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artandmer

Hospitality unions have spent a decade fighting to protect workers, bu - 1 views

  • cheap gadgets might bring new problems
  • The hospitality industry is in the process of introducing remote panic buttons in an effort to address the widespread issue of violence and sexual assault against hotel staff
  • 20,000 hotel properties in Canada and the United States have committed to providing an estimated 1.2 million employees with Employee Safety Devices
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  • all housekeeping staff to carry a panic button device on them at all times
  • low-quality versions of the technology that pose significant privacy and security risks to the people who carry them. Weak password protections and a lack of encryption leave users vulnerable to cyberattacks, which could render the devices unusable—or, worse, be used to invade hotel employees’ privacy
  • 58% of hotel workers and 77% of casino workers have been sexually harassed by a guest. Nearly half have had guests answer the door naked or expose themselves, and nearly 15% have been cornered.
  • casino giants MGM Resorts International and Caesars Entertainment agreed to equip nearly 38,000 hotel staff with safety devices during contract negotiations
  • the CEOs of a number of major hotel chains—including Hilton, Hyatt, IHG, Marriott, and Wyndham—joined the pledge
  • Safe but insecureThe discovery of vulnerabilities in certain versions of this technology may pose a potential challenge
  • lack of encryption that compromised the device’s security
  • the software powering the tracker was hosted on a cloud-based service, which it used to communicate with a mobile application. But the cloud software didn’t require any authorization. A hacker could connect to the service and “instruct any tracker in the world to do things,” he explains.
  • Among the vulnerabilities a hacker could exploit are the ability to see the real-time location of users and to gain access to built-in microphones and cameras
  • That poses a problem for the hotel industry, Hron believes, because establishments not  bound by union or legislative requirements may buy inferior devices without vetting them properly, merely to satisfy new regulations. “Each hotel is buying these devices themselves—it’s not like some central authority is giving these devices to hotels,” he says. “My guess is [some are] going to buy a cheap device, and in this case, it’s pretty reasonable to think that there aren’t any analysts doing security checks on them.”
  • The lack of clear legislation also leaves workers vulnerable in jurisdictions that don’t explicitly ban employers using the devices to track the movements of hotel staff
  • technology isn’t capable of real-time tracking because it runs on WiFi and Bluetooth Low Energy, or BLE, and only transmits a signal when activated. Other devices that utilize GPS or WiFi connectivity, however, have the ability to transmit real-time location data on an ongoing basis
  • “The technology has to work every time, but the product only works if the right policies, procedures, and personnel are put in place that allow the system to function as a system
  • While the initial reason for the solution was to address sexual assault, there are other things that happen to housekeepers in hotel rooms as well,” says Ogle. “We’ve had team members that have had medical issues themselves, or found guests in rooms with medical conditions that were asking for assistance
  • Providing precise location data to first responders in the event of an emergency actually has the potential to save lives, but the technology will only be adopted if users believe it is being used appropriately
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    The major hotel chains are influencing legislation and also now requiring employee safety devices (ESDs) to make the workplace safer for employees (i.e. room service attendants or housekeepers) who find themselves alone in guest rooms with ill-intentioned guests. ESDs can also be appropriate for large resorts with beach personnel, activities personnel, or other positions that find themselves in enclosed, or remote areas with less security. Not every hotel has a security department that can constantly monitor cameras and ESDs. Will these devices present more strain on hotel wireless networks? That depends. Hoteliers need to consider whether these devices will be provided by or monitored through their keylock vendor, through their guest room entertainment vendor, or through a wireless provider. Could there be a benefit to an ESD interface with the PMS? I'm not finding an obvious answer. Hotels, varying in room count, are providing ESDs that range from whistles to wireless to BLE or RFID enabled. Hotel owners and management companies have the responsibility to research the most appropriate solution for their hotel without undermining the safety and privacy of their employees and their hotel networks.
cbespinel

Tackling e-waste | GISWatch - 0 views

  • Policy and regulatory mechanisms E-waste is very much a subject dealt with by individual states, even though the movement (or dumping) of e waste blurs state boundaries. In order to address the transborder issue, the United Nations (UN) introduced the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal. So far 134 countries have recognised this convention. Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the US are yet to ratify it. Nevertheless, ratification of the Basel Convention has not necessarily led to policy or legislative responses. In some countries where legislation has been developed, the success has been mixed. For instance, despite all legislative efforts to establish sustainable e waste recycling in many developed countries such as the UK – also party to 1994 European Community convention that bans the export of hazardous waste to anywhere outside the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) – these laws often lack effective implementation or regulations. Good recycling calls for efficient collection points, appropriate recycling technologies, and integrating streams of waste in a country or region with appropriate recycling infrastructures in place.
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    The Basel Convention is a great step forward in controlling e-waste, the US still needs to get on board and deal with electronic waste within its own territory and not send it abroad to be dealt with. Once this happens then the reality of how much waste is produced will be evident and actions will be taken to reduce, reuse and recycle.
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    It is important for companies to get involved in protecting the environment. The need to ensure that we are recycling e-waste properly to protect our lands is vital. The government needs to mandate that technological companies protect the environment and force them to ensure that e-waste is being performed correctly. It is great to know that both Dell and Microsoft are working together to make this happen (http://venturebeat.com/2010/04/22/microsoft-joins-with-dell-to-tackle-e-waste-on-earth-day/).
kmill139

