotels are now able to offer multiple, high-value IP-based services over a single wired/wireless network at the highest performance and lowest cost per room.
  • The Ruckus Wi-Fi Wall Switch was purposely developed to meet the growing demands within hotels to connect in-room devices that are now IP-enabled while concurrently supporting a broader range of IP-based services. Beyond high-speed Internet access (HSIA), hotels want to deliver these new services - such as high definition television and video on demand (VOD), digital advertising, voice communications, hotel service optimization, in-room device monitoring and even environmental room controls - over a single, unified and centrally managed wired/wireless network.
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    Recent years, in China, hotel industry has a fast growth. Especially the Olympic Games and The World Expo were hold in China. For lots of high standard hotel, the WIFI internet access becomes necessary. China has been one of the fastest developing markets for many Wi-Fi firms, Ruckus is one of them. The Asia-Pacific region is the fastest growth region and China business is the fastest-growing part in the region. Globally, Wi-Fi technology is one of the few industries that could maintain a 20 percent increase over the years when the world economy is encountering a downturn. The global market scale for Wi-Fi networking providers is about $3 billion this year and it could reach $5 billion by 2015, the CEO of Ruckus estimated. For the China market and the problems of hotel, Ruckus published the high-speed Wi-Fi wall switch technology. This new technology redefines the deployment model and cost structure for hotels looking to converge their wired and wireless networks into a single infrastructure capable of reliably connecting a new world of in-room IP-based devices and services. Meanwhile, the rapid-growing hospitality industry in China is likely to become another gold mine for Wi-Fi providers. Ruckus wants to grasp this opportunity.
danakissane01

New Far-UVC Light Technology Can Help Disney, Universal Battle Pandemic | Inside the Magic - 0 views

  • The theme parks around the world — including both Walt Disney World Resort and Universal Orlando in Florida — have implemented several different safety protocols in order to operate during this unprecedented time.
  • UVC light is a very effective disinfectant and kills viruses just by shining light on it. But UVC light is different from far-UVC, which is the new groundbreaking technology that could help control the COVID-19 virus.
  • Far-UVC light inactivates viruses the same way as UVC, but the main difference is that it does not penetrate the skin or the eyes. Instead, it is absorbed by the dead skin layer and the tear layer within the eye, making it safer as there is less of a chance that a person would develop keratitis
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  • It is important to note that the far-UVC light will not eliminate coronavirus on its own. It needs to work in connection with the other safety protocols already put into place, including face coverings and social distancing, as well as the COVID-19 vaccine.
  • hing about U
  • If Disney Parks, including Walt Disney World and even Disneyland, or Universal theme parks decide to invest in these new far-UVC light devices, it could help them continue to operate safely during the pandemic. The major theme parks in Florida have already implemented several safety protocols including temperature checks, social distancing measures, face coverings, paperless payment methods, mobile ordering, and more, ever since they reopened their doors in summer 2020.
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    This article explains how theme parks are look for ways to ensure safety for all of the guest and employees during the Covid-19 pandemic. By using Far-UVC light technology to help clean and disinfect attractions and restaurants.
mjbengo04

