Group items tagged

This article shows the relationship between tourism security and economy. Tourism security is an important factor that will affect the economy, people should pay attention to it and also the staff in tourism industry should pay attention to it, cause they can make full use of this factor to improve the economy.

Great read!! Explains how tourist need to feel safe in order to travel. The importance of safety is the most important thing tourist look for when traveling. Currently the world is in a disarray. 

Meeting industry is fast growing industry in nowadays. It can generate a lot of revenues and provide a large amount of job opportunities for the nation. And the trend of this industry is technology based. Meeting planers and suppliers prefer electronically communication. And video conference is becoming more and more popular. It is safe to say that in today' meeting and convention industry, venues that continues to advance their technological assets will continue to enjoy a competitive advantages over those that go without.

Clear Sky Software Reduces Cost and Labor at Hotel Nikko San Francisco The clear sky software is a program that gives a comprehensive, perpetual inventory system that tracks and controls the F&B products. The system can assist with purchasing, receiving, outlet transfer/issues/returns and physical inventory. Managers will never have to wonder if they have enough veal ordered to make it through a Friday dinner service again. The software will track historically how much veal one typically uses on a Friday night, what you have in inventory and order recommendations. By implementing this software managers will not need to worry about over or under ordering a product. This will save them countless hours and money. The system also has a feature to help with food costs and gives real time cost of the products one is purchasing. This will allow the company to stay ahead of the curve and have real time pricing. If this software is successful at Hotel Nikko it will revolutionize how a Food & beverage department is ran. It seems the main goal of the software is to make things more efficient and cost effective, which is every manager's goal. I look forward to seeing how this product does long term and what new features will be added.

The article talking maining about the issues that companies have in investing into technology without having a set plan. Mr. Estis-Green, among others, stated that they see an industry that is very innovative but lacking direction in its approach to investing in the correct technology. The main issue is seems to follow throughout the article is that these companies are following trends instead of figuring out if said technology would mix well with the brand vision. A first, the implementation of technology within a business was used more as a tactic but it has become more popular that is has changed the way the guest experiences service at a hotel, from POS systems to a front desk check in. It's driving the way hotels run their business. I think that the biggest issue with investing in technology is controlling the way its used within a hotel. With technology becoming bigger and being implemented within larger hotel brands, it is changing the service experience which affects the loyalty of a guests. Taking that into consideration, I think that it causes internal competition within the vision that a hotel original sets out to provide and what other hoteliers are doing to gain that loyalty. As mentioned in the article, i think that the best way to have a vision and trend coincide is to find a way to personalize it to its convenience and effectiveness.

I found the following article to provide a lot of useful information regarding the new trend of online marketing within the hotel industry specifically. The article reviews how the hospitality industry is now moving towards a "paradigm" and a business model where the service providers and the customers interact directly leading to the removal of the intermediary layer. eMarketing has truly taken off and it is important to be aware and educated when it comes to new marketing aspects in order to set the trend and put yourself has a business ahead of your competition. The key to eMarketing is that one has to be aggressive at all costs while keeping an open mind in order to be creative and unique in order to stand out above competitors.

Judging by its title, this may not seem like a breakthrough article. However, there are some important points worth discussing. The article indicates that some GDS companies, traditionally serving the airline industry, are now venturing into hotel property management systems. Since SABRE and Amadeus no longer want to depend exclusively on airline service, they are investing heavily in PMS technology. Furthermore, since the new trend is the implementation of cloud based PMS's, they are focusing their resources exclusively on cloud technology because it gives hotels more flexibility on services and integrations. The article suggests that while Oracle might still be a leader in this field, way ahead of its competitors, industry dynamics change so fast that SABRE and Amadeus will eventually become fierce competitors. Oracle is still the most used tool in this market and most hotel employees have received Oracle training at some point. Nevertheless, although that's an advantage for Oracle when it comes to savings in training cost, innovations on cloud based technology can provide more opportunities not available on conventional system servers.Therefore, this move by major GDS providers can prove a wise investment. Finally, another significant development in this article is the fact that SABRE will eventually add alternative lodging to its inventory such as Airbnb or corporate serviced apartments. This, in my opinion, will be an absolute game changer.

