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ivonneyee

Modern Management Technologies in the Hospitality Industry - 2 views

The article talks about how it's worth investing in proximity marketing to increase the speed of a customer's decision, increase engagement, and eloyalty. The article states that marketers who know...

started by ivonneyee on 22 Nov 21 1 follow-up, last by ivonneyee on 22 Nov 21
marble_bird

Conditions Associated with Increased Risk of Fraud A Model for Publicly Traded Restaura... - 0 views

shared by marble_bird on 12 Jul 20 - No Cached
  • Many restaurant industry examples provide evidence that as a firm’s internal control structure weakens and deficiencies are found, the opportunity for fraud increases significantly.
  • The main premise of the study tests the application of the fraud triangle framework constructs to publicly traded restaurant companies during the time period of 2002–2014, using proxy variables defined through literature. The proxy variables selected were company size, amount of debt, employee turnover, organizational structure, the Recession, inflation rate, interest rate, executive stock compensation, return on assets, and international sales growth.
  • growing pressures from both passive and active investors to constantly increase their stock value in a competitive world where meeting performance goals are necessary to maintain a competitive edge
  • ...69 more annotations...
  • To meet targets, it is typical for companies to put additional stresses on their internal control structures by reducing head counts, requiring employees to perform more than one job, and rearranging risk profiles
  • The deceptive and corrupt business practicesofthesecompaniesandothersresulted largely from a failure of corporate governance and lack of ethical business practices, in which internal control mechanisms were circumvented by conflicts of interest that enriched executives and damaged shareholders
  • Deficiencies are often observed through review of the main business cycles: revenue and receivables, purchasing and payables, treasury and stock, and financial reporting
  • Internal controls are often the first avenue of protection in safeguarding assets and thwarting and discovering errors and fraud
  • Some research has been conducted in this area, and findings suggest that companies in the telecommunications, technology, financial, and services industries experience the most difficulty with SarbanesOxley compliance efforts because of increased risk of fraud from industry and company risk factors
  • Therefore, pressure resulting from expectations of financial performance, opportunity to circumvent internal controls, and rationalization coupled with certain inherent industry factors may contribute to increased risk of fraud
  • opportunity to engage in unethical behavior may stem from the macro environment, the operational features, and the specific nature of the business cycles
  • Because of this potential for fraud on the company, shareholders, and the public, examining the conditions that may prompt fraud is necessary for the efficiency of the restaurant industry, and namely, for those passive and active investors that are relying on the financial statements to be true and accurate
  • the restaurant industry is often susceptible to deficiencies because of its inherent characteristics and high control risk
  • Corporate scandals, misappropriation of assets and financial statement misstatement are all very real threats to the restaurant industry.
  • the central focus of this study is to understand the factors that contribute to increased risk of fraud to determine why fraud may occur despite the imposed regulation of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.
  • numerous researchers have found indication that executive stock option compensation provides encouragements for behavior that is fraudulent or corrupt
  • the study seeks to identify the factors that may provide the optimal criteria to engage in fraudulent or opportunistic behavior, using the incidence of a reported control deficiency as the measurable dependent variable.
  • The fraud triangle is the model that explains the factors that may cause an individual or a company to commit occupational fraud.
  • The differing classifications and definitions of pressure provide evidence that the construct is not directly observable; therefore, researchers in this field have measured the construct of pressure through proxy variables
  • consists of three constructs: pressure/motivation, opportunity, and rationalization. The three constructs offer an explanation as to why management commits fraud, and the dynamic relationship that underlies the acts of occupational fraud.
  • pressure may best be classified into four general types that may lead to fraud: financial stability, external pressure, manager’s personal financial situations, and meeting financial targets (
  • when considering measurements of external pressures relating to debt financing, the financial leverage ratio is the most common measurement of the amount of debt.
  • Both pressures and opportunities are often determined by factors that occur at both the individual and company level (
  • ROA, or asset composition, is an appropriate proxy measurement for the pressure of meeting financial targets.
  • according to the fraud triangle, it can be said that opportunity does not exist unless a pressure exists.
  • nonshareable problems could also motivate groups of individuals, representative of a company’s culture, to commit fraud.
  • Opportunity is described as an atmosphere or temporary environment that enables fraud to be committed, usually with a small perceived probability of being caught or reprimanded
  • In a study of Swedish restaurant companies, it is noted that competition is very high, often resulting in price wars among different companies that reduce prices and then try to compensate through increased sales
  • Some risk factors include the susceptibility of the industry to market changes as well as the nature of the industry, coupled with the specific operations of the company such as whether there are significant or complex international operations; how effective management is at monitoring activities within the organization; and the level of complexity that exists in the organization
  • This environment is therefore dependent on the discretionary income of consumers, and this increased pressure may lead to earnings mismanagement through overstatement.
  • Public companies in the restaurant industry are susceptible to opportunities for fraud on the basis of the aforementioned opportunities
  • The ability to commit fraud in the restaurant industry results from inside knowledge of processes and procedures, and the ability to circumvent controls through weaknesses (
  • strong evidence has also linked the CEO position to fraud when the CEO is also the Chairman of the Board. In incidences like this, the CEO is the dominate decision maker for an organization that may provide an increased opportunity for fraud.
  • The underlying reason for these three categories of increased opportunities for fraud is the state of the internal controls structure, and management’s commitment to strong corporate governance
  • Rationalization is essentially an attitude, belief, or position of the mind or ethical personality that enables an employee or group of employees of a company to intentionally misappropriate assets and then defend their dishonest activities
  • Weak corporate governance structures are often presented through ineffective monitoring of management.
  • A quantifiable means of capturing this could be through review of executive stock compensation measures.
  • excessive use of discretionary accruals may lead to poor audit opinions, providing a rationalized thought for business activities.
  • the nature of the restaurant industry is often described as a periodic, seasonal, and cyclic trade
  • Defining parameters for financial reporting can also have an effect on reducing the rationalized behavior and the opportunity to commit fraud
  • Because these conditions have an obvious effect on earnings and measures of success, this seasonal variability and volatility should be considered when analyzing pressures in the restaurant industry
  • For restaurant companies, this means that rationalizations and attitudes can be managed by assessing the internal control environment and understanding the pressures and opportunities that exist for employees.
  • Some restaurant industry pressures that may impact profitable sales growth include a lack of understanding of the consumer’s perception, including the relevance of existing brands, and delays in opening new restaurants. Likewise, an inability to consider cost pressures, including increasing fees for supplies, utilities, and health care providers contracted by restaurants, as well as an incapability of obtaining economies of scale in procurement, could compress margins and negatively impact sales and operations profit margin.
  • The value in the application of the fraud triangle to the restaurant industry provides an opportunity to extend theoretical contributions that originated from mainstream accounting to hospitality literature, which is severely lacking in the current literature
  • Likewise, restaurant companies that are smaller (and therefore may not have strong internal controls) with increasingly complex transactions create additional opportunities for fraud to be committed
  • competitiveness is a condition that makes meeting financial targets difficult and provides opportunity for fraudulent behavior. External pressure from analysts and investors may create an incentive to misappropriate assets, which, in turn, distorts common financial measures of success such as return on assets.
  • when debt financing exists, in order to address past and future obligations, and remain competitive, restaurant companies are at an increased risk of fraud especially when disruptions in financial and credit markets exist.
  • Studies have revealed that restaurant company victory and demise is eventually correlated to restaurant leadership abilities and intentions; therefore, it can be stated that executives and managers’ intentions are of utmost concern in understanding risk of fraud
  • firms with increasingly complex operations coupled with changes in organizational structure have less resources to put into internal controls and are therefore at an increased risk for accounting errors.
  • .Internationalgrowthissubjecttorisks such as international political and economic conditions, foreign currency fluctuations, and divergent cultures and consumer inclinations
  • This study will focus on the variables most pertinent to the restaurant industry on the basis of the inherent characteristics of U.S. publicly traded restaurant companies, as previously described in this section.
  • a s a result of workforce diversity and the presence of many perceived low-skilled workers. In addition, as companies within the industry respond to declining performance, publicly traded restaurant companies may be subject to activist investors who wish to see a change in the executive management team. If a shake-up such as this would occur, the organizational structure of the company may become unstable, resulting in much greater opportunities for fraud to occur at all levels.
  • this study looks to assess the relation between the amount of debt a company has occurred and the incidence of reported internal control deficiencies.
  • Variables relating to rationalization are present in the restaurant industry when considering the motivations and attitudes of management. It is noted that in difficult times, such as the Recession, aggressive financial reporting tactics may be used
  • this study seeks to understand the effect of substantial stock compensation on increased fraud risk.
  • this study also hypothesizes that poor ROA could increase the risk of fraud, as the pressure provides executive management with the motivation to manipulate earnings.
  • this study suggests that the organizational structure of the company may provide opportunity for increased fraud risk through a unitary tone at the top.
  • this study analysed the disclosures of publicly traded restaurant companies to determine whether a company has a higher probability of increased fraud risk on the basis of the presented variables.
  • The results of the applied probit model reveal for the entire population set of publicly traded restaurant companies that the macroeconomic factors of the Recession, interest rate, inflation rate and unemployment rate all have a significant impact on the increased risk of fraud, as evidenced through a reported internal control deficiency.
  • As noted in the overall model, the results reveal that the model as a whole is a significant fit to the data. Although the company-level variables were not significant in the overall model, external factors were each significant.
  • Therefore, it can be said that the results of this study empirically support the intuition that changes in macroeconomic conditions may impact increased risk of fraud for companies in the restaurant industry.
  • It can be said that there is a significant relation between increased risk of fraud and the macroeconomic factors of interest, inflation, and unemployment rates.
  • from a managerial perspective, the study provides evidence that macroeconomic conditions that might affect consumer demand may increase the risk of fraud for publicly traded restaurant companies.
  • In addition to the high costs of compliance, it is also important to recognize additional managerial characteristics that may heighten the effects of the macroeconomic conditions on increased fraud risk.
  • As indicated by the results of the study, however, many times executive management does not recognize the problems associated with the macroeconomic conditions because of systematic perceptual filters that play the crucial role in the functioning of the company.
  • By focusing on the changing macroeconomic conditions that may have an empirical effect on demand, executive leadership will be able to streamline processes to avoid incidences of reporting internal control deficiencies when exposed to the macroeconomic conditions.
  • In the restaurant industry in particular, information is also not readily quantifiable, which makes it even more difficult to transform into meaningful and timely information for executive management. Particular examples include consumer insights and how well new promotions are received and moved throughout the market.
  • it should be noted that reported internal control deficiencies are indicative of increased fraud risk, but not necessarily conclusive that fraud has occurred. Therefore, just because a company has reported a deficiency, it does not indicate fraud, necessarily.
  • According to the model, the managerial factors are only exacerbated by the presence of macroeconomic factors.
  • the identified conditions could help managers to improve internal control when a high risk factor is realized. The contribution of this study may allow restaurant companies to deter activities that may result in increased risk of fraud.
  • Because the study revealed that the macroeconomic conditions were significant for the entire population of restaurant companies, an area of future research might explore the relevance of the co alignment model (Olsen &R o p e r , 1998) to strategic management decisions to reduce the risk of fraud.
  • for purposes of this study, privately traded companies are excluded. This is a limitation of the study because the results may indicate a problem that is more or less pervasive since the sample is representative of a small number of companies in the United States.
  • the model is limited in application because it does not take into account fluctuations among the variables over time.
  • marble_bird on 12 Jul 20
     