How technology is changing the way we plan and experience events - 4 views

  • Old models are falling away and technology is giving both planners and event participants an opportunity to grow and revisit the underlying ideas about how event spaces work.
  • Old models are falling away and technology is giving both planners and event participants an opportunity to grow and revisit the underlying ideas about how event spaces work.
  • She's talking about app and online tools that allow for text-to-screen and text-to-moderator communications, so that moderators have more control over what questions are being asked and who's asking them while on the podium.
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  • The ways attendees' expectations have changed is due largely to technology in the event space.
  • "The expectation for attendees is that they can be engaged. From the easy stuff — polling, contests, social curation — to environmental changes, such as how IBM has changed their product-demonstration approach at events, or a recent augmented-reality experience we created for UPS … to nuances like RFID tags that personalize digital signage, people expect to see themselves as part of an event."
  • With that as a given, now comes a newer drive on the planner's side: To place more control of events in their audience's hands.
  • planners can use the tech-augmented action to direct traffic to spots and programming that they want to emphasize.
  • "We started using apps for all of our events: No paper, no welcome book, no paper agendas — everything digital. That way no one has anything in their hands, which encourages them to interact."
  • "We use live polling at our events via social media. In our workshops, we tell people to tweet at the speaker or use a hashtag when they ask a question. That way the speaker can constantly receive and answer questions in real time."
  • already key to the personalized experience is the advent of beacon technology within the event space. In essence, beacons detect attendees' mobile devices and then push relevant information to those screens
  • Old models are falling away and technology is giving both planners and event participants an opportunity to grow and revisit the underlying ideas about how event spaces work.
  • From on-site wristbands that allow participants to capture moments and information — say you like a sample of a dish at a food event and the wristband can send the recipe to you — to BYOD opportunities surrounding devices such as Google Glass, we're at the front end of a potentially profound shift toward hands-free tech at events.
  • Mobile-app usage in the messaging and social-media space increased some 203% last year. Recently, this kind of functionality is "becoming geo-enabled," says Shackman, "which helps attendees enhance their experience based on their location at a given moment.
  • "While GPS and geocaching are still popular for scavenger hunts, augmented reality has proven to be a huge step forward in location-based mixed-reality games for corporate team building," Shackman says, regarding how AR intersects with event activities.
  • Using an app during the events, she says, makes everything more seamless.
  • Camera drones are becoming an incredible technology used in various industries, and the event space is one that will soon take full advantage.
  • "With this kind of technology, attendees can now ask unlimited questions, and moderators can quickly filter out ones that don't make sense or that disrupt the flow. Furthermore, because speakers can clearly see the questions being asked, they do not get lost among the noise of status updates."
  • Old models are falling away and technology is giving both planners and event participants an opportunity to grow and revisit the underlying ideas about how event spaces work.
  • "When anyone who has a Bluetooth-enabled device walks past the hotspot, it automatically triggers some sort of video, push notification or message. It's particularly great for welcome tables, so you can send a welcome message, or if you want to announce a retail opportunity, like a special product on sale, somewhere at your event."
  • "Instead of playing on a [map layout], you can walk around in the real world as you look at your screen. And you can do more than simply collect items: You can take over territory, collect virtual items and use them to become more influential."
  • Wearable tech
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    Events and event planning are evolving into new, dynamic formats. Old models are falling away and technology is giving both planners and event participants an opportunity to grow and revisit the underlying ideas about how event spaces work. "It's been fascinating watching just how fast things have changed," said Brian Solis, principal at Altimeter Group, at a New York conference this year.
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    This articles shows the dramatic shift in technology for event planning. Customers' expectations are high; they want something interactive and fast. Audiences want to be engaged with the event and with technology such as wifi, mobile devices and tablets everyone can communicate in real time all at once. Social Media is also playing a big part in events. Not opnly can an organizer promote their event prior to it taking place but they can also communicate through social media during the event. As an event planner myself I can tell you how important this is. It has taken some time to adjust to this new time consuming demand but the payoff for the event is worth it. Some other trends mentioned in the article are: Data personalization, augmented reality on the floor, wearable technology, mobile apps and my personal favorite Drones. The Drone technology allows an event planner to see their event from a bird's eye view which allows them to know how the setup of traffic flow went, where they need to add attractions and/or vendors, what time was the busiest at the event and analyze why people are gravitating to certain locations of the event. It is also a great marketing tool; to show the entire event all at once is a great way to showcase the event.
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    Technology is taking over all aspects of the hospitality world especially event planning. Not only does it change things for the event planner but for the attendees as well. One of the biggest changes with technology and event planning is having engaged attendees. Before attendees were thought of as very passive but now with technology it is easy to participate in contests and polls. Another big technology game changer is wearable tech. Attendees can wear wristbands that allow you to gather information about the event you are attending. Disney is a great example with wearable tech with the wristbands that connect everything including payments to your trip. As you can see tech and event planning has come a long way. Technology effects every step of the event planning processes including planning and post event.I feel this is just the start of options the technology world will provide for the hospitality industry.
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    This article talks about the ways that technology is changing event planning and events themselves. Event attendees are now looking for more engaged experiences, rather than the old way of merely attending an event passively. Social media plays a huge role in how attendees interact with and even plan an event. Participants can interact with and engage with event speakers now more than ever, with participants sending questions to the speaker via social media or other technology that allows for the speaker to answer audience questions in real time. Data personalization allows for event attendees to receive information about the event, allowing them to be involved in the planning process and during the event itself, whether it's through Bluetooth or geofencing technology. Event attendees can take advantage of augmented reality technology to engage in activities. Wearable technology is becoming increasingly popular, as it allows attendees to get information quickly and easily without any real input on the attendee's part. Mobile apps are now becoming more commonplace for events, as it's easy, efficient, and convenient. Drone technology is now being used at events, whether to take pictures or to stream the event to people who could not attend.
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    As the world has moved forward with technology, so to has the world of events and event planning. Planners are able to connect with the guests on a whole different level and events have the technology to be able to keep the attendees engaged and interacted. From flying drones to social media, technology has helped selling events a much easier process.
smend120