Why the U.S. is Terrible at Recycling Electronics | Digital Trends - 0 views

  • E-waste in the United States is out of control.
  • You may assume America has to at least be on par with the rest of the first world when finding a forever home for computers, phones, and printers, but you’d be wrong.
  • Those millions of old motherboards and TVs consoles rotting in landfills and warehouses aren’t just eyesores. They amount to a massive health hazard. While electronics waste comprises only 2-3 percent of America’s solid waste stream, the lead, cadmium, chromium, and other materials in aging circuitry account for 70 percent of the hazardous material in landfills, according to an EPA report.
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  • Others go belly up, leaving behind millions of pounds of old gadgets piled in mountainous heaps atop land which has lead levels many times normal.
  • You’re probably not screaming into a paper bag about the $20 billion or so of gold that’s trashed in electronics every year worldwide. Precious metals come and go. But if you care about the soil that comprises the land of the brave, you should start thinking about what happened to last year’s smartphone (even if it’s just sitting in the garage).
  • This list of reasons isn’t exhaustive, but serves as a solid starting point for understanding the United States’ e-waste dilemma and what can be done.
  • U.S. e-waste recycling laws are often outdated or nonexistent
  • Only 25 states (plus Washington, D.C.) have legislation that addresses e-waste recycling. The other 25 don’t have comprehensive programs, and don’t report what happens to the electronics beyond occasional voluntary numbers, says Jason Linnell, head of the National Center for Electronics Recycling (NCER). Federal laws don’t explicitly address e-waste recycling.
  • The U.S. isn’t good at recycling
  • The current level and effectiveness of e-waste recycling depends on which state you live in and whether or not you trust locals to “do the right thing.” The hope for improvement sits with congressional reps, state lawmakers, manufacturers, and gadget freaks (yes, you).
  • Single-stream recycling hasn’t helped
  • Between 2005 and 2014, single stream recycling programs increased from 29 to 80 percent in American towns and cities. During that same time period, material contamination rates increased from 7 to 25 percent.
  • E-waste legislation regularly disappears in Congress
  • This is not the first Congressional session in which similar bills have been introduced and allowed to die like a first grade classroom goldfish on summer break. SEERA currently sits with the house’s Foreign Affairs Committee. Why is it so tough to pass e-waste legislation?
  • The U.S. is an environmental rogue
  • As of late 2018, 186 states and the European Union have ratified it and follow its legal framework. The United States has signed the Basel Convention, indicating an intent to ratify, but is the only developed nation that hasn’t actually done so, which
  • After the initial Basel Convention was adopted in 1989, many organizations said the treaty didn’t do enough to address the disposal of waste from first world countries into the developing world, and pressed for an update, which eventually became 1995’s Basel Ban Amendment. The tweak — which was attacked by many industrial powers, including the U.S., Canada, and Japan — needed three decades before it was accepted by enough countries to go into effect. In August 2019, Croatia became the 97th country to ratify it, which transformed the updated stipulations into international law in December 2019.
  • EPA regulations are incomplete
  • Federal attempts at regulation have stalled, been killed
  • U.S. pushes back against international efforts
  • As a part of the 2003 Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive (WEEE Directive), the public was guaranteed free recycling services, and conveniently located collection centers. Around the same time, the EU also passed the Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive (RoHS), aka the “lead-free directive,” which restricts the use of several toxic materials in the manufacture of circuitry and electronic products.
  • In Japan, the Association for Electric Home Appliances requires consumers to help pay for the processing of their goods and manufacturers to set up recycling programs. Electronics recycling has been promoted as such a point of national pride — because Japan is both a huge consumer of gadgets and the country has few indigenous precious metals — that there’s serious talk of making the 2020 Tokyo Olympic metals out of recycled materials. An estimated 80,000 cell phones need to be pulled apart and picked over to complete the plan.
  • State-level e-cycling programs are uneven
  • Certified e-cycling programs are important, but also confusing
  • If you’re the compliance officer who has to make sure the company’s used servers don’t wind up getting tossed in an Indonesian landfill, and you won’t have to nervously answer questions in a “60 Minutes” exposé, you probably want to get that e-waste removed by a disposal team with one of these
  • That all sounds great until you listen to Puckett, who helped create the e-Stewards protocols. He’s one of several people who took part in the development of R2 for over two years and then refused to continue when the proposed guidelines seemed to be too tainted by lobbyists, including ones at the Institute of Scrap Recycling (ISRI), an organization that favors a free market approach over regulation. Puckett and 13 recyclers created e-Stewards, which describes itself as the “the cleanest, most globally responsible standard for e-waste recycling.” He points out that the R2 certification still allows recyclers to export to developing countries. E-Stewards’ doesn’t. R2 recyclers can drop toxic e-waste in landfills or incinerators in the event of “circumstances beyond their
  • Scrap recycling lobby doesn’t like regulations
  • The announcer proudly explains e-cycling is a vibrant industry that adds 20.6 billion to the U.S. economy and supports 45,000 jobs domestically, “safeguarding our environment,” along the way.
  • Can anything be done? Possibly
  • Recycling isn’t the only answer for fewer landfills filled with decaying circuits. Chris Wellise, Chief Sustainability Officer for Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), which installs and recovers tech, emphasizes the importance of designing products for longevity, disassembly, and reuse.
  • “On average, 85 percent of the environmental impacts can be addressed in the design phase,” estimates Wellise.
  • Similar challenges exist for smartphones. Review IFixit’s guide for repairability and you can expect the phones that are easy to disassemble are also easier to refurbish or scrap. In an unusual display of transparency, eco-minded electronics company Fairphone sells spare parts on its site and has visual cues printed on the pieces to help novices figure out where everything goes. In case you’re wondering, it’s possible to make a Fairphone work in America, but most of the company’s sales are in Europe.
  • In 2018, Apple gave birth to Daisy, a robot that can disassemble 200 of the company’s phones in an hour — 1.2 million a year. The company has an installation of the machine in Austin, Texas, and another in the Netherlands. Daisy’s supply chain of used products comes from the company’s in-store trade-in program and a partnership with Best Buy.
  • Pretty awe-inspiring, right? Keep in mind that Apple sold over 217 million phones just in 2018 and has moved 2.2 billion iPhone units since the product line launched in 2007. The two Daisy divisions aren’t even working at capacity. Apple is willing to license the robot technology so any company can use it to disassemble phones, but none have approached them yet.
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    "Maybe it's easy to ignore the huge percentage of vintage gadgets that wind up torched in dicey scrap heaps in developing countries". This article was written on Feb-27-2020. The problem we saw on the old video is still very much a problem now, only bigger.
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    This article was super informative in the realm of E-waste. It covered every aspect of the issue and most definitely is relevant in today's world.
chadidscha