    This article covers the methodology and findings of a study conducted to examine the factors contributing to fraud risk in publicly traded restaurants. The article discusses factors in the fraud triangle, macroeconomic factors, and internal company factors that may contribute to fraud despite protections implemented per Sarbanes-Oxley. The study ultimately finds that internal company factors are insignificant when considering the impact on fraud risk, while macroeconomic factors, such as inflation or unemployment, drastically impact the level of fraud risk that a company may face.
olaya5

InterContinental Hotels Group Selects Cloud-based MICROS Simphony for Next-Generation P... - 0 views

www.hotelnewsresource.com/ice_for_Its_UK_Properties.html

micros

shared by olaya5 on 27 Feb 13 - No Cached
  • MICROS Simphony offers significant benefits to our business. We were keen to move to a hosted solution and MICROS was able to provide the system to achieve that, while also providing us with the centralised reporting that we require to analyse sales across all of our restaurants and bars. By standardising our systems and business processes, we will be able to realise opportunities for revenue growth and improve the offerings that we deliver to our guests .”
  • MICROS Simphony offers significant benefits to our business. We were keen to move to a hosted solution and MICROS was able to provide the system to achieve that, while also providing us with the centralised reporting that we require to analyse sales across all of our restaurants and bars. By standardising our systems and business processes, we will be able to realise opportunities for revenue growth and improve the offerings that we deliver to our guests
  • MICROS Simphony offers significant benefits to our business. We were keen to move to a hosted solution and MICROS was able to provide the system to achieve that, while also providing us with the centralised reporting that we require to analyse sales across all of our restaurants and bars. By standardising our systems and business processes, we will be able to realise opportunities for revenue growth and improve the offerings that we deliver to our guests
  • ...7 more annotations...
  • MICROS Simphony offers significant benefits to our business. We were keen to move to a hosted solution and MICROS was able to provide the system to achieve that, while also providing us with the centralised reporting that we require to analyse sales across all of our restaurants and bars. By standardising our systems and business processes, we will be able to realise opportunities for revenue growth and improve the offerings that we deliver to our guests.”
  • “MICROS Simphony offers significant benefits to our business. We were keen to move to a hosted solution and MICROS was able to provide the system to achieve that, while also providing us with the centralised reporting that we require to analyse sales across all of our restaurants and bars. By standardising our systems and business processes, we will be able to realise opportunities for revenue growth and improve the offerings that we deliver to our guests.”
  • MICROS Simphony, a cloud-based enterprise point-of-service solution that offers full support to multi-property hotel chains
  • Abo u t MICROS Systems, Inc.
  • About MICROS Systems, Inc.
  • Over 330,000 MICROS systems are currently installed in table and quick service restaurants, hotels, motels, casinos, leisure and entertainment
  • retail operations in more than 180 countries
Yi Sun

More travel agents booking hotel rooms via GDS, says report - 0 views

www.asianhospitality.com/s-via-gds-says-report-615.aspx

travel hotel booking GDS

shared by Yi Sun on 03 Feb 12 - No Cached
  • • 84 percent of respondents indicated that they were using their GDS platform the same amount or more often than in the past, with 35 percent stating that they are using GDS more
  • 75 percent of respondents indicated that they were using GDS Shopping Displays the same amount or more often than in the past, with 27 percent stating that they are using GDS Shopping Displays more.
  • This represents a significant change since the study was last conducted in 2009, where 26 percent of travel agents stated that they used their GDS platform more often than in the past and 19 percent said they used the GDS Shopping Displays more often than before. The study also reaffirms TravelClick’s projection that annual GDS hotel bookings will surpass $50 million in 2011, an increase of more than 1 million incremental bookings from 2010.
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  • ‘Travel agents are increasing GDS hotel use, and have once again confirmed their confidence in GDS Shopping and Booking Displays,’ said John Hach, senior vice president, global product management at TravelClick. ‘As the GDS channel produces one of the highest average daily rates of any booking channel, there is a huge opportunity for hoteliers to influence travel agents through the GDS at the point-of-sale.’
  • Yi Sun on 03 Feb 12
     
    A significant change since the study in 2009, it says that there is a significant change that more than 26 percent of travel agents stated that they used their GDS more often. It means that GDS has become more and more important in the hospitality industry, since the generation has changed to 80's. Travel agent has once again confirmed their confidence in GDS shopping.
marble_bird