In any business, a solid marketing strategy is critical to building a brand, attracting new customers and maintaining loyalty. The hospitality industry is no different. Because customer loyalty is key, marketing managers and executives devote a lot of time and resources to building brand awareness and creating ongoing, interconnected campaigns. These marketing efforts usually include both print and digital collateral that target former guests while also attracting new clientele. However, this particular industry has a unique set of challenges that must be overcome. Understanding the importance of marketing in the hospitality industry can help you get ahead and stand out in the competitive job market. Companies in the hospitality industry use various methods to develop and maintain an effective marketing plan. The following are some of the general strategies that marketers use for brand success. Customers choose hotels and other hospitality services for a variety of reasons. From location to facilities and perks, companies have to be sure that they're providing what buyers are looking for. The role of marketers is to identify what factors make customers choose a particular hospitality service, and this requires extensive research. By speaking to current and former guests, monitoring customer reviews on websites, reviewing industry data and more, marketing professionals learn what makes a hospitality service stand out, as well as how it can be improved. If potential customers don't know about a service, they can't purchase it. That's where brand awareness comes in. Marketers make sure information on hotels, resorts and restaurants is easy to find and up-to-date. They can do this by buying ad space on relevant travel sites, creating an engaging website and collaborating with other, noncompeting hospitality services in the same market. Another smart strategy for attracting customers is to run promotions during certain times of the year, usually when business is

This article provides an overview of the importance for hotels to have a centralized function and not outsourcing the hotel accounting, meaning that hotels should not use a third party provider. Companies are compelled to change, to innovate, and in need to keep up with the competition. It says that some hoteliers are choosing to outsource because is trendy, but not always function in their best interest. This article emphasizes the pros and cons, but mostly all the negative results of outsourcing, using other companies to do the work that should be centralized.

https://www.hospitalitynet.org/opinion/4083889.html My article highlights the cons of outsourcing a hotel's accounting system from a third party provider. The author mentions that in the hotel industry, technology is constantly changing and every hotel is trying to stay on trend and "keep up with Jones'". The main issue with outsourcing is the reduced level of service. "In a full-service hotel, the accounting department provides a long list of services: receivables, payables, payroll, revenue control, cash management, systems oversight, audit, food and beverage controls, purchasing, receiving, general accounting and budget/forecasting to name but a few." When you outsource, there is reduced attention to these details. If a hotel's own accounting department handles these daily operation segments, there is less likelihood for error and they will be able to work with the various departments to correct the issues. It also saves tons of money to handle accounting in-house. Another important issue that was raised is that if accounting is outsourced then there is no room for development for an accounting department; no growth, no promotions. A pro is that outsourcing gives a financial manager the ability to focus on the bigger picture and see where changes can be made. If they are bogged down with little details, they might not be able to be the leader the hotel needs.

The article discussions the pros and cons of whether a Hotel should out source their accounting to a third party. The author of this article strongly agrees that Hotels should not out source their accounting. The author finds it "unintelligent move". Many Hotel owners believe it's "trendy" and necessary to out source their accounting to keep up with their competitors. I agree with the author, that Hotel should do their accounting on site. Management would have better control over functions and departments such as; payroll, auditing, food and beverage management.

This article explains there are 18 trends in event planning for 2018 that event planners need to know. The first being the the boom isn't going anywhere. Every year there is demand for events and spike in booking prices. The second being guests expect the experience to get easier which in turn will make the event planners job harder. The third being the competition is getting more fierce. The fourth being events are being events are getting more diverse. The fifth being warehouses are the next big trend for events. The sixth being events want local brands vs. global. The seventh being event planners need to find niche properties for the events for they are trying to book. The eighth being security is the most important thing. The ninth being event planners should be adding more technology to events for guests to enjoy. The tenth being make events personalized to the client. The eleventh being event planners better become used to accepting Cryptocurrency. The twelfth being event planners need to let their clients have a voice. The thirteen being event planners need to be open to meeting their clients on skype or facetime. Hard working clients are on the go and need to be able to contact the event planner where ever they may be. The fourteenth is social media is big influence in what the client wants. The fifteenth is Marijuana is being more and more popular to incorporate into events where clients would want it. The sixteenth being clients are wanting transport devices such as hover boards to many of these events that take place in separate locations. The seventeenth being clients want drone video of events. The eighteenth being virtual reality is becoming a vital part of events. With all these new trend ideas event planners have a lot to keep track of to be ahead of the game.

This fellow has an interesting argument for switching the hotel's PMS to a cloud-based version. He is specifically referring to Opera Cloud PMS. He believes that if you don't switch from a license to a subscription model, your hotel will be left behind and unable to take advantage of new features that are likely to become the norm in hospitality. And without those capabilities, the hotel becomes disadvantaged competitively which leads to waning revenues, which leads to cost cutting measures, which leads to more lost revenue and so on; the death spiral. Is my hotel PMS ready for the future? Is it easily adaptable to meet the unexpected wishes of the traveler? The author is calling it "future proof technology". It's a gamble if your business isn't ready for it and I suspect when owners review their P&L's, they are willing to take the risk of waiting to see what happens. The author also makes reference to the sustainability benefits of transitioning to a cloud-based PMS. However, if moving to a cloud-based PMS is more expensive than the hotels current PMS solution, spending more money to be environmentally responsible, while noble, is a tough sell to most owners.