Advantages Of Cloud Computing For Hotel Industry - 5 views

    • abroo041
       
      This article is discussing the benefits of using cloud computing in the hospitality industry, specifically, in hotels. With all cloud computing, the biggest overall benefit is that users no longer have to stress over attempting to maintain their data on their own. This article also goes into detail on how cloud computing can cut costs, improve guest experiences, promote direct booking, and allow industry professionals to work remotely.
  • Now, businesses don’t have to burden themselves by storing data in traditional in-house servers; rather, they can opt for a cloud service that would store their data in secured data centres.
  • Infrastructure as a service (IaaS), Software as a service (SaaS), and platform as a service (PaaS)
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  • By making use of cloud computing, as a hotelier, you pay only for what you demand. It specifies that your upfront costs are kept low as you are only paying for the computing power and cloud storage which your hotel actually needs.
  • The need for hardware overload in your hotel is brought down, because of which your electricity bills are also reduced by a huge margin.
  • also shortens the project time resulting in costs cutting and higher productivity.
  • An added advantage of cloud computing is that it frees your staff from their otherwise fixed terminals and lets them work independently and even more efficiently.
  • increased in the speed at which the guests access the products and services, thus only creating seamless hotel experiences for them.
  • Also, one of the major benefits is the real-time update — it makes the process much smoother and cheaper, and saves a lot of time.
  • However, when you put your hotel process and management on the cloud, it provides you with the flexibility to access it and work on it from any part of the world — all you need is a steady internet connection and a smart device (a laptop, or a computer, or mobile phone or tablet.)
  • When it comes to the benefits of cloud computing in the hospitality industry, the list includes enhanced guest experiences, massive reduction in costs, faster services and their seamless access, software and service security, and more flexibility.
  • cloud computing has transformed businesses
  • hospitality industry, cloud computing has done wonders
  • reshaped the structure of the industry
  • from increasing operational efficiency to lowering the management costs.
  • better guest experience and increase the revenue of the property.
  • ringing down costs like energy, hardware and operations
  • increasing inclination towards the use of cloud computing in the hospitality industry, they don’t need to always rely on travel agents all the time
  • hotel check-ins can be done from smartphones or tablets
  • cloud computing has transformed businesses
  • cloud-based services are now replacing the old and traditional systems at all levels. Infrastructure as a service (IaaS), Software as a service (SaaS), and platform as a service (PaaS) have all become the first choice of cloud computing services for many hospitality businesses. And they are all charged up with the amazing benefits of cloud computing.
  • Over the past few years, cloud computing has transformed businesses from across the world, irrespective of their industry. Today, the demand anytime, anywhere access has skyrocketed, and cloud computing is delivering just that — all you need is an internet connection with good bandwidth.
  • businesses don’t have to burden themselves by storing data in traditional in-house servers; rather, they can opt for a cloud service that would store their data in secured data centres.
  • There are several benefits of using the cloud and they have helped several hotels across the world to strengthen up their business — from increasing operational efficiency to lowering the management costs.
  • Advantages Of Cloud Computing For Hotel Industry
  • In the hospitality industry, Cloud Computing is a mixture of PaaS, SaaS and IaaS. It operates on the model of Use, Builds, and Migrate.
  • By making use of cloud computing, as a hotelier, you pay only for what you demand. It specifies that your upfront costs are kept low as you are only paying for the computing power and cloud storage which your hotel actually needs.
  • Hoteliers Can Cut Huge Business Costs With Cloud Computing
  • cloud computing can benefit hoteliers by bringing down costs like energy, hardware and operations. The need for hardware overload in your hotel is brought down, because of which your electricity bills are also reduced by a huge margin. Cloud computing in the hospitality industry also shortens the project time resulting in costs cutting and higher productivity. Hence, if you shift your software services to the cloud, your hotel business would witness a significant number of opportunities.
  • Cloud Computing Leads To Improved & Enhanced Guest Experiences
  • The two main purposes of an efficient and effective hotel PMS are: offer the hotel staff the best set of management tools assist you to ensure the top-notch guest experience
  • An added advantage of cloud computing is that it frees your staff from their otherwise fixed terminals and lets them work independently and even more efficiently.
  • Being on the cloud also means that hotel check-ins can be done from smartphones or tablets and not only through the hotel front desk.
  • Direct Bookings Are Made Easy With Cloud Computing
  • There was a time when hotels used to payout huge commissions for bookings to the online as well as offline travel agencies. However, with the increasing inclination towards the use of cloud computing in the hospitality industry, they don’t need to always rely on travel agents all the time. Hotels can upgrade their hotel website with cloud-powered services such as web booking engine that can be integrated to the hotel PMS. Also, one of the major benefits is the real-time update — it makes the process much smoother and cheaper, and saves a lot of time.
  • Cloud Computing In Hospitality Industry Makes Working Remotely Possible When you as a hotelier is not present in the property, managing the operations gets a little tougher. However, when you put your hotel process and management on the cloud, it provides you with the flexibility to access it and work on it from any part of the world — all you need is a steady internet connection and a smart device (a laptop, or a computer, or mobile phone or tablet.)
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    Cloud computing makes sense to work business in a cloud setting. The article states that Cloud computing has "transformed businesses" throughout the world. We learned that a disadvantage of Cloud is the dependence of Internet connection. With Cloud computing, you can share and store data. This can be a better way to run business. We have learned that Cloud computing is more scalable, secure, and reliable. Cloud computing cost less, and you can pay for what you need. Cloud you can customize what you need, to your specific needs. The article even mentions it "lowers management costs." Unlike unintended PMS, which can require maintenance, and be highly costly. We discussed in our video lecture from this past week, how hotel check-ins are being done from smart phones- as this article includes. This is beneficial for enhancing guest experience, and increasing the speed of check-ins. Travel agents have their own way of how they conduct themselves, their business, and the services he or she provides. However, the article shows how with Cloud computing, you would not need to depend on travel agents. Furthermore, Cloud computing can increase sales and revenue for a hotel property. Cloud computing is replacing traditional PMS system's and have a multitude of benefits.
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    Hoteliers today are joining in on the trend of the use of cloud computing. Some benefits of cloud computing include the increase of operational efficiency, lowering management costs since the hotelier only pays for what they demand. Energy costs and hardware operation costs are also decreased. It allows for hotel check ins to be done via smart phones and tablets and not just at the front desk upon arrival, and it also allows for hotels to not have to rely on travel agents all the time for bookings which saves them having to pay commission to travel companies.
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    No matter the industry, cloud computing has changed organizations all around the world in recent years. Today's need for access at any time and from any location has soared, and cloud computing is supplying it. All you want is a reliable internet connection. Businesses might choose a cloud service that would store their data in safe data centers rather than burdening themselves with traditional in-house servers to store data. At all levels, cloud-based services are now taking the place of outdated and conventional technologies. Many hospitality firms now use cloud computing services offered by infrastructure as a service (IaaS), software as a service (SaaS), and platform as a service (PaaS). And they are all fired up with the incredible benefits of cloud computing. Cloud computing can benefit hoteliers by driving down costs like energy, hardware, and operations. Your hotel's requirement for hardware overload is decreased, which significantly lowers your electricity costs. The hotel sector uses cloud computing to speed up projects, which reduces costs and increases efficiency. An efficient and effective hotel PMS will help you to ensure that your guests receive a first-rate experience and will provide the hotel employees with the best set of management capabilities. Another benefit of cloud computing is that it frees your personnel from stationary terminals, allowing them to work more independently and productively. Due to the cloud, guests may now check in at hotels using their smartphones or tablets as well as the front desk. Working remotely is possible thanks to cloud computing in the hospitality sector. Managing the business becomes a little more challenging when you, the hotelier, are not on the premises. However, putting your hotel management and operations in the cloud gives you the flexibility to access and operate on them from any location in the world.
Dongyun Oh