Electronic Waste Recycling: A Global Problem in Need of Solutions - 0 views

  • Cellphones, computers, and other technological products contain a number of valuable materials that must be mined. Rare earths, gold, palladium, copper, and more all reside within our cell phones, TVs, and more.
  • These valuable materials are acquired through intensive mining operations. The recycling of such materials from our old gadgets would allow us to reuse these valuable materials, ultimately requiring less mining and conserving our finite resources. According to the EPA, the recycling of one million cell phones yields 35,000 lbs. of
  • The toxic components in e-waste not only pose risks to workers in developing nations, but they also pose risks to the environment; where e-waste is either improperly handled or disposed of, there is risk of soil and groundwater contamination.
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  • Many have pinpointed improved legislation, advancement in recycling technologies, increased education, and more convenient recycling programs for resolving the electronic waste crisis. Some companies have already jumped on the bandwagon toward finding improved recycling methods.
  • The Washington-based company behind Redbox and Coinstar has developed a line of ecoATM kiosks, where consumers can conveniently sell their old phones for cash on the spot where they already shop.
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    Electronic waste is a growing problem which affects our soil, groundwater, and more due to improper disposal. This problem was considered a conflicting issue in developing countries in the past; however, that no longer holds truth. Many nations and various companies have become more and more of this issue and try to tackle it by implementing legislations and recycling centers, which allow for proper e-waste disposal. The problem at hand can be dealt with, but a world-wide team effort is needed in order to combat this dilemma.
kyleemcroberts

Going Beyond E-Waste Recycling - Human-I-T - 0 views

  • 25 states have enacted legislation establishing a statewide electronic waste, or E-waste, recycling program.
  • The multitude of state laws can make proper disposal unclear for many who have never recycled old electronics.
  • The confusion can lead to mismanaging E-waste recycling and negatively impact existing programs
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  • California’s Electronic Waste and Recycling Act of 2003 established four main purposes to manage the growing amount of E-waste.
  • facilitate the collection and recycling of covered devices,”
  • intends to eliminate E-waste stockpiles
  • make manufacturers report their efforts to increase the use of recycled materials.
  • end the illegal disposal of covered electronic devices
  • we need to focus more on reusing and donating electronics to a greater cause
  • Only twenty-five states have passed legislation in the last fourteen years.
  • E-waste is changing rapidly and legislation hasn’t kept up with the demand.
  • Encouraging reuse can simultaneously reduce E-waste in landfills and bridge the digital divide in low-income communities
  • Recycling centers don’t always recycle your old devices. It has been well documented (here and here) that most of them ship old electronics to other countries that don’t have strict environmental laws.
lamia elachchabi