Hotel_ITSec.pdf - 0 views

shared by marble_bird on 15 Jul 20 - No Cached
  • During the past decade, information technology (IT) has significantly changed the way the hotel industry controls and manages operations. While many technologies have been utilized, some newer technologies have emerged in the literature and in practice, and many of them impact the hotel’s security.
  • Among the results, this study identified a gap between hoteliers’ understanding of IT budget adequacy and the adequacy of installed IT security systems.
  • Advancements in technology are increasing at a remarkable rate. As technology becomes more important, organizations that do not keep up with these advancements could lose business opportunities to other competitors that do
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  • The four leading technologies which have showed a high adoption rate from the industry and have received attention from academia are: self-service, wireless, green, and security technologies. The advantages of these technologies for hoteliers include enhanced customer services and operational efficiency (Doyle, 2007), decreased guest wait times, more efficient methods to settle bills (Singh & Kasavana, 2005), reduction of energy costs (Meeroff & Scarlatos, 2007), and protection of sensitive customer data and credit card numbers
  • In addition, exploring the influential factors of security system usage will provide greater depth of knowledge with respect to why some hotels have adopted more security systems than others.
  • there is still a lack of understanding of the nature of risk associated with inadequate IT security, especially among operators of hotels that do not have their own IT departments.
  • Self-service technologies are commonly defined as devices or applications which permit users to produce a service independent from the direct involvement of the service provider (Meuter, Ostrom, Roundtree, & Bitner, 2000). The use of self-service technologies in the hotel industry has grown considerably, especially in the areas of self check-in, in-room check-out, and foodservice kiosks
  • IT systems refer to general support systems such as mainframe computer, mid-range computer, and local area network.
  • Some of the most significant wireless technology applications involve the use of mobile handheld devices, such as personal digital assistants (PDA), tablet PCs, and cellular phones, or RFID (radio frequency identification). RFID utilizes computer chips and antennas, allowing the chips to wirelessly communicate with a receiver.
  • While the major usage of RFID in the hotel industry was for inventory control purposes, it also has the potential to be utilized in ways that can provide more conveniences for the guests.
  • Other possible uses include placing RFID tags on items of high value as a means of theft prevention or integrating tags into guest loyalty cards for easy identification
  • IT investment that lowers environmental impact and IT that manages the environmental impact of other systems are commonly referred to as “green technology”
  • Many hoteliers might think becoming more environmentally friendly will cost more for their hotels. However, it has been demonstrated that “going green” is not only the right thing to do for the environment but also provides tangible bottom-line benefits for hotels by reducing consumption of energy and water, as well as other related costs.
  • Some of the risk factors involved include reliability, security, and privacy issues
  • A hotel with more technologies being utilized will install more security systems than those with fewer technologies.
  • Many of these attacks involve attempts by thieves to gain access to customer credit card data, and these attempts constitute a major portion of the risk inherent in IT security
  • if a system is breached and the merchant is not PCI compliant, the merchant then is responsible for all costs associated with improperly used credit card information taken from that system (Kress, 2008). These losses could bankrupt a business if the security breach goes undetected for even a short time.
  • IT security systems are those measures taken to protect the confidentiality and integrity of proprietary data.
  • two main paradigms of adoption are believed to occur: bottom-up adoption and top-down adoption.
  • Thus, it is reasonable to assume that organizational factors (e.g., financial factor, human resource) will influence the implementation stage of security systems at a hotel.
  • A hotel with sufficient IT budget will install more security systems than those with insufficient IT budget.
  • That is, if a hotel does not have its own IT department, it will have a negative influence on successfully installing or maintaining necessary security systems.
  • A hotel with its own IT department will install more security systems than those without.
  • Overall, the state of IT spending on security continues undiminished because managed security services are required for almost every application (Communications News, 2007).
  • risk associated with a breach of IT systems security (e.g., network break-ins) is very high. Consequently, no sector of the business community is exempt from attacks on their IT systems, with an attack being defined as a technique used to exploit a system’s vulnerabilities.
  • Given the importance of security and privacy at a luxury hotel, this study expects luxury properties to have installed more security systems than other segments
  • Most hotel employees use their property management systems for hotel operations and should be able to check their e-mails.
  • To justify the low response rate, previous studies which have compared response rates of mail and e-mail for surveys were reviewed.
  • the large majority of respondent properties do not have their own IT departments. Second, the people making IT decisions generally do not have IT backgrounds or training. Third, the large majority of respondent properties have little more than firewalls or antivirus software to protect their proprietary data, and these systems alone are not adequate to meet PCI standards, as they do not take steps to encrypt and protect cardholder data, maintain a vulnerability management program, implement strong access control measures, regularly monitor and test their networks, and maintain an information security policy as required by the Security Standards Council.
  • The respondents were asked to select from a total of fourteen securities related systems
  • The profile of the respondents revealed that they were experienced hoteliers with more than ten years experience in the industry
  • Fifty-three percent of the respondents reported that they were with chain hotels that would be considered mid-range properties with an average of 175 rooms (median of 107). Over 80% of the respondents reported working in operations, while fewer than 4% reported working in either IT or engineering (Table 1).
  • Nearly 70% of the respondents’ properties did not have their own IT department (69.2% did not have, and 30.8% had their own IT departments, n = 234, missing data = 10).
  • Fifty-three percent of them (n = 244) thought the most important goal for hotel technology would be enhancing the customer’s experience.
  • second identified goal was utilizing technology to help generate revenue (41%)
  • differentiate properties from their competition (20%), to lower expenses (16%), and to increase security (6%).
  • Internet kiosks in the lobby represented the most frequently used self-service technology (36.5%, n = 244), followed by kiosks for airline check-in/board pass
  • With respect to security systems currently in use, antivirus security systems represented the most frequently used security system (92.2%), followed by hardware firewalls, software firewalls, physical security, and encrypted login security systems.
  • intrusion detection was the most frequently identified system (15.6%), followed by vulnerability assessment scanning (13.5%), Internet scanning (13.1%), antivirus (11.5%), digital ID server (11.5%), and nonreusable passwords (9.8%; Table 2).
  • Thus, the hypothesis was supported that there was a linear relationship between the three factors and the adequacy of security systems.
  • The positive standardized coefficient (β) of .389 indicates that there was a statistically significant (p < .001) linear relationship between IT usage (the number of wireless, self-service, and green technologies a hotel was using) and the adequacy of security systems
  • The study revealed certain things of interest, the most significant of which is the need for greater emphasis on IT security among hoteliers.
  • only about 30% of all respondents reported having their own IT departments. Since budget hotel properties are extremely unlikely to have an IT department, it is highly likely that the very large majority of IT decisions throughout the industry are being made by hotel operators for whom IT is not their primary area of concern.
  • Furthermore, the focus of hoteliers for future IT implementations is enhancing the guest experience (53%) and generating revenue (41%). Very few respondents (6%) identified increasing security as a 5-year IT goal.
  • While almost all respondents use information systems as part of their jobs, very few are trained in the development, maintenance, and secure use of these systems.
  • no correlation was found between the respondents’ perceived adequacy of their IT budgets and the adequacy of installed security systems, as adequacy of IT budget did not appear as a significant term in the regression analysis.
  • Nearly 10% of respondents do not have so much as anti-virus protection for their systems, and nearly half do not even take simple physical precautions to protect their IT systems.
  • we note that no correlation exists between the respondents’ perceived adequacy of their IT budgets and the number of installed IT security systems, as the number of installed systems was not a significant factor in the regression analysis.
  • The sample obtained in this study represented the targeted sample: over 80% of the respondents were working in hotel operations. Furthermore, the purpose of this study was to explore hotel operators’ insight of technology usage, IT budget, and security measures rather than to confirm existing theories or to generalize the results.
  • it is reasonable to conclude that the respondents did not have an adequate understanding of the nature of the IT security hazards facing them for the average property does not have installed systems adequate to meet PCI standards, yet they reported having adequate budgets.
  • In order to adequately protect proprietary data, one must have an understanding of network security, which is an understanding apart from software functionality.
  • Properties with their own IT departments, however, reported that they had a higher number of installed IS security systems than did those properties without their own IT departments.
  • roperties without their own IT departments, in particular, have a less adequate understanding of their IT security needs than may be necessary.
  • This study found hoteliers’ lack of attention to security provision, training in IT, and PCI compliance can place hoteliers at great risk. For example, the cost of a single incident at a noncompliant property could result in the loss of the entire business.
  • It will be useful to examine the reasons why luxury properties are more likely to employ adequate security measures to determine whether this greater use is attributable to better understanding of security issues or some other factor.
  • The study was limited by the nature of online surveys; the response rate was quite low. Future studies could test the proposed research model via paper-based mail surveys to increase a response rate.
  • marble_bird on 15 Jul 20
     
    This article covers a study performed on various hotels to determine management's level of IT knowledge and security implementations in relation to the hotel's IT security budget. The article discusses four types of technology impacting the hotel industry and how management responses to trending technology can affect a business, particularly in terms of a data breach and overall security. The study finds that an alarming percentage of hotel managers are not adequately informed on the risks and procedures of IT management and security, and many do not have proper IT security measures in place despite having an appropriate budget.
marble_bird

ContentServer.pdf - 0 views

shared by marble_bird on 07 Jul 20 - No Cached
  • The development of technology has made it easier for the traveller to book hotel rooms by the website. The number of online websites that provide services for the hospitality industry is on the rise.
  • According to Quinby and Jain (2012) (which research the OTA market in Australia, China, Japan, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore and Thailand), the Asia Pacific’s online travel booking on 2011 is estimated to be US$ 1,6 billion/year and predicted to rise 30% to 40% on the next periods
  • In the hotel industry, the internet has had a big impact on the evaluation of the distribution channel, which pushed the industry from a traditional operation (offline) to an online operation system
  • ...22 more annotations...
  • The use of the internet has changed the hospitality industry by helping organize, promote and market tourism products and services, as well as helping communication, online transaction, and distribution systems for hoteliers and consumers
  • With the growing number of hotels in Indonesia, the number of online websites which offer hotel rooms also increases.
  • this study examines the process of online hotel decision making by focusing on the effect of website quality on the customers’ e-Trust.
  • The two key issues we wish to examine are: (1) whether customer’s perception of the website’s usability influenced e-Trust; and (2) whether customer’s perception of the website’s ease of use influenced their e-Trust.
  • Nowadays there are more travellers than ever that search the internet medium for information of the tourist destination and the process of booking the trip, as evidenced by the increase of information access through the search engine and social media and also online hotel booking
  • A hotel’s website is not only an information channel but also a trading form, where it not only provides news and data, creates a brand image but also works
  • as a sale tool. But this ease does not come without a weakness. Communication by the internet creates uncertainty and risks have become an intrinsic attribute of e-commerce from them complexity and anonymity of online purchase.
  • A good website must be easy to use, understandable, and navigate well (Aziz, 2014). The easiness of using the website’s features can influence the customer’s interest in using the online service and push their booking intention
  • Because OTAs are such an important channel for hotel distribution, the industry should pay close attention to the way hotels are presented on OTA web pages.
  • The level of usability of a website will determine whether a user will stay or leave to find another website
  • website quality becomes the main factor in e-commerce because the perception of the website quality will trigger the customers’ purchase intention directly.
  • The ZEN Rooms website effectively delivers information and adopted a good interaction design to make sure consumers can easily navigate the website and find useful information.
  • Usability refers to whether a hotel’ s website can provide sufficient information about the product and the service, while ease of use showed the level of which a hotel’s website is easy to navigate and customer-friendly.
  • e-Trust is the consumer’s trust or confidence that the seller will not abuse the consumer’s vulnerability .
  • Sparks and Browning (2011) found that consumers depended on the easiness of information processing while evaluating a hotel based on online reviews.
  • risk-taking behaviour based on consumer’s positive expectations of a hotel’s website was called e-Trust. E-Trust plays an important role in online booking because of the risk that comes with online service
  • A hotel’s website that has good usability has a significant result on the consumer’s e-Trust. This finding is in line with previous study from Bai et al. (2008) and Wang et al. (2015) which also stated the significant impact between the usability variable towards online booking intention, where the higher a website’s usability was, it automatically affected customer’s e-Trust and willingness to make an online hotel booking.
  • The effect of usability of the website and ease of use of the website on e-Trust among participants of this research is elaborated upon in Table 1. The data in this table display the outcomes of a multiple linear regression analysis.
  • The other variable in this study, which is the ease of use, did not have any significant result on consumer’s e-Trust. This finding is different from previous studies conducted by Shen and Chiou (2010) and Venkatesh and Agarwal (2006) which stated that a website’s ease of use could help consumer’s online booking intention.
  • There is no significant impact between genders and e-Trust. The findings of this research propose that gender does not play a significant role in the attention of guests toward e-Trust and both genders are highly confident of having online booking purchase of hotel rooms.
  • The current study is not without limitation, such as the scope of the research. Future studies could conduct similar research but through a mobile application instead of the website. The internet keeps developing and there are changing platforms from website to mobile application so the use of mobile in the hotel industry is unsurprising and expected
  • The importance of having information towards the relationship between a website’s usability and consumer’s e-Trust is essential to help maintain the attributes of a website’s quality to keep consumer’s e-Trust of the hotel.
  • marble_bird on 07 Jul 20
     