First Hotel in U.S. to Recycle All Soaps - 0 views

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    Laguna Beach welcomes more than 6 million visitors annually to its sandy shores. Now visitors who stay in the beachside city's 22 hotels and lodging establishments will be inadvertent participants in a citywide effort to recycle all of the soaps, shampoos, hair conditioners, lotions and bath gels that are left over after a night's stay. Starting Monday, Laguna Beach becomes the first city in the nation to have all of its hotel properties with more than 20 rooms participate in Clean the World -- a Florida-based nonprofit that provides recycled hotel soaps and hygiene products to those in need. Montage Laguna Beach, Pacific Edge Hotel and Best Western Laguna Brisas are among the 18 participating hotels, along with four of the city's six bed and breakfasts, for a total of 1,229 rooms. In an average year, with an estimated 75% occupancy rate, Laguna Beach hotels generate 336,000 bars of soap and a slightly lesser number of shampoo, conditioner, bath gel and lotion bottles, all of which were previously thrown in the trash. Working with Clean the World, those hygiene products will be reclaimed by the housekeeping staff and set aside in a separate receptacle to be shipped to a Las Vegas processing facility. The bars of soap are cleaned of hair and paper, sterilized, ground into pellets and pressed into new bars of soap that are distributed to non-governmental organizations in 45 countries that do not have ready access to soap. The bottled amenities are likewise reclaimed. If they're full, the bottles' exteriors are sterilized and redistributed to homeless shelters and soup kitchens inside the U.S. If the bottles are 25% empty, the plastic is recycled or potentially upcycled for use in other products. Founded in 2009, Clean the World has 1,200 partner hotels across the U.S. and Canada, 126 of which are in California, including the Disneyland Hotel, Disney's Grand Californian Resort & Spa and Disney's Paradise Pier Hotel in Anaheim. Since joining the Clean th
brittsengl

HNN - Hoteliers adjust to new accounting guidelines - 0 views

  • One goal of the new guidelines was to recognize the increasing globalization of the hotel industry, Temling said.   “Many of the changes are reflective of what’s happening in the world in our industry,” he said. “Chains based in the (United States) have generally adopted the guidelines; that’s not the problem. But we also hope chains domiciled outside this country will accept the changes outlined in the book.”   Some of the changes are small, but symbolic, Temling said. In previous editions of the book, accounting for some employee benefits reflected terminologies used by U.S. companies.   “Up through the 10th edition, we called it FICA or social security for employees’ benefits,” Temling said. “This time around we call it social benefit contribution, which is more universally acceptable.”   Large hotel companies might have more difficulty adopting the new guidelines than will smaller ones, said Michelle Russo, founder and CEO of Hotel Asset Value Enhancement, a hotel asset management and real estate advisory company. She is a member of the financial committee that created the latest edition.   “It’s actually harder for larger operators because they often have many divisions,” she said. Examples she cited affect reporting of telecommunications, labor and segmentation data.   “We created a new (information technology) department, and in a large company that is worldwide that operates on multiple accounting platforms, the mapping process is massive,” she said, adding that some companies have decided to defer adopting the new IT department guideline until 2016.
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    "One goal of the new guidelines was to recognize the increasing globalization of the hotel industry, Temling said. "Many of the changes are reflective of what's happening in the world in our industry," he said. "Chains based in the (United States) have generally adopted the guidelines; that's not the problem. But we also hope chains domiciled outside this country will accept the changes outlined in the book." Some of the changes are small, but symbolic, Temling said. In previous editions of the book, accounting for some employee benefits reflected terminologies used by U.S. companies. "Up through the 10th edition, we called it FICA or social security for employees' benefits," Temling said. "This time around we call it social benefit contribution, which is more universally acceptable." Large hotel companies might have more difficulty adopting the new guidelines than will smaller ones, said Michelle Russo, founder and CEO of Hotel Asset Value Enhancement, a hotel asset management and real estate advisory company. She is a member of the financial committee that created the latest edition. "It's actually harder for larger operators because they often have many divisions," she said. Examples she cited affect reporting of telecommunications, labor and segmentation data. "We created a new (information technology) department, and in a large company that is worldwide that operates on multiple accounting platforms, the mapping process is massive," she said, adding that some companies have decided to defer adopting the new IT department guideline until 2016."
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    This article discusses the increasing changes in the world with globalization and technology. It tells how large and small hotels adjust to these new guidelines, the resort fee and management agreements.
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    This article discuses the changesin technology and increasing globalization in the world with a highlight on the hotel industry. It explains the guidelines large are small hotels take to adjust.
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    This article explains the changes and increasing globaliztion in the world and hotel industry. It explains the new guidelines and the procedures large and small hotels take.
Hanlu Hu