The power of partnerships | Green Hotelier - 0 views

  • Taking a partnership approach is often the most effective way to find a successful lasting solution to a problem that achieves ‘buy-in’ from all parties
  • A key partnership mechanism is the Global Compact, an international multi-stakeholder initiative which brings companies together with UN agencies, governments, labour and civil society to support universal environmental and social principles.
  • With specific regard to tourism, as far back as 1999, the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (UN-CSD) identified that sustainable tourism development ‘cannot be successful without a profound collaboration with all stakeholders’] It stressed the importance of involving small and large-scale tourism operators in solving problems;
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  • One of the most important issues facing the world today is poverty and how to alleviate it. The MDGs aim to eradicate extreme poverty and halve the number of workers living on less than one US dollar a day, among other aims. Tourism creates economic opportunity through employment business linkages, and other income-generating possibilities -and therefore has the potential to reduce poverty
  • This needs to be addressed so that traditions and local culture are carried through the generations and not watered down or commercialised
  • Despite its potential for negative impacts, tourism by its very nature also offers a mechanism through which to address issues and achieve positive outcomes.
  • No industry is more customer-focused than tourism -satisfying people’s needs, desires and dreams. But as well as ensuring the well-being of its clients there are others whose well-being is fundamental to the sustainability of any tourism enterprise:
  • Tourism can seriously damage the environment at both global and local level if it is not developed and operated responsibly:
  • The negative effects of poorly-planned hotel and tourism infrastructure development can place an intolerable strain upon natural systems, particularly in terms of demand for water and the effect of its treatment and disposal.
  • Too many tourists visiting fragile archaeological and architectural sites of historic and cultural significance
  • Various types of partnership have been formed to address the issues relating to sustainable tourism development and are supported by the case studies on these and the following pages:
  • To be successful, partnerships need:
  • appropriate stakeholders
  • organisations or individuals
  • mutually agreed goals and processes
  • sensitivity to the power balance between members
  • the ability to accept compromise
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    The power of partnerships The tourism industry is partnering with other organizations to solve problems on how to bring a more sustainable tourism. Global impact is an international multi-stakeholders consensus to bring together companies, UN agencies, government and communities to support environment. The project need not only for NGOs to facilitate contracts but also for governments to have the right legislations dealing with sustainable tourism. Tourism can affect three key areas: * Communities: Tourism creates economic opportunity but should not affect negatively traditions and local cultures. * Individuals: Tourism should be creating the right safe working environment. * Environment: Tourism should not damage the environment. Any waste should be disposed of properly. Tourism can achieve positive impacts on the region such as funding wild life conservations. There are se several partnerships that develop to better control the tourism industry and its impacts on the region. To be successful a partnership must have appropriate stakeholders, mutually agreed goal and process, and sensitivity to the power members among other characteristics.
Manali Rabari

Has Debit Fee Reform Helped or Hindered Hospitality? | Top Stories | | Hospitality Maga... - 0 views

  • Since it went into effect in October of 2011, the Durbin Amendment changed the architecture of swipe fees for debit card transactions. Its impact on the hospitality industry is mostly felt by restaurants where debit cards are most commonly used, and its subsequent effect on the supply chain of payment transactions within the industry is difficult to ascertain.
  • “While the Federal Reserve’s rule significantly brought down debit swipe fees for many merchants, some small businesses will pay higher fees on smaller ticket transactions — evidence that the Fed provided card networks like Visa and MasterCard too much latitude to increase rates well above a reasonable and proportional level,” said Scott DeFife, executive vice president of policy and government affairs for the NRA in an earlier statement.
  • “The hospitality industry has not, as yet, presented a unified front on the Durbin Amendment and similar actions,” says business attorney Robert Braun, partner, Jeffer Mangels Butler & Mitchell LLP, (www.jmbm.com) Los Angeles, California. “We also have to consider whether there will be significant federal legislation in an election year, when attention is being drawn elsewhere. We might be looking, however, to the impact of implementing regulation and to legislation adopted by states, which could have an impact on credit card transactions.”
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    This article discusses the unknown impact on the structure of the fees of debit card transactions that is more commonly used in restaurants as a form of payment. The impact of the Durbin Amendment has not made an significant role in whether restaurants or hotels will feel the need to invest in anti-fraud technology. Even though most restaurants are in need of this type of technology. I wonder what the impact this would make on the restaurants if they were to invest in such a technology would it make it easier to track fraudulent charges made, and combat them. What do restaurants do in cases when fraudulent activity has taken place? How do they account for it on their inventory side? On the sales end the transaction will be decline by the vendor of the card but the options left for restaurants are to "eat the cost". How is this handled?
Nicole Beveridge