    This article covers an Indonesian study performed to study factors that influence online bookings of consumers. The main factors considered in the study were the perceived usability of the website and the ease of use. The study found that perceived usability influenced the decisions of the consumer, while the actual ease of use did not.
Yuting Peng

Hospitality Marketing Services | Sabre Hospitality - Tools & Technologies | E-Marketing... - 0 views

www.sabrehospitality.com/online-marketing-tools.php

e-Marketing technology hospitality

shared by Yuting Peng on 06 Nov 12 - No Cached
  • Sabre Hospitality Solutions has designed essential applications and products that will push your Internet Marketing program to a higher level of performance .
  • Sabre Hospitality Solutions has designed essential applications and products that will push your Internet Marketing program to a higher level of performance
  • Sabre Hospitality Solutions has designed essential applications and products that will push your Internet Marketing program to a higher level of performance.
  • ...9 more annotations...
  • offer a wide range of cutting-edge and user-friendly Internet Marketing tools that enable direct online sales transactions, track and analyze Website traffic data and conversions, integrate emerging technology, and facilitate cost-effective Customer Relationship Marketing (CRM).
  • The CMT uses a text editor that is similar in functionality to Microsoft Word, allowing a non-programmer to manage and edit content on their Website in real time. Clients are able to edit basic body text and insert interior images throughout their Website, thereby virtually eliminating Website maintenance costs.
  • Sabre Hospitality Solutions provides a full e-commerce solution that enables you to build and manage an E-store that generates significant incremental revenue.
  • Sabre Hospitality Solutions' Interactive Proposal Service (IPS) is a proprietary system that allows a property to respond to RFP's in a highly customized fashion.
  • Our Flash map solution integrates standard interactive components for any set of floor plans.
  • Our behavioral targeting engine serves potential guests content based on how they are navigating through the Website; and profiles their keyword search that has led them to the Website.
  • Sabre Hospitality Solutions developed a proprietary Content Management Tool (CMT) based on the needs of our clients.
  • The CMT is developed in a secure environment and is extremely user friendly, empowering our clients to confidently and efficiently manage copy on their Websites. Sabre Hospitality Solutions designed and developed this application in-house, and the application is used in multiple hospitality Websites.
  • Our E-store solution includes a flexible, easy-to-use product catalog, pre-programmed shopping cart utility, secure checkouts, and automated order management and processing functionality.
  • Chenchen zheng on 06 Nov 12
     
    This article talked about Sabre Hospitality Solution which is the user-friendly e-marketing tool. The Sabre Hospitality Solution will push your internet marketing program to a higher level of performance through the following five essential elements. First, Sabre Hospitality Solutions developed a proprietary Content Management Tool (CMT) based on the needs of the clients. Second, Sabre Hospitality Solutions provides a full e-commerce solution that enables you to build and manage an E-store that generates significant incremental revenue. Third, behavioral targeting engine of Sabre Hospitality Solutions serves potential guests content based on how they are navigating through the Website; and profiles their keyword search that has led them to the Website. Fourth, flash map solution integrates standard interactive components for any set of floor plans. Fifth, Sabre Hospitality Solutions' Interactive Proposal Service (IPS) is a proprietary system that allows a property to respond to RFP's in a highly customized fashion.
  • Yuting Peng on 04 Apr 13
     
    Sabre Hospitality Solutions has designed applications and products to push the e-marketing program to a higher level. It offers a wide range of e-marketing tools. Sabre Hospitality Solutions developed a proprietary CMT based on the needs of the clients. This friendly empowering the clients and is widely used in multiple hospitality websites. It also provides a full e-commerce solution that enables you to build and manage and e-store that generates significant incremental revenue. In addition, the behavioral targeting engine serves potential guests content and the flash map solution integrates standard interactive components for any set of floor plans. Finally, it is a interactive proposal service. This unique online presentation of your proposal will ensure your product stands apart form other competitors.
lamia elachchabi

Hotels are failing to invest in training for Property Management Systems (PMS) | By Hil... - 0 views

www.hospitalitynet.org/...4057895.html

shared by lamia elachchabi on 28 Sep 12 - No Cached
  • These results show that there is still a lack of the optimal use of the PMS in hotels as there is not enough training for its use provided to the employees
  • The hotels in our sample show higher occupancy levels when hotels allocate more budget to training for PMS. Also, occupancy levels are higher when a combination of BOTH in- house training PLUS training through the PMS supplier is employed
  • This research supports that the (previously reported) under-utilization of the PMS may be due to the lack of training and budget! This research indicates that the training provided is mostly internal and not with the PMS supplier.
  • ...6 more annotations...
  • This indicates that as PMS training budget is increased, hotel revenues increase as well and in a much higher ratio than the input budget.
  • These results show that there is still a lack of the optimal use of the PMS in hotels as there is not enough training for its use provided to the employee
  • About 150 mid-scale and up-scale hotels around the world answered a questionnaire investigating the training on the PMS (measured by number of days, budget, and training provider) and performance (measured by occupancy, ADR, GOR). Most hotels (65%) stated that they had no budget for training on the PMS in 2011 and 32% of hotels offered no training at all to their employees on the PMS. 40% of the hotels surveyed provided up to 3 training days per year (Chart 2). Most of the training is conducted internally, rather than using the PMS providers. In cases where there is no training, the new employees are simply "shown the ropes" by their supervisors (Chart 3). As can be seen in chart 1 below, there is little/ no budget allocated to training.
  • Revenues of hotels are much higher as the PMS training budget went above 5000 Euros per year
  • Early indications from this ongoing research project show that effective management of the PMS training resources (e.g. training days, budget) may result in increased revenues for the hotels.
  • The Property Management System (PMS) is the key technology for hotels and a significant source of not only customer data but also operational data that can help the strategic and operational decision making of hotels.
  • anonymous on 28 Sep 12
     
    Summary: This article is about a study done at Ecole Hoteliere de Lausanne on the investment of PMS training and its relationship to a hotels performance. The study resulted in positive correlations between PMS training and revenues. Opinion: Training employees on the PMS seems like common sense but most hotels do not believe it is necessary. This study and its results make perfect sense but I am also a little surprised by the significant increase in revenues that is created from properly training employees on PMS. 
  • ...1 more comment...
  • Manali Rabari on 28 Sep 12
     
    This research study shows that 65% of hotels don't spend money in adequately training employees with PMS training. If training is conducted it takes as little as three days and usually done internally and not with the PMS supplier. Hotels that invest the time and money in properly training its staff benefit with having higher revenues. Employees will be able to operate more efficiently at their jobs if they are properly trained. Minimal training will only result in a snowball effect of future staff hired within the hotel, therefore leading to inefficiency in the entire staff. Hotels need to see their employees as assets in order to build a successful business.
  • lin liu on 17 Feb 13
     
    This article is about a current study, in which about 150 mid-scale and up-scale hotels around the world answer the questionnaire. This study analyzes the relationship between PMS training and business performance, and the investment in training in PMS. Although every hotel manager knows the PMS is the key factor for hotels development, not only for getting customer data but also for decision making. The result shows that most of PMS system in hotel have not been made full used, there are many potential abilities can't be exploited. According to the study, most hotels don't have budget on PMS training. And also 32% of hotels don't provide training to all employees on the PMS. Plus, even they have training, it is very short and just in internal, no using the PMS providers. This study also shows us the hotels have a higher level of occupancy when they allocate more budgets on PMS training and have PMS suppliers training. There is also a relationship between PMS training budget and hotel revenues, the more budget on training bring a higher revenues. And the revenues are much higher than budgets. Hotels also need efficient management of PMS training, which means more revenues and full use of PMS.
  • lamia elachchabi on 24 Jun 13
     
    The property management system is a tool not only is customer data but it can also help strategic and operational decision making. The study undertaken investigates the investments in training in PMS and the relationship between training and business performance. A big majority has no training or offer a very little training. There is a support that underutilization of the PMS is due to the lack of training. There is a higher occupancy level when hotels allocate higher budgets to PMS trainings. There is a significant positive correlation that shows a relationship between PMS budget and the gross operating revenues of hotels.
ggara004

Why the GDS system is still as important as ever for hotels - HotelREZ Blog - 1 views

www.hotelrez.net/s-important-as-ever-for-hotels

technology hospitality business hotel Travel system

shared by ggara004 on 22 Jan 20 - No Cached
  • There are four distribution channels that make up the GDS, namely Amadeus, Galileo, Sabre and Worldspan. Despite generating billions of dollars in sales year on year, we’ve heard many hoteliers refer to the GDS booking engine as “dying”, “outdated” and “disappearing.
  • In fact, over 600,000 travel agents use the GDS to book flights, hotel rooms, car rentals and destination activities every single da
  • GDS production continues to grow year on year by as much as 5% to 10% worldwide
  • ...5 more annotations...
  • The GDS, as a viable revenue channel continues to experience strong annual growth and is not going away any time soon.
  • The GDS allows all expenses to be tracked, making it easy and user-friendly for companies to make hotel reservations for their employees
  • Corporate guests are ideal customers because they tend to use other hotel services, such as the restaurant or spa, increasing incremental spending per room.
  • he majority of business and leisure travel from the United States is booked via the GDS, and bookings from countries such as Russia, Japan, India and China is on the increase
  • This is particularly the case if you’re looking to increase corporate business, as the GDS is a huge corporate bookings sourc
  • ggara004 on 22 Jan 20
     