E-Commerce for the Hospitality Industry | The Moscow Times - 6 views

  • E-commerce has been defined as "the buying and selling of products and services by businesses and consumers over the Internet."
  • Accelerating Internet usage worldwide The Internet is the lowest cost hotel-booking channel Most travelers research hotel reservations on the Internet Social media and online hotel reviews are an increasingly important decision factor The web is the preferred media source for travel information, favored 17:1 over television and 6:1 over newspapers and magazines.
  • Adding real time search functionality to your site, capability to generate user reviews, launching contests helps to build fresh content and quality links
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  • Heavy graphics, animation and flash demos cause your site to perform slowly. Sites that are built keeping these guidelines in mind will deliver better user experiences, will perform better on search engines, and ultimately drive higher ROI.
  • As things stand now, mobile queries represent about 10% of all queries made on Google. People are using mobile devices to conduct searches, as well as share content, connect with friends and browse the web
  • Embracing social media. 93 percent of social media users expect companies to have a social presence. 85 percent of social media users want companies to interact with them on social sites. A well-planned social initiative can turn fans into brand evangelists.
  • The Internet has consolidated itself as a very powerful platform that has changed the way we communicate, and the way we do business.
  • The growing importance of e-commerce in the modern hospitality industry has created an urgent need for simple solutions to manage companies' online presence. Now that each hotel is involved in e-commerce, why is hotel e-commerce so important today?
  • We forget that the human brain can only consume limited information. It is important to take a holistic approach and prioritize information. Good web site architecture and organized content improves site usability and its efficiency when used with search engines.
    • yan xie
       
      It is true that we always forge how many information the human brain will take at once. Although the e-commerce is the good way for customers to know the new products and new service from the hotels, sometimes the hotels provide so much information to customers. It lets customers confused and does not know what the specifice products can meet their requirements. And sometimes, they feel some hard to understand your service so that they give up hotels service or new products to choose the one they are familiar. So how to make e-commerce usability and efficiency is a new point, which the hospitality industry company need to consider.
  • make sure your ad groups are made up of tightly knit keyword themes and that those keywords are reflected in your ad copy; ensure that your landing pages clearly reflect the offer promoted in the ad copy and includes clear calls to action and conversion factors.
    • yan xie
       
      As the point two mentioned, the customers cannot get so many information at once, and they also cannot search lots of information at once. So the keyword themes is also another important thing for company to do the promotion and ads. This ads need to have the keywords to clearly reflect the offer promoted for customers. In this way, the customers will catch the information as possible as they can.
  • Top e-commerce sites are continually testing new things. It's the only way to achieve continual improvement.
    • yan xie
       