Computer reservation systems and airline competition - 0 views

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    Sophisticated automation is changing the method by which reservations are requested and accepted. Never before have hotels had reservations coming into their property from so many varied directions. Legislation is being considered for presentation to Congress which would require divestiture of CRS by individual airlines. The bill would prevent any airline from owning more than ten percent of a CRS system that list flights and schedules of other carrier. The justification for this is that the airlines often find a way around any rules the US government enacts, including present ones.
Donald Wojciechowski

Plugging into a new green trend | National Restaurant Association - 0 views

  • Add a term to the vocabulary of green-minded restaurateurs: e-cycling, or keeping discarded computers, TVs, POS systems and other electronic devices out of landfills.
  • "Recycling is not a choice anymore,"
  • • Take-back program
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  • • Donation.
  • • Commercial recyclers.
  • "Anything with an on-off switch can be recycled,"
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    This article discusses one of the topics we had in class regarding the environment in the hospitality industry. Consequently, I thought I would do an additional post for this topic. The article discusses e-cycling and what should be done with electronic devices in the hospitality industry. More and more states are passing legislation to be prohibiting the general dumping of electronic equipment. This will have an effect on hotels that are disposing of old televisions and restaurants that are disposing of old computer systems. In fact "anything with an on-off switch can be recycled". The article gives three suggestions for hospitality companies to consider when disposing of e-waste. First, consider donation to local schools and charities. Second, inquire as to whether the manufacturer has a takeback program. Third, seek out and only use a commercial recycler for disposing of the trunk equipment
da7327

5 Ways Small Hospitality Businesses Can Strengthen Information Security | Hospitality T... - 0 views

  • Small Business Owners (SBOs) especially should take note of any vulnerabilities that could leave a trail of irrevocable damage and potentially sink their business.
  • The average total cost of a data breach in the United States has increased from $7.01 million to $7.35 million, according to the Ponemon Institute. The severe financial loss and potential reputational harm caused by a breach is overwhelming for any sized organization, but especially for small businesses that may not have the resources to recover.
  • Hard Drive Destruction
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  • Employee Training
  • Legal Proficiency
  • Physical Paper Shredding
  • Storage Accountability
  • For small businesses, the financial and reputational damage of a data breach can be insurmountable. Small businesses must understand their information security vulnerabilities and take a proactive approach to data management in order to protect their customers, their reputation and their people.
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    This article introduces five ways about how small hospitality businesses improve information security. Compared to big hospitality companies, small business owner(SBOs) are not fully aware of the importance of security and in turn, they are vulnerable to damage their brand and potentially sink the business. Especially, small business highly depends on word-of-mouth to advertise their brand. If they face the security issue, they might have no resource to recover when we consider their business size and budget. In order to help SBOs strengthen their information security protocols, first, disposal protocol should be kept when they dump or change the computer. In other words, they should remove and safely destroy the hard drive to ensure information is not recovered. Second, training is necessary. Training is one of the easiest ways to protect confidential data and employees should be knowledgeable of handling the information. Third, organizations must understand the responsibilities for data protection and ensure their protocol comply with new laws. Thus, they should keep up with any changes in legislation. Fourth, paper shredding is necessary. Though we pursue paperless office, still paper is being used, so paper shredding is required to avoid the risk of data breach. Lastly, SBOs should use locked storage consoles to protect sensitive data.
tricc003

Will Marriott data breach herald the death of personalization? | By Greg Abbott - Hospi... - 0 views

  • This analysis could be titled in a number of ways, each with a lean towards what was disclosed by Marriott last week when it emerged some 500 million guest accounts had been hacked.
  • Or, perhaps, it's more of a rallying cry for stronger legislation - at least in the U.S. - which will ensure that brands across the travel spectrum take security (more) seriously.
  • In short: despite the growing number and scale of security breaches, hospitality companies are still slow to invest in security.
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  • First of all, there is no upside to security. It doesn't drive new revenue or customer acquisition, making the "cost" of increased security measures difficult to justify (until now, anyway).
  • A sensible approach for handling PII is data "pseudonymization" whereby personal information is transferred to a separate database with adequate security controls (encryption, access control, audit, etc.) and each person is assigned a unique ID.
  • Hotels need subscribe to regular audits and penetration testing of their infrastructure, both internal and external.
  • A recent trend among advanced organizations is to employ "red teams," which are independent groups that take the adversarial point of view and challenge the effectiveness of a security program.
  • Finally, I submit that it is time for the U.S. - home to some of the largest and most advanced technology companies in the world - to introduce legislative data security measures and force the travel industry to take data protection seriously.
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    Marriott's data breach which affected more then 500 million accounts raises questions about cyber security in the hospitality industry. Hotels are in the business of maximizing revenue and unfortunately cyber security is a cost rather than a profit therefore it is sometimes overlooked. However, companies in the hospitality can take steps the strengthen their cyber security and ultimately protect the data of their customers.
asant318

Consumers spend $5.2 billion annually in fraudulent and misleading hotel booking transa... - 2 views