    This article explains the benefits of Global distributions channels in the hotel industry, The benefits listed are strong continuous annual growth, more corporate bookings, worldwide exposure. and significant revenue stream for any hotel. The most significant point was the topic of an increase in corporate bookings. Large companies use GDS to track their employees travel expenses. This is efficient because companies are able to use this system to manage costs and expenses of travel. Although some hoteliers may say this "dying", it appears GDS is still generating business and revenue for many companies.
julianaparada

Will Machines Replace Humans in the Hospitality Industry? | Technology 4 Hotels - 0 views

www.technology4hotels.com.au/...ns-in-the-hospitality-industry

shared by julianaparada on 03 Feb 20 - No Cached
  • The impact of artificially intelligent machines on the future job market has been gaining significant attention in recent years.
  • The impact of artificially intelligent machines on the future job market has been gaining significant attention in recent years.
    • julianaparada
      julianaparada on 03 Feb 20
       
      This has been seen throughout the years, with more technology advancements, the more jobs are being replaced.
  • cut costs
  • ...9 more annotations...
  • boosted productivity by using machines to carry out physically demanding and repetitive tasks.
  • efficiency, planning and attention to detail
  • Far from complete automation, room service robots may instead free up staff to focus on more complicated tasks and jobs.
  • having a member of staff personally deliver and serve an in-room dining order is all part of the experience.
  • the most important guest-facing role in a hotel is the front desk
  • Machines are highly adept at handling repetitive, process-driven tasks. A sufficiently advanced front desk team could offer a much more efficient service than a human when dealing with room details and booking information. But the job clearly requires other qualities beyond administrative efficiency.
  • The role of the concierge could also be one that is eventually automated
    • julianaparada
      julianaparada on 03 Feb 20
       
      This is a position that can be replaced by automation, but think about it.. If you have a question and want to ask more details about it and what experience they have felt if they have done that experience, the robot cannot answer that, meanwhile a human can.
  • In these areas, robots and AI could be used to help increase operational efficiency, decrease staff costs and improve the guest experience.
  • Ultimately, the human touch can never been replaced by a machine. For that reason, the hospitality sector will almost certainly be one of partial automation. Yet it’s clear that as the technology continues to advance, the hotel of the future is one where artificial intelligence and humanoid robots will almost certainly play an increasingly crucial role.
    • julianaparada
      julianaparada on 03 Feb 20
       
      I honestly feel like this is the best part of the article. Yes, I agree that automation has been taking over some roles/positions in our industry. But, the human touch can never be replaced.
  • julianaparada on 03 Feb 20
     
    This article talks about the impact of artificially intelligent machines in the future job market and how it has gained a significant role in the recent years. Within the article, it explains certain positions that can and have already been replaced with artificial intelligence. For example, in hotels, there are robots/cell phone apps that help you with checking in/out, with check-in process and services. In restaurants, like example, chillis, there is an "ipad" in which you can place your food & drink order, and even pay though thr app. In hotels, the concierge can soon become automated with big screens with answers to most questions. But, I personally still would like the human touch and to ask more questions than the ones the apps provide. In conclusion, many positions can be replaced with Automated machines, but human touch can NEVER be replaced.
anonymous

5 Reasons Why Event Management is Important in Tourism - 2 views

www.gevme.com/...gement-is-important-in-tourism

shared by anonymous on 25 Feb 18 - No Cached
  • Events act as important motivators for tourism.
  • If you look at the destinations that gained popularity in recent times, you’ll find out that the flow of tourists to this place began after the successful event management.
  • This is the major reason why the role of event management in tourism is so important. Tourists and travelers need to understand why they should visit a particular destination. Therefore, event tourism comes to the rescue.
  • ...16 more annotations...
  • These plans should focus on the planning of social events in order to achieve the full potential of tourism. Managing events is the activity that deals with developing and planning various kinds of events for that society. A fruitful integration of event management into touristic activities will win success and attract numerous customers to the target destination.
  • The development of tourism and the introduction of new destinations reveals the huge perspectives for the growth of event management. The majority of most social activities, such as festivals, recreational events, etc., have become possible due to the tourists, which travel around the world in search for new impressions and emotions.
  • Tourism event management promotes the loyalty of regular customers.
  • The term “event management” can puzzle some people who have never thought about its meaning and role in modern society. I
  • The key tourism goal for events is to attract more tourists (especially in off-peak seasons) to serve as a catalyst for urban renewal and to increase the infrastructure and tourism capacity of the destination to foster a positive destination image, which contributes to general place marketing to animate specific attractions or areas.
  • Nowadays, events can mitigate or aggravate political situations, which is another lure for tourists.
  • When certain parts of society reached a certain economic peak, they shifted to a more thoughtful way of life that included alternative energies, wise ecology, and environmental protection. This also made way for the birth of completely new consumer needs, which increased the demand for a specific range of events and tourism.
  • he best example for this is the impact of major sporting events, such as the Olympic Games or Worl
  • Management of events provides various opportunities for the travelers to spend their time without being bored. If you plan your visit to some exotic country, it doesn’t mean that your vacation will be limited with rambling across the sights and historical monuments of the destination. You can diversify your trip with extreme events or any social activities.Thanks in part to event management, you will surely experience a wide array of emotions and experience many new things.
    • ngerv001
      ngerv001 on 29 Aug 19
       
      Wherever and whenever one is planning a trip to a location they want to have fun and live in the moment. From cruises that have excursions and on boat activities, to hotels that offer cocktail hours for incoming groups to live performances, having a way to keep guests entertained are crucial and vital to keeping a guests happy. It is important for the hospitality industry have different outlets to provide a memorable experience for their guests that will lead to positive reviews, word of mouth recommendations to repeat business, event managements are important. As event managers it is key to always be looking for ways to keep guests entertained, relaxed and overall having a great time.
  • You cannot possibly underestimate the importance of events for tourism. The most popular types of tourism events, regardless of the tourism type, come in a wide range of exciting options. Various types of festivals and events have always existed as significant parts of human society.
  • Although event management and tourism are different notions, it should be mentioned that they are closely aligned with each other. Actually, regardless of the type of tourism you choose, event management will accompany it within the entire period of activity.
  • The key tourism goal for events is to attract more tourists (especially in off-peak seasons) to serve as a catalyst for urban renewal and to increase the infrastructure and tourism capacity of the destination to foster a positive destination image, which contributes to general place marketing to animate specific attractions or areas.
  • Events in tourism development produce an incredible impact on the industry as a whole and influence a broad range of human activities: politics, environment, socio-cultural, and other aspects.
  • Tourism and event management are said to have evolved from primitive gatherings of people for agricultural or religious reasons into the more modern type of events—large-scale, corporate and governmental—as well as their long history of attracting tourists and establishing host communities as tourist destinations.
  • The emergence of new political powers, capitalism, new products, and new social relations, as well as a new way of modern life, paved the way for more versatile event tourism development and a growing number of cutting-edge events.
  • Today, it is not surprising that apart from the above-mentioned impacts, events also have the power to affect the formation of a destination’s image and can help with promoting, positioning, and branding it across the globe.
  • amberarias on 25 Feb 18
     
    This article greatly described the importance and significance event management has for the tourism industry. Special events definitely draws individuals in to multiple destinations, which delivers a huge boost for the tourism industry.
  • ...2 more comments...
  • berkley7 on 19 Jul 18
     
    The following article, 5 Reasons Why Event Management is Important in Tourism, focuses on event management within the hospitality industry. The role of an event manager within the hospitality industry is a very complex job and it takes someone with a vision and skills in order for a successful outcome. Event management is important within the hospitality industry because tourism is truly dependent on the effective management of events. The article provies the following example, Niagara Falls is now a known destination and is a prominent place to visit, however, the main "flow" of tourist started as soon as the event managers had begun to arrange tours, cruises, etc. Event management is vital within the industry and this article highlights some of the important impacts it has on the industry as a whole. "Naturally, tourism and event management can exist separately, but their consolidation can bring many benefits not only for the development of tourism but also for the development of the economy of countries or cities in total."
  • anonymous on 23 Jun 19
     
    The article highlights why event planning is an important element of tourism. It discusses key social, political, and cultural events that span both tourism and event planning. It strives to establish a clear connection between the benefits of tourism and social events implemented from a streamlined perspective.
  • alexaperez14 on 08 Oct 19
     
    This article talks about how different types of events are important for tourism. Events such as mega, hallmark, major and local events attract more tourists such as the olympic games or the Superbowl. Some destinations are visited only for special events, driving more tourism to that destination. As tourism has become very dependent on effective event management, small events such as arranging tours in a destination have led to an increase in tourism. The development of tourism and the introduction of new destinations reveals the huge perspectives for the growth of event management. The majority of most social activities, such as festivals, and other recreational events have become possible due to the successful event management and the travelers that they attract.
  • anonymous on 14 Oct 19
     
    Event Management can be both local and global, it is the management of various activities including conventions, meeting and other major activities. Tourism is not considered a part of event management; it is classified as a set of tourism related activities. Tourism is thus divided into various niche activities. No matter what tourism type you choose, event management will always be a part of the activity. There are various types of classifications. Events may be condsidered Mega, Hallmark, Major or local. It is necessary to recognize the importance of events to the tourism product, and as such, you should never take for granted the need for proper and effective coordination. It is also important to note that events such as cultural activities also aid in destination development. A key factor in having these events is to promote the destination and attract more visitors, particularly at times in the season when things are slow. The introduction of events can serve to stimulate local economies and draw attention to unseen parts of the destination, as well as aid in the building of infrastructure in those communities. It is also important to note any event requires significant planning, the who, what, where and how allows a better understanding of how a proposed event may impact a destination's image and can help with building a stronger global brand. The significance of tourism in event management is centered around possible offshoot activities such as tours and entertainment or any other economic benefits that maybe be derived beyond the event itself. By creating such signature activities, it is likely that you broker relationships with visitors, which could likely create loyalty to your brand.
Cecilia Lucas