      To do the continually testing new things is always a best development way for the developing company. If the company cannot test the new things in their e-commerce sites and e-commerce process, the e-commerce of this company will be far away from other companies. Company need to have the innovation to make some new things for their e-commerce and do the test all the time to select the best way for the business and customers' expericence.
  • hospitality industry has always been among the first to capitalize on new technologies
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    The hospitality industry along with the resourcefulness of the Internet has allowed the Russian hospitality industry to benefit and grow with the technology of e-commerce. E-commerce is defined as "the buying and selling of products and service by businesses and consumers over the Internet". This technology is significant due to its beneficial factors of lowering costs, accessibility, decision-making, and media exposure. As well, the article provides for methods and advice regards effective strategies to utilize the Internet. Primarily, the speed of the website's functionality is essential, along with providing compatibility of browsers, thus, allowing for a better experience for users. The information in the website should be efficient, allowing for real time search whether using a mobile phone or a computer. It was informative to read the multiple functionality, that social media is playing in the hospitality industry regards the exposure and marketability. E-commerce has change the market of goods and services, from a tangible experience to digital experience, through the use of online shopping estimated at $228 Billion in 2010, a third derived from the purchase of travel and flight websites, thus, demonstrating the importance of the Internet in relation to consumerism.
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    This article talks about why hotel E-commerce is essential today and how to go about having E-commerce work for your business/hotel. The article says, "The internet has consolidated itself as a very powerful platform that has changed he way we communicate, and the way we do business." This is the reason why businesses need to utilize the internet. According to the article these are the reasons that hotel e-commerce is important today: the internet is being used worldwide, the internet is the lowest cost hotel-booking medium, the internet is used, by travelers, to research hotels and their reservations, the internet is the home of social media and hotel reviews and the internet is preferred 17:1 over television and 6:1 over newspapers and magazines for travel information. It would be at a hotel's detriment if they do not utilize the internet and e-commerce. It isn't enough to use e-commerce for business but there must be an upkeep. It is extremely beneficial to research or monitor how customers and potential consumers are seeking information and what attracts them to a site. According to the article, e-commerce strategies that would 'help get the best from the internet world' are: 1. Search-friendly website design 2. Improving Conversion and Usability 3. Paid Search 4. Real time Search 5. Mobile Device Market 6. Social Media 7. Testing
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    This article mentioned why the ecommerce important for the hospitality industry. And also there are more things they hospitality industry companies need to know. Although the e-commerce is the good way for customers to know the new products and new service from the hotels, sometimes the hotels provide so much information to customers. It lets customers confused and does not know what the specific products can meet their requirements. And sometimes, they feel some hard to understand your service so that they give up hotels service or new products to choose the one they are familiar. So how to make e-commerce usability and efficiency is a new point, which the hospitality industry company need to consider. As the point two mentioned, the customers cannot get so many information at once, and they cannot search lots of information at once. So the keyword themes is also another important thing for company to do the promotion and ads. This ads need to have the keywords to clearly reflect the offer promoted for customers. In this way, the customers will catch the information as possible as they can. It is true that we always forge how many information the human brain will take at once. To do the continually testing new things is always a best development way for the developing company. If the company cannot test the new things in their e-commerce sites and e-commerce process, the e-commerce of this company will be far away from other companies. Company need to have the innovation to make some new things for their e-commerce and do the test all the time to select the best way for the business and customers' experience.
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    This article discusses about the application of e-commerce in hospitality industry. Internet has become a very powerful tool for customers when they are planing their travels. As the same time, it has become an important media for hotelierss to improve their businesses. Internet can provider a lot of online sources to customers when they make any dicisions. And how to make your web site become more competitive and attract more customers is the topic of this article. First of all, a good design for the web site is the most important thing for hotelierss. And the download speed is the basic factor. Quick download speed brings a good experience to users, and improves the ranking in organic search. Secondly, improving usability needs to be focused on by hotelierss. Large imformation may not be took in by users. You need to make your customers seethe most important information first. In other word, you need to prioritize your web site and make the imformation more understood. Paid search and real time search are also focused on by the author. Sometimes, paid search can make your hotel more compelling on the search engine. And some tips have been given in this articel to help the hotelierss to maximize conversions. Real time search is similar with paid search, and it needs compelling fresh content and quality incoming links on the web site. Maps, photo galleries, videos and press releases are creative ways to distrivute content on different channels. With more mobiles customers using, mobile represent about 10% of all queries make on Google. Hotels can exand the mobile market and improve the download speed of their site by avoid heavy graphics and flash, making their site is mobile compatible. Social media is in the same condition with mobile. Customers need more connections on social sites, so they want companies to interact with them through the social media. The last point is testing. Every new thing needs a lot of tests. It can provides changes and improvement for
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    The article discusses power of internet and how different it is from magazine and television ads. "In terms of time your travel websites are available for are accessible for a longer period of time, the flexibility that the content can be changed without asking someone,if you have a content management system." Also travel websites will help your business potentially reach a wider audience. Another big advantage of having a travel website is it's availability even when your business is closed or no one is available to answer your phone. Everyone knows that there are so many time zones, and the visitors can come from any part of the world. So having a travel websites gives your travel business visibility for all 365 days of year 24x7.
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    In hospitality industry, customers are constantly seeking new sources of information to help them make decisions before purchasing services. E-commerce in hospitality industry is about the online buying and selling services. And it's become such an important source for the company and customer. Hospitality businesses are all involved in the trend. Smart hoteliers need to keep a sharp focus on the fundamental shift in ways customers are seeking information and channels that drive maximum return on investment. This article listed several basic e-commerce strategies that will help hoteliers to get the best from the Internet world.
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    As new technological advances are being made, the hospitality industry has always been among the first to capitalize on new technologies. The term e-commerce has been defined as the buying and selling of products and services by businesses and consumers over the internet. Now that hotels are involved directly with e-commerce it becomes even more important today because of the accelerating internet usage worldwide,the internet is still the lowest cost channel for booking, many travelers make their travel decisions via the internet. Embracing social media, 93% of social media users expect companies to have a social presence and 85% of social media users want comoanies to interact with them on social sites. A well-planned social iniative can turn fans into brand evangelists. This article dealt mainly with a brief introduction of what e-commerce is in terms of its defining and what it means to the hospitality industry. With more and more people utilizing the internet each day, the potential to have a person book a hotel room greatly increases. Several search engines have advertisements relating to many hotel companies offering specials and customers will see these ads and book. With more technological advances bound to come into play, its only a matter of time before the practice of e-commerce is taken to another level.
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    Over the last decade the population of Internet users has increased rapidly. The hospitality industry has always been among the first to capitalize on new technologies. E-commerce has been defined as "the buying and selling of products and services by businesses and consumers over the Internet." With hotel e-commerce, the landscape of the hospitality industry is forever changed. Online sales are an important part of the business. The growing importance of e-commerce in the modern hospitality industry has created an urgent need for simple solutions to manage companies' online presence. Now that each hotel is involved in e-commerce, reasons why is hotel e-commerce so important today may because the accelerating internet usage worldwide, the Internet is the lowest cost hotel-booking channel, and social media and online hotel reviews are an increasingly important decision factor.
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    E-commerce has become more and more important in our daily life, because many customers today prefer to use internet to help them make decisions. In hospitality industry, e-commerce also plays an important role, as internet is a very cheap and convenient booking channel and many people use the internet intensively. There are many e-commerce strategies for hoteliers, such as making friendly web site design, embracing social media, etc. As e-commerce has so many advantages, I think e-commerce is an opportunity for hoteliers to grasp. It is important for hoteliers to use different strategies to get the best from the internet world.
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        This article introduced the function of ecommerce and the ecommerce effect for the hospitality industry. The author listed some important reasons about why hotel ecommerce is so important:1)Accelerating Internet usage worldwide.2)The Internet is the lowest cost hotel-booking channel. 3) Most travelers research hotel reservations on the Internet. 4)Social media and online hotel reviews are an increasingly important decision factor. 5) The web is the preferred media source for travel information, favored 17:1 over television and 6:1 over newspapers and magazines. This article also listed some basic e-commerce strategies that will help hoteliers to take advantage of ecommerce from the Internet world. 1) Search-friendly web site design.2) Improve conversion and usability 3) Paid search. 4) Real time search - natural ranking.5) Mobile.6) Embracing social media. 7) Test, test, test. Top e-commerce sites are continually testing new things.      In a summary, the author suggest smart hoteliers need to keep a sharp focus on the fundamental shift in ways customers are seeking information and channels that drive maximum return on investment. Moreover, hoteliers have to constantly learn and look for ways to harness the power of new developments and trends.
Nelson Placa