  • scams and fraudulent and misleading travel websites and companies continue to mislead and confuse consumers.
  • 28.5 million hotel stays and $5.2 billion in fraudulent and misleading hotel booking transactions in 2017.
  • 39 per cent of travellers reporting that they most often book their hotel rooms through a third-party website
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  • Taking a few extra seconds to book directly with a hotel or a trusted travel agent can save time and money in the long run, and lead to a better travel experience overall.”
  • constant flow of new companies entering the online travel market—suggests we need to do more to protect consumers.
  • AHLA encourages consumers to book directly through the hotel website or mobile app
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    This article reviews a survey conducted by the American Hotel & Lodging Association which reveals that 23% of consumers say they have been misled by third-party traveler re-sellers. The article further explains the Federal Trade Commission's investigation of one of these companies, Reservation Counter, LLC which resulted in legal action. The article concludes that to protect consumers AHLA will support legislation known as the Stop Online Booking Scams Acts and strongly encourages travelers to book directly through the hotel or trusted travel agent. I think we are seeing the AHLA's opposition to OTA's in defense of hotel properties that want direct booking. The protection of customers is important, but it seems like an implied warning of ligitimate OTA's like www.booking.com.
kakaboshi

Those Tiny Hotel Toiletry Bottles Are on Their Way Out - The New York Times - 1 views

  • In what might become the first such state law of its kind, a bill, A.B. 1162, is making its way through the California Legislature that aims to scrap the tiny single-use plastic bottles at hotels and other hospitality establishments. It was passed in the Assembly last week, and has moved to the Senate for committee examination.
  • “The goal is really to start to phase out single-use plastics in our state in general,”
  • “This is really low-hanging fruit because the industry is already moving in that direction.”
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  • The city council of Orlando, Fla., on Monday approved a partial ban on straws and bags, and last month, Cuyahoga County, Ohio, banned plastic bags starting from next year.
  • In March, lawmakers in New York agreed on a statewide ban on most types of single-use plastic bags from retail sales, making it the second state to do so after California, which has been at the national forefront of legislative action to ban plastics clogging shorelines.
  • In 2016, the world generated 242 million tons of plastic waste, according to the World Bank. North America, which it defines as Bermuda, Canada and the United States, is the third largest producer of plastic waste, totaling more than 35 million tons.
  • The California bill says that from the start of 2023, lodging establishments with more than 50 rooms would be prohibited from providing a small plastic bottle containing a personal care product in a bathroom or sleeping room. Establishments with 50 rooms or fewer would have until Jan. 1, 2024.
  • The California Hotel & Lodging Association had pushed for an extension of the deadline to make it easier for hotels to comply.
  • He estimated it could cost about $70 for each of the 500,000 hotel rooms in California to be transformed to accommodate multi-use dispensers.
  • Generally, hotels and hospitality organizations assume guests will nick toiletries. But if they don’t disappear from rooms, bottles left behind are often repurposed.
  • Some donate extras to homeless shelters or other organizations helping people in need.
  • “In one month alone, this can amount to over 380 pounds of toiletries diverted from the landfill and sent to those in need,” the hotel says.
  • InterContinental Hotels Group said last year that it would remove plastic straws from more than 5,400 hotels in nearly 100 countries by the end of 2019 and introduce bulk bathroom amenities at some of its brands.
  • Some hotels work with Clean the World, an organization in Orlando, Fla., that recycles soaps and leftover plastic bottles collected through its partnerships with 8,000 establishments.
  • Like grocery bags and straws, the miniature bottles of toiletries and cosmetics that many guests swipe from hotels are in the sights of legislators and hotel establishments who are trying to reduce the environmental impact of plastic waste.
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    This is a smart move, both from a environmental and a cost cutting perspective as refillable containers will likely reduce costs over the long run. Marriott has been looking at replacing this process for years (Marriott Banning Little Shampoo Bottles By 2020 Associated Press - https://www.nbcnews.com/business/business-news/marriott-banning-little-shampoo-bottles-2020-n1047116) However, even Marriott admits that it doesn't have the process right yet. There will be a significant impact to smaller operators whom 1) Will be challenged with an additional increase in cost for new dispensary options 2) Have less access to big brand economy of scale purchasing which specialized dispensary products will require. Though this is as a policy almost a foregone conclusion, there seems little doubt that extensive thought has to be put into the impact on operators as a whole, and the customer made cognizant of the fact that costs will rise due to this change.
laboygrisell