New Hotel Technology Likely to Bring Sticker Shock - 3 views

nreionline.com/...hotel_technology_shock_0516

hotel technology sticker shock

shared by Cecilia Lucas on 20 Jan 12 - No Cached
  • The need for a new generation of computers, data centers and security equipment for the nation’s hotels is driving up the expense of technology in the hospitality industry,
  • The average [technology] cost for a 400-room hotel has been about $50,000 a year. That   cost is going to go up as the brands start implementing new technology to take the place of systems that have been in place for quite some time,” says Shah.   “That cost could be significant. It could be several hundred thousand dollars in additional costs over the next three, four or five years.“
  • “The average [technology] cost for a 400-room hotel has been about $50,000 a year. That   cost is going to go up as the brands start implementing new technology to take the place of systems that have been in place for quite some time,” says Shah.   “That cost could be significant. It could be several hundred thousand dollars in additional costs over the next three, four or five years.“
  • ...15 more annotations...
  • The hotel industry hasn’t kept up with the state of the art to the degree other industries have, says Shah, particularly with regard to pricing and customer convenience.
  • significant. It could be several hundred thousand dollars in additional costs over the next three, four or five years.“
  • The need for a new generation of computers, data centers and security equipment for the nation’s hotels is driving up the expense of technology in the hospitality industry, says Mitesh Shah, chief executive officer at
  •  The average [technology] cost for a 400-room hotel has been about $50,000 a year. That  cost is going to go up as the brands start implementing new technology to take the place of systems that have been in place for quite some time,” says Shah.   “That cost could be  significant. It could be several hundred thousand dollars in additional costs over the next three, four or five years.“
  • The upgrades involve both communications that make life more convenient for travelers, and the unseen hardware that makes hotels function more smoothly.
  • Hackers are more aggressive than ever, and the cost of protecting hotel systems has risen accordingly
  • cost is going to go up as the brands start implementing new technology to take the place of systems that have been in place for quite some time,” says Shah. 
  • Traditionally, too many hotel managers focus on the condition of the carpets and walls  — whether they need painting or new pictures, or fresh plants in the lobby, rather than scrutinizing their technological infrastructure.
  • Examining how people buy and use media shows that bandwidths are growing more sophisticated, and the trend in a hotel experience is to become more connected,
  • And too many hotels are unable to provide that level of technical response.
  • Costly upgrades don’t always translate into higher rates, however. “The question really is, can you charge more for it? Or is it part of the experience?”
  • high-speed Internet, for instance, it’s an amenity that customers demand, but they’re not necessarily willing to pay extra for it.
  • Another expense involves business intelligence technology — the detailed analysis and tracking of a hotel’s daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly performance.
  • Operating teams then analyze the results and plan their financial strategy on a day-to-day basis, says Shah.
  • When it comes to creature comforts, travelers don’t want to compromise, says Shah. They want the same comforts on the road that are available at home
  • Cecilia Lucas on 20 Jan 12
     
    The Hotel Industry has not kept up with the state of the art technology to the degree other industries have. It's at a point where a great investment is needed to upgrade technology they use both in communications as well as the unseen hardware that make hotels function on a day to day basis. The cost of replacement and and expansion of business data centers and security is very large. But who bears the cost?, since guests have come to expect ammenities such as high speed internet, but aren't necessarily willing to pay for it. This is an inevitable cost hotel corporations are going to have work in to their budgets in order to stay relevant and competitive
damanigoode

Environmental Sustainability in the Hospitality Industry: Best Practices, Guest Partici... - 0 views

scholarship.sha.cornell.edu/...viewcontent.cgi

sustainability hospitality industry guest participation satisfaction customer best practices

shared by damanigoode on 25 May 20 - No Cached
  • To learn about guest participation and satisfaction in sustainability programs for over 89 hotel brands, we draw from a broad survey of 120,000 customers in the J.D.Power database over a period of five years, 2006 through 2010.
  • Hotel operators are well aware of the potential ben-efits of sustainability, and many of them publicly promote resource conservation.
  • Guest satisfaction with hotels’ sustainability programs is seen as essential for their success
  • ...7 more annotations...
  • Based on these surveys, the most effective and widely used environmentally sustainable best practice among resorts is towel and linen reuse programs.
  • Offering sustainable programs does increase guest satisfac-tion, but the effects are modest, as shown in Exhibit 7, which shows the statistical effects by segment and overall.
  • Although studies from the general sustainability and marketing literature suggest that consumers do value envi-ronmentally sustainable products (although with limits), we believe that the relationship between hotel’s environmental sustainability-related initiatives and customer satisfac-tion measures reported by hotel guests remains uncertain.
  • Although hotels’ sustainability efforts are essential for saving energy and resources, a key element of any green program is guests’ reaction and participation.
  • The traditional drivers of satisfaction (room, facilities, and food and beverage quality) still overwhelm the effects of green operations. That said, green programs do not diminish guest satisfaction, so hotels may consider their cost-benefit analysis, potential for improved employee relations, and reduced risk in addition to “green” satisfaction to determine whether these investments are beneficial.
  • The LEED certification system’s new v4 scorecard is specifically designed for the hospitality industry and is intended to create incentives for new lodging construc-tion that meets sustainability criteria.
  • It has also been found that water-saving notices in bathrooms that encourage custom-ers to regulate their water use are effective.
  • damanigoode on 25 May 20
     
    This article shares results from an environmental sustainability study of 100 US resorts and a separate survey of 120,000 hotel guests. It discusses a variety of sustainability initiatives such as water and energy conservation, recycling and waste reduction, LEED construction, and guest engagement. While guest engagement was significant, indicating 75% of guests surveyed actually participated in sustainability initiatives during their stay, the effect on guest satisfaction is modest at best. At best, only 0.6% of guests selected specific properties based on environmental sustainability. Guest participation in sustainability efforts were highest at extended stay locations, followed by luxury and upscale properties, with economy properties placing last. The most effective and commonly used aspect of sustainability efforts was towel and linen reuse, showing up in 91% of the survey responses. Overall, while the traditional drivers of guest satisfaction remain consistent across brands and property types (room, facilities, food and beverage quality), sustainability programs do not lower guest satisfaction, but are increasingly becoming a standard expectation of both guests and employees, and have significant cost-savings potential when implemented and managed effectively.
marble_bird