In today's fiercely competitive market adopting technology to grow your hotel business is essential, to avoid facing operational bottlenecks like Hotel A, unlike Hotel B who uses the latest technology to do smart hoteliering. This means getting a cloud based Hotel PMS which can easily integrate with a POS system that is also on the cloud. This translates into having all your hotel-related data under one umbrella in one single system, on one dashboard, giving you automation, accuracy, time and most importantly convenience. So during the stay, guests can order food from the restaurant, use the spa, the gym, the travel desk or the gift shop and pay for everything during checkout without being over or undercharged so both the hotel and guests remain happy and guests have a pleasant guest experience. In my opinion Hotel A needs to upgrade their technology to integrate the cloud PMS with the POS system also on the cloud and add other facilities to supplement revenue for the hotel when room occupancy might be down.

At a recent even at NYC, the CEO of Hilton, Christopher Nassetta, announced that the Hilton team is developing meeting focused hotels as a means to get the upper hand on event management. These hotels are being built with events such as conventions and business meetings in mind while constructing a five-star property. Thus, a new brand, Signia, was created as a means to improve upon flexibility in its architecture, as well as more daylight, modern design, and more spacious volume, as well as an upgraded culinary experience, and technologies that help run meetings more efficiently, likely updates in their event management system. This premium quality is something that has been constantly asked by them from customers. In the future they are planning to stretch out internationally.

Now this is a sight to see! Dubai is recognized as one of the fastest growing cities in the world. This rapid urbanization has led to many environmental issues because of the critical environment, lack of resources such as building materials, and the surprising expansion. Due to it's expansion, their is a high demand for electricity. While being a city with a high consumption of electricity, Dubai has taken steps to introduce solar power on a large scale with now its first ever hotel. Dubai seems to be ahead of the curve, let's just hope it doesn't fail them long-term.

Since this week's topic involved IT investment, I figured this would be a great article to post to help us better understand what hotel business people are investing in and how they are using their investments for their companies benefit. Due to a decrease in their revenue during the 2017 fiscal year, Expedia is doing whatever it takes for consumers to book through their platform, even if it means spending $170 million. Expedia is listening to its consumers through data mining and they've found out that consumers are searching for more independent hotels and less name brands so they've decided to invest in supply to drive demand across their brand. Companies like HomeAway and Airbnb are investing in technology that is making them ahead of the curve. If Expedia doesn't act fast, it could greatly detriment their business.

This article serves as an advertisement of a POS system that is promoted as being "priced right" while simultaneously providing more. It lists functions and features of the system, including Driver's License Identification, Remote Control, Surveillance, etc.

This article is very interesting because it shines light on the importance of using technology for HR purpose. It discusses the issues being faced that need to be resolved. It is important to note the generational differences and the social responsibility aspect.

I liked this article, but thought that it could have been more detailed. It offered many suggestions, but not that much intel into the systems that have been created or are in use to actually connect with candidates. For example, video interviewing. The best fit for the job might not always live close enough to travel for an interview. Skype interviews have become increasingly popular with hotels allowing them to quickly interview candidates without a person having to carve out a large portion of their day. The article did touch on the importance of following up very quickly which I agreed with, my property specifically is down 42% of our management due to hiring processes that are often drawn out.

This article discusses the increasing demand for e-commerce and third party delivery in the food and beverage industry, as well as the costs associated with it. Restaurants are currently facing a growth problem in the United States as foot traffic has declined due to a "millennial generation shift" that sees diners doing more in their homes, while third party companies like Grubhub have seen it's stock rise 141 percent from a year ago. For many restaurants, it is a matter of opportunity cost. As explained in this article by Warren Solocheck, a restaurant industry analyst at NPD, "We're going to see more and more quick-service chains begin to try out delivery," he said. "The margins associated with third-party delivery may be slimmed down. But, the question for restaurants is, 'If I don't do it and I'm not delivering my food, am I in the game anymore? Am I in people's consideration? It boils down to being an opportunity cost. The hope is that at some point people will like the food enough to come in and sit down." I found this article very interesting as a General Manager. We recently decided as a brand to begin offering delivery through third party services as we noticed a decline in covers leading to a decline in revenue. This new revenue stream, although at a higher cost, still brings in revenue that we would be missing out on either way. We also offer free appetizer cards for a consumer's next in house visit to help attract new guests.

This article explains how bookings through the GDS system have been increasing throughout the years. Based on the increases from 2015 to 2016, it was projected that it will continue to increase going into 2017 and the years ahead. This article should be used as a form of advice for hoteliers. It is explaining that although online systems are growing, there still needs to be focus on GDS. This means that each company needs to focus on each system and determine which system is being used most specific to their brand.

This article was mainly on why GDS is crucial and will continue to be for many years. "GDS bookings increased by 11.6 percent year over year from 2015 to 2016 in a sample of over 6,000 hotels worldwide." As mentioned in the article, GDS bookings have increased throughout the years. However, the author also mentioned that its inevitable that there might be a shift over time but it's important for hotel distributors to consider all the channels in order to find what works best for the particular hotel and market. "Successful inventory and distribution management strategies also require the right technology platform - one that's not only scalable and agile, but easy to use."