Brazil's New Consumer Class Spending Time And Cash In The U.S. - 1 views

  • According to the latest statistics, Brazilians spent $5.9 billion in the U.S. in 2010 in a tsunami of cash that's shifting American immigration practices and boosting economies in hard-hit parts of the U.S. that remain in the doldrums. President Barack Obama recently ordered the State Department to speed up the visa application process for tourists coming from Brazil, China and other nations with newly flush consumers. After suffering decades of hyperinflation, Brazil has ridden high commodity prices along with some of the world's biggest offshore oil discoveries to expand its economy, lift millions out of poverty and multiply the ranks of the country's deep-pocketed elite.
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    On January 2012, President Obama announced an executive order that would allow travelers from Brazil and China to receive travel VISA faster than before. A study from Huffington Post.com showed that on 2010 Brazilians spent $5,400 per visit, more than any other tourist. This executive order will help increase tourism travel across the nation that will help the economy. The order will help the travel industry, retail and housing. The property that I work at Walt Disney World hosts the majority of Brazilians that visit Walt Disney World. You can spend eight hours in our lobby in the afternoon, and you can experience the amount of money Brazilian guests spend on shopping inside and outside Walt Disney World. Stores like Best Buy and Wal-Mart are the most popular; online shopping has also become very favorable for guests. During the summer season, the hotel processed over 6,000 packages received from Amazon.com and other online stores that were purchased prior to arrival. It is amazing to see the items received and how much luggage guests take with them. With this economic boost, more job creations will occur. The most popular US cities visited by Brazilians are New York City, Las Vegas and Orlando (http://www.traveltobrazil.org/post/20-most-visited-places-by-brazilians-in-brazil-and-abroad.html).
Qianlin Wang

A welcome sign: Hotels adopt reuse and recycling - Waste Mangagement World - 0 views

  • At most hotels, waste is created at upwards of 1 kg per guest per night - a large amount when multiplied by the number of hotels and guests around the world. But many hoteliers are responding to the waste challenge.
  • Wherever possible, waste elimination at source must be a hotel’s number-one priority.
  • A major way in which many hotels reduce waste at source is by running towel and linen reuse programmes.
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  • Having addressed waste at source, the next step is to put appropriate systems in place to identify how the remaining waste can be redeployed.
  • Any waste that cannot be reused needs to be sorted into its component fractions so that as much as possible can be recovered for recycling.
  • Many resort-based hotels, and those with sufficient space outside, compost their organic waste.
  • Another way of dealing with kitchen and garden waste is using it as feed for biogas plants. 
  • Waste management is not new to the operating agenda of hotels, and for many it is part of their overall environmental management system (EMS).
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    At most hotels, waste is created at upwards of 1 kg per guest per night - a large amount when multiplied by the number of hotels and guests around the world. Taking responsibility for the environment and local community has been an important part of the hotel industry. Hotels can make a significant impact on waste reduction and recycling.  Hoteliers have many opportunities to reduce waste by establishing waste prevention and recycling programs and by purchasing recycled products. Besides reducing waste and saving money, these actions can increase employee morale and customer satisfaction. Hotels and motels generate large amounts of highly recyclable materials, such as office paper, newspaper, corrugated cardboard, plastics, metals, and glass. Work with your waste hauler or recycler to arrange the details of your recycling program. Management should adopt an environmental policy to reflect how the company sees itself in relation to the environment, neighbors, and the people it employs and serves. Chains with multiple locations may want to encourage each hotel to evaluate and establish its own program.
Melissa Krajewski