Roche2016_Article_RecreationalDivingImpactsOnCor.pdf - 0 views

shared by marble_bird on 07 Jul 20 - No Cached
  • Recreational diving on coral reefs is an activity that has experienced rapidly growing levels of popularity and participation.
  • the potential role of dive impacts in contributing to coral reef damage is a concern at heavily dived locations. Management measures to address this issue increasingly include the introduction of programmes designed to encourage environmentally responsible practices within the dive industry.
  • Coral reefs are a threatened, but globally important ecosystem, providing key services to local communities such as coastal defence, sediment production, and fisheries benefits
  • ...45 more annotations...
  • The role of dive supervision was assessed by recording dive guide interventions underwater, and how this was affected by dive group size.
  • Over recent decades, tourism activities benefiting from the pleasing aesthetics and biodiversity of coral reefs, primarily SCUBA diving and snorkelling, have experienced rapidly increasing numbers of participants globally
  • We found evidence that the ability of dive guides to intervene and correct diver behaviour in the event of a reef contact decreases with larger diver group sizes. Divers from operators with high levels of compliance with the Green Fins programme exhibited significantly lower reef contact rates than those from dive operators with low levels of compliance.
  • Damage to corals on dived reefs often occurs as a result of skeletal breakage, particularly in branching species (Guzner et al. 2010;H a s l e ra n dO t t 2008). Tissue abrasion can also result from diver contact (Hawkins et al. 1999), and a recent study reported a higher incidence of coral disease in areas heavily used for recreational diving
  • It is possible that other diver characteristics such as qualification level or dive experience may affect the ability to respond to dive briefings, although several studies have failed to find a correlation between divers’ reef contact rates and experience
  • Due to the difficulties of effectively addressing global stressors, an emerging recommendation is the focus of coral reef management on local scales (e.g. Anthony et al. 2014). A frequent challenge facing managers and policy makers at local levels relates to the maximisation of tourism benefits whilst simultaneously reducing its environmental impacts
  • Alternatively, previous experience and possible affinity and attachment to a specific dive site may influence how closely divers follow pre-dive briefings and affect their behaviour underwater, as suggested by place attachment theory
  • The methodologies which have been developed to minimise the environmental impact of SCUBA diving on coral reefs can be summarised as follows: (1) managing or restricting diver numbers, (2) regulating the locations in which SCUBA diving activities occur, (3) regulating the types of equipment used, and 4) implementing programmes which seek to manage the methods used by the dive industry in providing their services. Restricting diver numbers is based on the concept of a reef dive site’s ‘carrying capacity’; a level beyond which diving impacts become readily apparent.
  • Restriction of SCUBA diving equipment has focused on banning the use of accessories believed to increase reef contacts within marine protected areas such as gloves, muck sticks, or underwater cameras; however, such regulations are often unpopular within the SCUBA diving community
  • Governments and reef managers seek evidence that the effort expended in implementing programmes translates into measurable benefits; however, research into the effectiveness of such programmes at influencing diver behaviour and reducing diving impacts is limited.
  • In this study, we focused on dive operators participating in the Green Fins diving programme at three major dive locations within the Philippines.
  • Nonetheless, levels of dive supervision underwater would intuitively appear to be linked to rates of reef contact, and when examined, the willingness of dive guides to intervene in correcting diver behaviour underwater has been found to significantly reduce diver contact rates
  • Malapascua Island, Moalboal, and Puerto Galera.
  • divers may have been aware that a Green Fins compliance assessment was taking place, but they were unaware that diver contacts with the reef were being specifically recorded. Green Fins environmental assessments and diver observations were conducted simultaneously.
  • Dive guides and guest divers from 44 dive operators participating in the Green Fins programme were followed
  • Diver characteristics with potential to influence underwater behaviour were categorised as the following factors: diver qualification level (three levels), dive experience (five levels), and previous number of dives at site (three levels).
  • Divers were assigned a unique diver number, and then followed and observed underwater for the entire duration of their dive.
  • If the overall group was very large such that the dive guide could not be seen from the rear of the group, the pair immediately behind the dive guide was selected.
  • Compliance with the Green Fins approach was determined by utilising diver contact rates and dive guide intervention rates as at the dependent variables of interest, and by defining dive operators according to those who had received a high score (above the median score) versus those with a low score (below the median score) on the most recent conducted Green Fins assessment
  • The part of the body or item of equipment making contact with the reef was recorded as follows: hand, fin, knee, camera, muck stick (a handheld stainless steel or aluminium rod approximately 30 cm in length) and equipment (e.g. tank, submersible pressure gauges, octopus regulator), and multiple (parts of the body and equipment simultaneously). The time during the dive at which the contact occurred was also recorded.
  • If observable damage (i.e. breakage, obvious physical damage, or injury) occurred as a result of the contact this was recorded, together with the apparent awareness of the diver to the contact, regardless of damage caused.
  • Contacts made with a camera (77.7 %) accounted for the highest proportion of contacts which resulted in damage, followed by contacts made with the knee (43.3 %), multiple body and equipment parts (38.2 %), equipment (30.7 %), fins (29.8 %), hands (24.7 %), and muck sticks (23.5 %).
  • A total of 100 SCUBA divers were observed at three diving locations within the Philippines (Table 1). The majority (72 %) of these divers were male, and diving experience ranged from those completing diving training to those who were instructors elsewhere with experience of hundreds of dives.
  • Following dive completion, divers that had been observed underwater were asked to complete a survey to determine diver characteristics.
  • Most contacts were made with fins (45.5 %, n = 261); however, hands (19.5 %, n = 112) and dive equipment (15.9 %, n = 91) were also major contributors to the total number of contacts
  • Interventions were defined as an event in which the dive guide intervened in diver behaviour through signalling or demonstrating correct behaviour in order to minimise or prevent contact with the reef.
  • A total of 81 interventions were observed (in comparison to 573 reef contacts—see Fig. 4 for the distribution of contacts and interventions);
  • Camera systems were carried by 55 % of divers; camera-wielding divers accounted for 52.7 % of the total contacts made with the reef. Of divers who utilised a camera, 35 % carried a non-specialist compact type and 20 % carried an SLR type within a specialist underwater housing.
  • Mean (±SE) dive time was 49.3 ± 0.42 min. A total of 573 diver contacts with the reef were recorded during all assessed dives.
  • The difference in the frequency of interventions was statistically significant (ANOVA, f = 4.81, P = 0.03)
  • although a significant portion (36 %) appeared unaware of the contact they made with the reef.
  • In addition to overall contact levels, some studies have also quantified reef contacts either as the mean number of contacts per diver over the duration of a dive or the diver contact rate per minute of dive time. The mean contact rates of 5.7 contacts per dive, or 0.12 contacts per min, which we observed at dive sites in the Philippines are lower than those previously reported
  • All divers observed within the present study were diving with operators participating to various degrees in the Green Fins environmentally responsible diving programme.
  • Identifying factors and policy measures which influence SCUBA diver behaviour underwater can help coral reef managers determine where to most effectively focus effort and funding with respect to dive management. In this study, we found that 88 % of the divers observed made at least one contact with the reef at some point
  • Divers who are more conservation aware and who contact the reef less may preferentially choose to dive with environmentally ‘accredited’ dive operators; indeed, this assumption partially drives dive operator participation in such programmes.
  • Underwater interventions by dive guides have been suggested to be the most successful deterrent to diver contact with reefs (Barker and Roberts 2004). In this study, there was no significant difference in the intervention rates between dive centres of high and low Green Fins compliance. Therefore, we cannot attribute the observed difference in diver reef contact rates to differences in intervention rates between these two groups.
  • Studies examining the effect of carrying camera equipment on the frequency of diver contacts with the reef have produced conflicting results.
  • Additionally, the administration of a pre-dive briefing can influence diver contact rates underwater (Medio et al. 1997). The Green Fins programme incorporates the use of a pre-dive briefing that emphasises the importance of refraining from contacting the reef, which would be expected to result in lower diver contact rates.
  • A concern amongst representatives of the diving industry is the use of muck sticks to manipulate animals unnecessarily—pushing animals out of holes for better viewing, stressing animals to show customers their stress behaviour (e.g. an octopus changing colour), and physically breaking hard coral to be used in photographs.
  • When examining the part of the body or dive equipment which made contact with the reef, we found that the majority of contacts were made with fins, in agreement with Krieger and Chadwick (2013) and Rouphael and Inglis (1998).
  • It has previously been noted that dive guides customarily perform different roles at dive locations globally; at some locations, they act primarily to lead the dive group around the reef, whilst at others, pairing with and closely supervising individual divers throughout the course of a dive
  • this suggests that dive guides carry out the closest supervision during the initial phase of the dive and then switch to a ‘dive leader’ role at the front of a dive group.
  • This study provides evidence that the effective implementation of environmentally responsible practices, via programmes designed to reduce diving impacts, may translate to reduced diver reef contacts.
  • Many diver characteristics which might intuitively be expected to impact reef contact rates, such as level of qualification and overall experience, were not significant influencing factors in this study, and high versus low levels of Green Fins compliance did not influence the number of interventions made by dive guides underwater.
  • For continued economic benefit and conservation of Philippine reef dive locations, we recommend that management measures facilitate high levels of compliance with environmentally responsible diving programmes to reduce the impact of diving on coral reefs.
  • marble_bird on 07 Jul 20
     
    This article discusses a study performed at various diving locations in the Philippines to determine whether or not measures taken by Green Fin diving guides were effective in reducing contact with coral reef systems. The study also recorded the average number of contacts with the reef during a dive, as well as the equipment or body part which came into contact with the reef most often, and which actions resulted in the most damage. The study finds that adherence to Green Fin standards or other policies may significantly impact diver behaviors and reduce the level of contact with sensitive coral reefs during SCUBA dives.
sherylehlers

AI in Hospitality: The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on the Hotel Industry - 1 views

hoteltechreport.com/...ai-in-hospitality

intelligence hospitality technology

shared by sherylehlers on 01 Feb 23 - No Cached
  • AI in Hospitality: The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on the Hotel Industry By Hotel Tech Report Last updated January 25, 2023 9 min read Revenue Management Systems Livechat & Chatbots TABLE OF CONTENTS Hotel Operations Hotel Revenue Management Hotel Marketing Hotel Sales & MICE Guest Experience Human Resources and Labor Large Chains
  • estimated that 14% of jobs across 21 countries are at high risk of automation.
  • rtificial intelligence (AI) can greatly improve hotel operations by automating repetitive tasks such as booking and contactless check-in processes, freeing up staff to focus on providing personalized service to guests.
  • ...21 more annotations...
  • AI can also assist in setting dynamic pricing based on demand, occupancy and other factors, increasing revenue by charging more for rooms during peak periods and less during off-peak periods.
  • AI will play a role in identifying and targeting the most effective influencers for hotel campaigns, and assist hotels in monitoring social media platforms and identifying customer feedback, sentiment, and brand mentions to respond promptly and improve the guest experience
  • Hoteliers who do not educate themselves about artificial intelligence (AI) risk falling behind in the hospitality industry.
  • will also enhance safety and security by monitoring for potential threats and proactively providing guests with the services and amenities they desire. Additionally, AI will be integrated with virtual reality and augmented reality to provide guests with immersive experiences such as virtual tours, virtual room selection, and virtual events.
  • AI could potentially double annual economic growth rates by 2035
  • 800 million jobs could be displaced by automation by 2030,
  • AI can automate repetitive tasks, allowing hotel staff to focus on more strategic activities such as building relationships with key clients and providing personalized service to guests
  • Hoteliers who understand how to leverage AI tools to become more efficient and effective will become more valuable than ever
  • AI can identify opportunities for upselling and cross-selling to guests
  • AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants will allow hotel staff to interact with guests in real-time and provide personalized recommendations and assistance
  • bring in more business travelers by leveraging predictive analytics to forecast future demand for group sales
  • AI can assist in real-time analytics to track the performance of group sales and identify areas for improvement, and in optimization by making real-time decisions based on market conditions, guest behavior, and other factors, and identify new revenue opportunities
  • AI can be used to enhance the safety and security of employees, by monitoring for potential threats and alerting hotel management in case of emergency
  • develop more effective marketing strategies and make data-driven decisions
  • Personalization
  • Smart room technology will be integrated with AI
  • Predictive maintenance
  • Inventory management
  • Automation will be one of the key areas where AI will be implemented, as it can automate repetitive tasks such as data entry, inventory management, and customer service, freeing up hotel staff to focus on more strategic activities such as building relationships with key clients and providing personalized service to guests
  • optimize energy efficiency by managing lighting, heating, and cooling systems, resulting in reduced energy consumption and costs
  • increased profitability, improved guest experience, and a competitive advantage over other hotels
  • mabbate on 01 Feb 23
     