Global E-waste Monitor 2020 - 0 views

  • The Global E-waste Monitor is a collaborative effort between the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the Sustainable Cycles (SCYCLE) Programme currently co-hosted by the United Nations University (UNU) and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), and the International Solid Waste Association (ISWA).
  • higher levels of disposable incomes, urbanisation, and industrialisation in many developing countries are leading to growing amounts of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) and, consequently, to greater amounts of e-waste.
  • Toxic and hazardous substances such as mercury, brominated flame-retardants (BFR) or chloroflurocarbons (CFCs) are found in many types of electronic equipment and pose severe risk to human health and the environment if not handled in an environmentally sound manner.
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  • predicts global e-waste will reach 74 Mt by 2030,
  • In 2019, only 17.4 per cent of e-waste was officially documented as formally collected and recycled
  • a target to increase the global e-waste recycling rate to 30 per cent by 2023
  • The number of countries that have adopted a national e-waste policy, legislation or regulation has increased from 61 to 78 between 2014 and 2019.
  • TU Member States also set a target to raise the percentage of countries with an e-waste legislation to 50 per cent – or 97 countries - by 2023.
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    This article is very interesting and eye opening. Just the thought that "by 2023" the e-waste will be down is unrealistic. Companies will keep making more products and the e-waste will grow, unless they don't change the materials they use to create that type of technology.
sanchezgema_

COVID-19 Resource: 5 Technologies for a 'New Normal' Hotel (Part 1) - 1 views

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    This article is about how hotels are able to adjust to the new guidelines with covid. It has adjustments with how to reserve seats at the pool. Options for ordering food and how to do check in and check out.
  •  
    -COVID has affected the Hospitality industry and therefore affects the way consumers behave due to new legislation. Technology is being used in order to reduce the amount of consumers that experience COVID as well as employees. -Technology 1: contactless check in/out and keyless room entry -Fuel (provider of guest facing hotel software solutions) expanded this option for independent and boutique hotels. This makes it more accessible for travelers and reduced the spread of the virus. -Technology 2: touchless menu's for restaurants and hotels -MyMenusOnline is a touchless digital restaurant menu system that was recently launched. -There are many restaurants like Chilis, Carolina Ale House, etc that are also taking part in touchless menu's. -Technology 3: virtual TV remote control launched by Otrum -Hotel TV remotes are difficult to sanitize and makes it easier to spread the virus. -Technology 4: Solay mobile app provides social distancing technology for resort pools and beaches -Solay mobile app provides resorts and hotels an inventory management system so overnight guests are able to make reservations for seating at pools and beaches that are placed six feet apart. -Technology 5: Molekule Air - destroy viruses and bacteria like a pro -Air pro RX was cleared as an air purifier that is meant to destroy bacteria and virus' in the air.
shineal

Data privacy matters in the hotel industry - Insights - 0 views

  • Data privacy matters in the hotel industryDr Michael Toedt Posted on 3 March 2022
  • Data privacy matters – period. As companies (including hotel chains) collect more and more personal data from consumers for marketing and research purposes, consumers are becoming increasingly concerned with data privacy and data protection. They want control over their data and they want to know exactly how it will be used. With legislative changes giving consumers more rights over their personal information, hoteliers need to both know the law and understand why data privacy is so important to hotel guests.
  • Good data privacy builds trust and loyalty
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  • “Commitment to data protection” drives brand loyalty for 31% of consumers, a figure that increases to 40% for “Trustworthiness”[1].This backs up the findings from a 2018 survey by Salesforce, which found that consumers are more likely to stay loyal to a company, spend more money and recommend its services if they felt they could trust the organization with their data
  • Data breaches cause serious financial and reputational losses
  • Every type of organization could suffer a data breach if adequate data protection controls and systems aren’t in place.
  • Hotels concerned about their ability to adequately protect guests’ personal data should take immediate steps to address this. A common problem is the existence of multiple guest profiles across different platforms within the hotel tech stack, such as the PMS, CRM, RMS, POS, website, etc. Where these are not fully integrated, data has to be updated manually, which carries significant risks.
  • Key legislation explained
  • There are strict rules around how data can be obtained, stored, managed, and used.
  • Achieving data privacy compliance
  • large amount of valuable data held by hotel groups makes them a prime target for hackers and cyber thieves.
  • From compliance and reputational viewpoint, these functionalities are truly invaluable to hoteliers. However, IT can only do so much. Other key considerations for hoteliers include creating robust data privacy policies, providing clear guest communications, and training staff on data privacy processes. Taking a 360-degree approach is the best way for hotels to protect themselves and their guests from data breaches and the associated risks.
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    This article by Michael Toedt on "Data privacy matters in the hotel industry" speaks on the approaches that can be taken to protect guests' data and their privacy since these practices increase guests' trust and loyalty to companies. Accordingly, it is vital for hotels to securely store guests' information. Thankfully, CDM systems make it much simpler for hotel staff to manage data-related requests from clients, such as updating personal details. They also enable one-click deletions, preventing data disputes.
shuo zhang

Feds Offer Best Practices for Customer Privacy | Top Stories | | Hospitality Magazine (HT) - 0 views