Availpro and Premier Hotels of the World announce extended partnership - 0 views

  • CEO of Premier Hotels of the World™ Mr. Martin Fabiano states: "We are excited to announce the partnership with Availpro, which will give our Member Hotels a distinct advantage over other Groups."
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    The Availpro organization is the hospitality industry leader in online distribution. Its mission is to provide hotel owners with the most effective online sales platform. Using the tagline, 'The World is your hotel Marketplace,' Availpro has helped thousands of hotels worldwide sell over ten million rooms by utilizing a highly developed extranet channel. Availpro's extranet channels provide two-way connectivity to over one hundred distribution websites. With a larger scope of distribution the hotels using Availpro increase their sales and become more efficient. In addition, Availpro's management of these extranet channels saves hotels valuable time. However the reason Availpro is the leader in online distribution is not just its booking capabilities but rather its recent developments that together provide their clients an online distribution extranet solution. The booking engines that made Availpro successful expanded to include mobile applications and social booking with Facebook. Availpro also introduced important decision-making tools such as the Smart Channel Manager, Rate Screener and Guest Satisfaction. I was curious about the 'Rate Screener' so I read Availpro's article "Availpro rate screener allows Hotel owners to sell their rooms at best rate," published on October 17th 2011 (http://www.hospitalitynet.org/news//4053349.html). This tool was developed with user input and tested in real life rate decision scenarios. The all-in-one solution allows managers to see their rates, inventory and competitor rates on a central distribution schedule. By analyzing their competition in real time managers are able to optimize their rates. Long gone are the days when managers used to call the local competition and pretend to be walk-in guests to find out fire sale rates. This most recent article, published on the third of January 2012, discusses Availpro's growing partnership with Premier Hotels of the World™. By incorporating Availpro's ex
Carolina Villa

Future Of Ecommerce Article - Internet & E Commerce Ecommerce Articles - 1 views

  • Future of ecommerce
  • Ecommerce commonly known as (electronic marketing) e-commerce or Ecommerce, consists of the buying and selling of products or services over electronic systems such as the Internet and other computer networks.
  • TechnologyTechnology is the most important factor in Ecommerce rapid growth
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  • Ecommerce was totally dependent on computer technology just a decade ago, but not now. Mobile phones and handheld PCs can access internet just like PCs do.
  • EasinessAnother major factor is easiness.
  • Competition between Ecommerce (online sellers) is so great that you could order anything with same day delivery option.
  • Price FactorPrice is another factor you can compare prices with rest of the world
  • Safety / GuaranteeAlmost every online seller provides safe product delivery guarantee.
  • Online Gift ShopsOnline gift shops are one of the best domains of Ecommerce.
  • You can book gifts like flowers, cakes, perfumes, stuffed toys, mobile phones etc and send it to your loved ones in anywhere in the world.
  • With time Ecommerce graph will keep inclining as it exploits the nature of human psychology like comfort ness, easiness and tension free shopping.
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    E-commerce is based on the process of buying and selling products or services on the internet or other computer networks. Ecommerce rapid growth in these last years can be accounted to very important key factors, such as: Technology, thanks to this important factor now computers are not the only way for ecommerce, you can also use mobil phones and handheld PCs to make any transaction. Easiness, is another important factor, thanks to it you can order anything with the same day delivery option. Price factor, with ths option you can compare prices with the rest of the world so you can decide which is more convenient for you. Safety/Guarantee, online sellers provide safe product delivery guarantee. Online Gift Shops, you can book gifts like flowers, cakes, perfumes, stuffed toys, etc. and send it to your loved ones anywhere in the world. Thanks to their focus on comfort ness, easiness and tension free shopping ecommerce will keep going further and improving their sales.
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    Yea, I agree with you. Ecommerce proved its significant based on the fact where time is important. In the commercial markets, time plays an extremely important role to both the business and consumers. From the business perspective, with less time spent during each transaction, more transaction can be achieved on the same day. As for the consumer, they will save up more time during their transaction.
Tamara Lang

The World of Technology Affects Tourism Industry Immensely | .TR - 0 views

  • How does it draw the line between technology and personal service? There is no doubt that technology plays an important role in tourism and travel. Most of us are now used to booking our airline reservations on line, dealing with telephone trees and other cost saving devices. These technological advances have allowed corporations to save on manpower while at the same time empowering customers to make their own decisions
  • On the other hand, technology's growth has allowed worldwide terrorism to attack the tourism industry. Cell phones can save lives or detonate bombs; air conditioning units serve to make life bearable in hot climates, but also pollute the atmosphere and can be carriers of disease. The dawn of the computer age permits us to know weather forecasts around the world, allows business travelers to stay in touch with their offices and to supersede the problem of cross time zones negotiation, but can be used to destroy air travel.
  • Remember that tourism is about people "interfacing" with other people No matter how good your technology may be, technology does not provide human warmth of take-home experiences. Be mindful that tourism is about the selling of memories and then ask yourself at what point are you willing to sacrifice memories for efficiency.
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    This article is about how technology affects world tourism. Technology plays a major role in tourism and travel and can help to reduce labor costs and bad customer service. On the other hand, because our industry is driven by human interaction too much or misuse of technology can truly hinder service. The article also stated that "technology's growth has allowed worldwide terrorism to to attack the tourism industry". Cell phones can be used to blow up bombs, air conditions, and destroy planes. As leaders in the industry we must decide how far to go with the use technology.
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