    AI will be a major focus in the hospitality industry within the coming years. This article describes the many benefits and few troubles with this technology. Keeping up with technology as a hotelier is a must in the coming years.
  • shineal on 05 Feb 23
     
    This is quite an insightful article, for example, Al could potentially double annual economic growth rates by 2035 thus adding $15.7 trillion to the global economy by 2030. The world is changing, technology is rapidly advancing; therefore, it is paramount that companies try to remain updated, otherwise customers would always choose the property which renders the most efficient and best experience. A very strong point was made concerning hoteliers; if they do not understand how to leverage AL tools to improve their business operations, they would find themselves in very challenging situations.
  • sherylehlers on 29 May 23
     
    The capabilities of AI in the hotel industry are significant in both large hotel chains and small independent ones. If your hotel is not thinking about how to use AI in the near future for revenue management, marketing, personalization, and automation of repetitive tasks then it's going to get left behind. The studies show that AI is going to play a significant role in the economic growth of the global economy with potentially adding $15.7 trillion by 2030.
Manali Rabari

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

hospitalitytechnology.edgl.com/...-or-Hindered-Hospitality-82488

shared by Manali Rabari on 20 Oct 12 - No Cached
  • 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.”
  • Manali Rabari on 20 Oct 12
     
    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?
Ruoxi Wang

[Update] Global Hospitality Accounting System Project - HFTP Connect - 0 views

blog.hftp.org/lity-accounting-system-project

accounting hospitality

shared by Ruoxi Wang on 20 Oct 12 - No Cached
  • ecognizing that operating hotels is a global industry, HFTP determined that there is not a globally accepted method that financial professionals, ownership structures, investors and benchmarking information services can use to support efficient operations. There is also not a globally accepted method to monitor investment performance from region to region without significant assumptions and data mining.
  • Currently, research is being conducted into current practices. This research will identify who is doing what in different parts of the world, with a view to establishing best practice and providing practical guidance for students, practitioners and professionals involved in the industry.
  • In order to create a global resource for the hospitality finance industry, Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP®) began development on a global hospitality accounting system users guide this past March. Recognizing that operating hotels is a global industry, HFTP determined that there is not a globally accepted method that financial professionals, ownership structures, investors and benchmarking information services can use to support efficient operations. There is also not a globally accepted method to monitor investment performance from region to region without significant assumptions and data mining. HFTP’s Global Hospitality Accounting System Users Guide (GHASUG) will address this need. Where does the project stand right now? Currently, research is being conducted into current practices. This research will identify who is doing what in different parts of the world, with a view to establishing best practice and providing practical guidance for students, practitioners and professionals involved in the industry. The guidance will be formulated by industry experts, based on the research findings. To date HFTP has commitments from major information benchmarking companies, hotel corporations, hospitality associations and globally recognized hospitality schools around the world. Once completed, HFTP will make the outcome accessible online, together with analytical tools. It will be available at a minimal cost and users will have the capability to print versions if they desire. The hotel sector currently enjoys the benefits of an accounting structure developed in the USA specifically for the industry.  The Uniform System of Accounts for the Lodging Industry has been widely adopted, principally by US based operating companies, and linked to management contract terms.  HFTP has been involved in this project for many years and will continue to sponsor the 11th edition in support and via a monetary contribution.
  • ...1 more annotation...
  • The Global Hospitality Accounting System Users Guide will provide for a wider community of information users, and demonstrate approaches to the production of alternative analysis of data for hotel performance measurement.
  • Jingjia Zhang on 20 Oct 12
     
    In 01 Mar 12 someone share a article about the global hospitality accounting system. That article talks about how the Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP) are in the process of making a user guide for the global hospitality accounting system. This article is an update that publish recently. It shows where does the project stand right now and what is next for the project. However, the first part of phase one- covering the UK and continental Europe- is now well in progress.
  • ...2 more comments...
  • Sherine Mattison on 20 Oct 12
     
    It has been found by the Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals that a global hospitality system needs to be developed. They recognized that there is no globally accepted method that can be used to support an efficient operation. "There is also not a globally accepted method to monitor investment performance from region to region without significant assumptions and data mining." The hotel sector in the USA currently has in place an accounting structure, but based on this research that is going on comparison will be made of what is happening globally and they will devise some best practices for persons involved in the industry.
  • Yuting Peng on 02 Mar 13
     
    Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals began to create a global hospitality accounting system for the hospitality finance industry. Currently, the research is being conducted into current practices. This will give a view to establishing best practice and providing practical guidance for students, practitioners and professionals involved in the industry. Once it is completed, it will provide for a wider community of information users, and demonstrate approaches to the production of alternative analysis of data for hotel performance measurement. Now, the first part is in well progress covering the UK and continental Europe. And the project will still take a further 12 months to complete.
  • Xueling Wang on 04 Mar 13
     
    HFTP's Global Hospitality Accounting System Users Guide will set a global method for hospitality industry.   Recently, research is being conducted into current practices. This research will identify who is doing what in different parts of the world, with a view to establishing best practice and providing practical guidance for students, practitioners and professionals involved in the industry.
  • Ruoxi Wang on 16 Oct 13
     
    Hospitality Financial and technology professionals was developing a global hospitality accounting system in the past year. Their fist step is to cover the UK and continental Europe. The second step is to do search about South and central America and cover them. The third step will begin for China and India, and the last two segments will be Russia and North America. This is quite a large program. If the program was completed, a globally accepted method that financial professional, ownership structure, investors and benchmarking information services can use to support  efficient operations will be formed, and a globally accepted method to monitor investment performance from region to region will also be formed.
Akshay Ramanathan

Cloud VoIP service could benefit the hospitality industry - 0 views

www.m5.net/...nefit-the-hospitality-industry

cloud voip benefit hospitality

shared by Akshay Ramanathan on 25 May 12 - No Cached
  • the cloud could be a way for hospitality businesses to improve the uses and reduce the cost of operating a premises-wide phone system.
  • cloud VoIP solutions, this would allow a hotel to improve its guest room phone services without buying expensive new technology.
  • could also open up new customized options for guests, such as easier access to valet and food services, or even sell ad space in its phone system
  • ...2 more annotations...
  • lowers overhead costs, allowing a hotel to implement services without spending the time, manpower and resources on setting up guest rooms with new phones.
  • can not only save a hotel significant resources on its phone system, but also potentially increase revenue
  • Akshay Ramanathan on 25 May 12
     
    This article mentions how Cloud VoIP services could help reduces the costs of utilizing older phone system technologies as well as offer new opportunities for guests to communicate with various departments of the hotel. As cell phones are now basically ubiquitous, the use of in-room telephones in hotels has decreased significantly, making them dead weight. VoIP systems would lower the overhead costs as well as offer guests customized options for contacting valet, food services, or concierge desk. Ultimately the adoption of VoIP phone services would save the hotel significant resources as well as possible increase revenue.
fr Gadi

Six Steps to Moving Enterprise Software to the Cloud | Cloudline | Wired.com - 0 views

www.wired.com/...cloud-enterprise-software

shared by fr Gadi on 06 Sep 12 - No Cached
  • Cloud-based software delivery has the potential to open new markets and new sources of significant revenue for ISVs. 
  • fr Gadi on 06 Sep 12
     
    Cloud-based software delivery has the potential to open new markets and new sources of significant revenue for ISVs.
Gyujin Chae

Port of Los Angeles plugs in cruise ships to help environment | Gadling.com - 0 views

www.gadling.com/...uise-ships-to-help-environment

Cruiseship shorepower plug-in environment

shared by Gyujin Chae on 11 Feb 12 - No Cached
  • Ports and cruise lines are making an ongoing effort to grow the industry in an environmentally responsible matter. The Port of Los Angeles today became the first with the ability to provide shoreside power to three different cruise lines. Using the Alternative Maritime Power system, ships from Princess Cruises, Disney Cruise Line and Norwegian Cruise Line can now turn off their polluting engines while in port.
  • The ability to adapt this technology to multiple cruise lines eliminates significant ship exhaust when cruise ships are at berth, and the AMP Mobile is another innovation that demonstrates our commitment to developing cutting-edge technology that can benefit port communities everywhere
  • In Los Angeles, the World Cruise Center is the only port where two cruise ships can be connected simultaneously. Cruise ships utilize either 6.6 kilovolts (kV) or 11 kV electrical power distribution systems to plug into shore side power
  • Gyujin Chae on 11 Feb 12
     
    Along with green initiatives in hotels and airlines, cruise lines and ports have been making efforts on "Going green" for years. This article, particularly introduces The Port of Los Angeles that can provide plug-in power system, a.k.a. Alternative Maritime Power system (AMP) to two cruise ships simultaneously. Basically, cruise ships consume the huge amount of fuel just like hundreds of cars do while they are in port. With the AMP that cruise ships gain electrical power from, cruise ships can turn off their engines while being at berth like an electric car. As a result, cruise ships can reduce their fuel cost and eliminate significant ship exhaust. More and more cruise ports have installed the AMP system and cruise ships have tried to be fitted to the power system. Obviously, the AMP is not the ultimate solution to pollution, however this can prevent the environment from being more polluted. The AMP system will advance, and we might see cruise ships sailing with only electrical power or other alternative power sources, such as solar power, power generated by cruise ships in the future.
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