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On January 2012, President Obama announced an executive order that would allow travelers from Brazil and China to receive travel VISA faster than before. A study from Huffington Post.com showed that on 2010 Brazilians spent $5,400 per visit, more than any other tourist. This executive order will help increase tourism travel across the nation that will help the economy. The order will help the travel industry, retail and housing. The property that I work at Walt Disney World hosts the majority of Brazilians that visit Walt Disney World. You can spend eight hours in our lobby in the afternoon, and you can experience the amount of money Brazilian guests spend on shopping inside and outside Walt Disney World. Stores like Best Buy and Wal-Mart are the most popular; online shopping has also become very favorable for guests. During the summer season, the hotel processed over 6,000 packages received from Amazon.com and other online stores that were purchased prior to arrival. It is amazing to see the items received and how much luggage guests take with them. With this economic boost, more job creations will occur. The most popular US cities visited by Brazilians are New York City, Las Vegas and Orlando (http://www.traveltobrazil.org/post/20-most-visited-places-by-brazilians-in-brazil-and-abroad.html).

This article is about how network works for the hotel. TravelClick is a leading provider that designs and produces websites for hotels. Each hotel can have its own unique hyper-local online storefront with information. The Red Lion Hotel is one of the cooperators with the TravelClick. TravelClick designed a special web and mobile platform for the hotel. The guests of the hotel can find the information such as where to have the best breakfast and where is the good place to go. The hotel will excite them to go out and enjoy and encounter. This can give the guests special experience and let them have much fun. The hotel aims to use this way to make a differentiation from other hotels. In my opinion, the competition of the hotels likes the battle, the hotel must differentiates itself from others and let the customers to remember it. The network can help the hotel a lot. It not only has the traditional function of making introduction and reservation, it also can be used for marketing. For instance, TravelClick will serve as Red Lion's agency of record in all matters impacting search engine optimization (SEO), pay-per-click (PPC) and display marketing. The resulting online experience will fuse mobile, social media and interactive map technologies. Make a good use of network can help the hotel manage itself well and attract more guests.

This article is about how network works for the hotel. TravelClick is a leading provider that designs and produces websites for hotels. Each hotel can have its own unique hyper-local online storefront with information. The Red Lion Hotel is one of the cooperators with the TravelClick. TravelClick designed a special web and mobile platform for the hotel. The guests of the hotel can find the information such as where to have the best breakfast and where is the good place to go. The hotel will excite them to go out and enjoy and encounter. This can give the guests special experience and let them have much fun. The hotel aims to use this way to make a differentiation from other hotels. In my opinion, the competition of the hotels likes the battle, the hotel must differentiates itself from others and let the customers to remember it. The network can help the hotel a lot. It not only has the traditional function of making introduction and reservation, it also can be used for marketing. For instance, TravelClick will serve as Red Lion's agency of record in all matters impacting search engine optimization (SEO), pay-per-click (PPC) and display marketing. The resulting online experience will fuse mobile, social media and interactive map technologies. Make a good use of network can help the hotel manage itself well and attract more guests.

I agree with you. Hotels need to differentiate themselves among competitiors in order to attract more business. This online experience made by TravelClick could work as a competitive advantage for some hotels that need to make their name known in new markets.

The article discusses five issues that hotel operations are facing, and how to decrease these issues in regards to data thieves. The first security issue discussed is "Remote Access", the article states "Many hotel operators and franchisors use remote management applications (RMAs)". This enable easy access to manage multiple locations downloads; conduct sales polls, and other systems within multiple companies. A advices to remote control issues are to change vendor default settings, in which you can create unique user IDs and complex passwords. Another advice is to "Configure the RMA", in which users are only allowed to connect to known MAC/IP. I personally don't think that creating a unique ID or account password may solve this issue, but allowing connection capability to a set IP/MAC is a wise intake. Although being able to just connect to a set MAC, will cause a limit on where and when you connect. The second security issue is "Network Security", many transaction volumes are being exposed, brand recognition as well; and that attract hackers. In order to reduce this problem, it is suggested that companies need to install and maintain a fire wall at all time. I agree with this other suggestion which is to Use outside resources to help identify new security vulnerabilities. This is great, because a company will be able to receive an outside outlook in regards to security. The last three issues that are on this list are: Password Management, Wireless Security, and Incident Response Plan. Overall it's evident that any system that has a password requirement is causing a major attraction towards security thieves. The suggestions within this article are great, but from my observation; many companies will have to put in time to track and monitor their systems. Systems can't allow to be left open without monitoring, and the internet is a lead way to all this, so any system that requires the internet must be monitored, and protected.

Technology enables service. That's the idea, anyway. In the hotel industry, thousands of companies worldwide provide hundreds of software applications to help hotels and hotel companies manage operations to provide better guest service. However, the hospitality industry continues to find itself targeted for damaging data compromise events by hackers. There are some good ways to decrease the attack of hackers. For example, Remote Access, many hotel operators and franchisors use remote management applications (RMAs).  Their ease of use in managing multiple locations makes them ideally suited to disseminate business downloads, conduct sales polls or survey inventory. RMAs are often packaged from vendors with default or blank passwords. Creating unique user IDs and complex passwords can reduce the risk of data compromise and help facilitate compliance with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS). Another example is about Network Security, transaction volume, brand recognition and the potential for sensitive data retention are all factors that make hotels (particularly franchise networks) juicy targets for hackers seeking to exploit insecure networks via the Internet. The hotel can install and maintain a firewall at all times.  Disabling a firewall can put a business at heightened risk of Internet attacks and potential system compromise.