  • Hospitality industry operators often collect information to better serve their customers.  Information may be collected during various touch points, including employee-guest interactions, the company website, and through business partners, and may include personal identifiable information, preferences, groups with which customers are affiliated, etc.  While customers understand that sharing their personal information helps businesses better serve their needs, they also have a right to know how that personal information is being collected, used and shared.
  • Protecting Consumer Privacy in an Era of Rapid Change:  A Proposed Framework for Business and Policymakers
  • This final report calls on Congress to enact general privacy, data security and breach notification, and data broker legislation in order to protect consumer privacy.
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  • The privacy framework applies only to commercial entities that collect non-sensitive data from more than 5,000 customers per year
  • This element recommends that entities build in privacy at every stage of product development. Substantive protections include data security efforts such as encryption, reasonable collection limits, sound retention and disposal practices, and data accuracy. Policies and procedures should be designed that:
  • •Protect personal information from unauthorized access; •Keep personal information accurate and up-to-date; •Require that business partners with which information is shared exercise reasonable efforts to maintain the confidentiality of personal information about customers; •Educate employees regarding privacy and best practices for protecting customer information; •Protect personal information transmitted via websites during online transactions or when using other technology.
  • : A customer should be offered a choice at the time, and in the context, that his or her data would be used.
  • A customer should be provided with reasonable access to company-maintained data.
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    The problem of the security in the internet is always risky for companies. Even though the customer trust the companies, but acctually, the companies sell your information without ask you if you want to share your information. For me, the organization for keeping the customers' information secured is useful and make sense, but I don't believe any companies want to pay for such service. They want to get income through selling the customers' information to other for comercial using. However, if the government make policy and establish law for protecting the customers information, it will be different. I think it will become a trend to promote. 
Stephanie Menendez

GOP Senator Asks Why Border Security Can't Be More Like Disney World | ThinkProgress - 0 views

  • Cornyn made the reference during a discussion of an amendment proposed by Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) that would add a biometric entry-exit system and effectively delay the path to citizenship for years.
  • Cornyn argued that not having biometrics like fingerprints or iris scans “could lead some people to conclude that this bill is designed to fail.”
  • “photo tool”
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  • Disney World uses a biometric system to ensure people do not commit ticket fraud.
  • If they are that easy, affordable and good enough for the Magic Kingdom, they ought to be good enough for the United States. Senator Sessions’ amendment would guarantee they would not be eligible for lawful citizenship until there is a biometric entry/exit system.
  • “It is true that Disney World used a fingerprint, and then when Disney Land went ahead to use their system they used a picture because it was better,”
  • “two ports of entry. We have 329 ports of entry in the United States, which include land, sea and air. If we are talking about being able to read cards at all ports of entry for those leaving the U.S, it is more daunting than it is at Disney World or Disney Land.”
  • Atlanta and Detroit attempted to implement a biometric system like Republicans requested.
  • “you can change the way your face looks” but a visa “has to be the same. You cannot tamper with it.”
elena zhebrun

Federal Limits on E-Waste Exports Could Create Up To 42,000 U.S. Jobs, According to New... - 0 views

  •  
    CAER includes a wide range of electronics recyclers and affiliate organizations that support passage of the Responsible Electronics Recycling Act (RERA), legislation that will promote fair and responsible e-waste trade. The bill, which will be reintroduced in the current session of Congress, bans the export of certain types of unprocessed and non-working electronics and e-waste from the U.S. to developing countries. Fair trade in tested, working electronics and processed e-scrap commodities would not be restricted. Processing this e-waste in the U.S. would create 21,000 full-time equivalent recycling jobs with a corresponding payroll of $772 million and the potential for 21,000 additional indirect jobs, according to the study. The study notes that jobs will further increase as e-waste volumes rise in the years ahead. Since its founding in November 2011, CAER has grown to include 82 U.S. companies operating about 158 electronics recycling and disposition facilities operations in 34 states and the District of Columbia.
yuliannab

Get Tax Breaks For Going Green | Computerworld - 0 views

  • As if significant savings on electricity bills weren't enough, IT managers have another reason to embrace environmentally friendly IT practices: a bevy of federal, state and local tax incentives that could tip the scales to make green IT projects financially attractive. However, companies have been slow to take advantage of the available incentives, essentially leaving money on the table. One reason is that many tax incentives are for solar energy, which is still expensive. Another reason is that CIOs -- who don't often talk with tax experts -- may not be aware of what's available. Among the federal tax incentives is the Energy-Efficient Commercial Buildings Tax Deduction, part of the Energy Policy Act of 2005. (Subsequent legislation extended this deduction through 2013.) Companies can claim a tax deduction of $1.80 per square foot on new or existing buildings by installing interior lighting, heating, cooling, ventilation or hot water systems that reduce a building's total energy and power costs by 50% or more. "If an IT manager is looking to retrofit or construct a data center, this particular incentive is absolutely appropriate -- almost a given," says Jenny Bravo, a director at Deloitte Tax LLP. "A 50% reduction [in energy and power costs] for a well-planned data center is absolutely doable."
    • yuliannab
       
      This is very interesting. I am not seeing any articles on green incentives pertaining to I.T. except for green building initiatives.
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