Group items tagged

In this article we discuss the issues that airlines are having with the GDS system. They give an example of someone attempting to purchase a ticket through an airline website, and then through a travel agency. The direct airline method was only cheaper, if the guest provided information to a direct bank account. The cost for airlines to sell is a bit less than 10%, and they are sold mostly through indirect channels, like travel agencies. The main reason this can happen, is the integrated GDS system. A GDS system is a data facility that shares inventory information for various airlines to different 3rd party channels. The issue with this, is that the total in fees for the use of the GDS system was around $7billion, which is twice the amount of net profit they are receiving. People state that the airline system cannot survive without the GDS, but is that statement really true? Airlines like Air Asia or Ryanair have really attempted to focus on selling tickets directly, and really expand on their profit. How can this be achieved? Well, airlines are making the booking process easier for guests to manage, which gives them more of a reason to book through there. Also, they are offering greater loyalty rewards for directly booking through the site. Different incentives need to be created to attract guests to book directly. Lastly, they would like to create another distribution system, to put GDS out of business. This new system will work to allow guests to handle meal and baggage fees. Concepts that the GDS cannot handle. With that said, will this new system reduce costs for airlines? I guess they will have to wait and see.

Accor S.A. is a French multinational hospitality company that owns, manages and franchises hotels, resorts and vacation properties. It is the single largest hospitality company in Europe, and the sixth largest worldwide. Accor operates in 100 countries, with more than 4,800 hotels and 280,000 employees worldwide.

IBM, Apple, and HP are all major companies in computer hardware. While IBM used to be the major player, that position has been overtaken by Apple. HP, on the other hand, has had its ups and downs. This article discusses the possibility that HP will make a comeback. I was more intrigued with the fall of IBM and if it will come back. It is interesting to note how quickly things change in this industry. IBM has fallen, but will Apple follow suit? Apple, without its founder, may be in the position to fall if its I-phones fail to keep pace. I believe that Apple is about to become the next IBM, which is out-of-date and fails to keep up with the latest developments. I'm not sure if HP will replace Apple, but I think that without its founder it is likely to rapidly lose its current standing.

Despite women leading the way in scholarship and culinary education, they are suspiciously vacant at the top of the leadership ladder. According to Bloomberg, only about 7% of executive chefs are woman, and "67% of executive women are in support roles...as opposed to running their own line of business." This doesn't appear to be because of a lack of entrepreneurial spirt, as "405 of restaurants are women-owned businesses or WOB, and startups by women are growing much faster than the industry overall." This made me reflect on my own city, as I do see women in executive positions, such as Stephanie Izard, Sarah Grunenberg, and Mindy Segal, they all got to their positions in very different ways. Probably the most successful, with currently 7-8 restaurants, is Izard, she got her start by winning a reality tv show and then joining forces with two male business owners (BOKA). Grunenberg also started visa vi the reality TV route, and now eventually owns and runs a very successful restaurant downtown. Mindy Segal is the only woman executive in this group that has built her business, her cookbooks, her brand, and now her cannibis retail, mostly by herself. It is interesting to relate these women to this article because while they are all three incredibly successful, only one was able to pull herself there through the three points mentioned in this article. In order for women to break the glass ceiling in restaurants and culinary, they will need to accomplish three main goals: 1. Gain confidence, 2. Increase their aspirations, and 3. Learn and Maintain Financial literacy. The "grim reality (is) that 96% of WOB do not cross the $1 million in revenue...(and) fewer than 8% seek external financing. Women "receive less than 4% of Small Business Administration loan dollars and less than 2% of venture capital dollars. For confidence, this article recommends to women to learn how to advocate for yourself. Use coaches, practices public speaking, and learn how to pitch your business

This article discusses how Miso Robotics, an innovative technological company, invented and developed robotic arms that flip burgers and make fries. This robot, Flippy, is one that is the first of its kind in the restaurant industry, and was invented to work alongside humans. However, with its reduced costs and its efficiency, it may replace humans in the kitchen in the near future, especially with the turnover rate so high in the restaurant industry. With the invention of Flippy and testing it out at LA Dodger Stadium as well as CaliBurger, a fast food company owned by Miso Robotics, Miso Robotics are utilizing the ahead of the curve approach since Flippy is the first of its kind.

This article talks about how cyber security is very important to the safety of the personal information.

Author, Lena Combs, discusses why hospitality has become vulnerable to cyber attack. Ranging from the failure to secure POS systems and credit card data. To hotels' inability to detect and effectively respond to potential cyber threats. Combs outlines the steps involved in implementing a cohesive top- to bottom strategy that will effectively address these dilemmas. More importantly, why doing so protects a hotel's bottom line and brand positioning.

The following article highlights the importance of cybersecurity in general and why it is especially important in the hotel industry. This highlights many facets, one being the fact that the hotel industry is one of the most vulnerable to cyber-attacks, therefore, needing to have top-notch cybersecurity.

The hospitality industry is implementing more sustainable practices in order to promote a green image that appeals to consumers- which is impacting sales. As the article quotes "companies that lead their competitors in terms of environmental performance also tend to enjoy a median Return-on-Equity that is 3% higher than that of their counterparts." By going green, industry's can can not only attract today's environmentally conscious travelers- but also can help the environment. The hospitality industry is practicing approaches of how to manage operations in an eco-friendly way to help the planet. 2020 will be the year for companies to operate their environmental policies, and marketing messaging around ecological themes.

This article fully explains disruptive innovation, its almost as if the article listened to the lecture then wrote the paper. I could have highlighted the whole paper, it lists causes, characteristics and effects of disruptive innovations.