Whether you are looking for a web-based or software-based POS system, you will want it to be a complete package. It should not only improve customer satisfaction, but also meet your needs as a retail business. The following criteria are what we looked for in these systems to meet both points. This article provides 10 Pos systems, and all of them are above good level in experts' and customers' eyes. It offers a detail analysis from hardware aspect which should include a PC or module, display, keyboard and mouse, high-quality cash drawer, barcode scanner, credit card reader, receipt printer and label printer, from the inventory & Other Features that will help track, organize and supply your inventory, from the customer tracking & labels that is quite beneficial to be able to retain customer information for future transactions, from employees & security that has multiple levels of security access and password protection, from help & support that provide training, technical help and warranty.

This article explains how POS have improved efficiency and reduced the cost of operations. It explains how some locations have seen improvements since the implementation of MICROS called Simphony. The Simphony system allows the central management of the menus, payroll, scheduling and many other things from anywhere on the web. It has many functions and help with many other areas such has staffing and creation of a loyalty and gift card program. It also allows web reporting on mobile devices. The system has even helped with the drive thru ordering at the locations.

I think that this software is definitely beneficial after reading this article. Simphony will help these locations out in many ways, especially as it relates to efficiency.

Google has now been involved in the green initiative by trying to conserve energy and helping other sectors of the society to stay green. "French authorities have used google's mapping services to determine agricultural regions that should face water restrictions." This could help the French to save some of its crops as some require more water than others. It could also help them to conserve on water during their drought season when water is most needed. The agricultural sector in the mid west US could consider utilizing this technology during their drought season. Also with the use of their satellite system Google is able to disseminate information to tribes to help them prevent deforestation. Another way in which Google is helping in the green initiative is in its agreement to purchase renewable energy to run one of its new data centers. Google also encourages its workers to bike or ride scooters to work. this would help the environment a great deal by reducing carbon emmissions in the air, it also reduces traffic congestion. If more companies would adopt some of these initiatives it would greatly impact our environment.

Ever wonder what happens to the little soaps you use at the hotel you recently stayed at? Hyatt Hotels Corp. has become one of the major hotels to start recycling toiletries through the organization called Clean the World. When guests are done using their shampoos or soaps at a hotel, the housekeeping staff collects all of the used and unused products and recycles them or donates them to other countries. The organization has only been around for a few years, however other hotel chains are joining the cause to helping the environment and also humanity. It is not just in the United States that hotels are getting involved but it is expanding globally. Hotels are sending used soaps that has been re-sanitized to battered women's center and also to countries like Africa to local clinics and orphanages.

It looks like the industry is taking notice of what they can do and stepping up to the plate. It all comes down to the front line workers though, in this case housekeeping staff. Turning a room correctly is labor intensive and time consuming. Adding the step of separating the used soap and shampoo does take time. 1 minute per room per day in a 200-room hotel at 90% capacity comes out to 21 man hours per week. At $10/hr that's nearly $11,000 per year. I'm not saying it shouldn't be done. I think it's a great idea. It does many people (including the hoteliers) a lot of good. If we consider this as "goodwill" in our operating costs, it probably works out for everyone.

I have never pay attention to where the leftover of the toiletries would go, and it's nice to know that they are going to the charity. This is a great way to recycle, help reduce waste, and help support the people in struggle. Knowing such information doesn't help making the booking decision, but it sure does increase the hotel's reputation.

The article is highlighting the digital marketing trends in the Hospitality Industry today. Since technology has such a strong presence, in the world we live in, e marketing such as social media, video and social marketing are becoming more important in building brand loyalty. The 6 trends mentioned in the article, are stating how these types of marketing skills have the ability to reach a broader audience and also helps to provide real-time data on how the company is performing. The use of this marketing strategy is creating higher profits and increasing the standards within the hospitality industry. Hoteliers have a bigger focus on legal issues, safety and security, diversity and demographics and the value that such technology brings or adds to the business. A great example used within the article is the use of social media, i think this is the most effective and cost effective tactic. It doesn't take much to have the marketing department create a social media platform(s) and try to advertise via e-flyer, e-menus and even videos that help to increase sales. The use of e-marketing allows a company to reach a bigger audience then just locally. There are plenty of shops that start off small but gain massive success with advertising online. Best example would be Salty Donuts, main source of advertising being social media.

The main focus of the article is the use of Aptech PVNG Enterprise Accounting within La Corsha Hospitality Group. La Corsha has been implemented the web-based system over 10 properties, providing a flexibility between hotel and restaurant operations. The multi-company system is meant to facilitate the way companies report and access data while also managing finances. The main feature is that it is very detailed in the way is analyzes the finances and allows for it to increase productivity within the workplace. Also giving a brief description about how Aptech computer systems is the "only provider to fully integrated enterprise accounting, business intelligence and planning ecosystem to the hospitality industry." Besides the ability to help productivity, what I consider important is that the software helps define who and who doesn't have access to certain functions. When it come to finances, security is important and having that function allows management to control and limit the staff that is allowed access. Not only does it prevent theft but in my opinion it helps to hold the staff accountable for the expenses that are being reported.

Shred-it, a global information security service provided by Stericycle Inc., is providing services such as document destruction, hard-drive destruction, media destruction, etc. Shred-it hotel clients are helped to stay compliant with the latest laws around protecting consumer data and confidential information. Shred-it also offers hotels with implementing new policies and procedures that will better help their physical security as well as policies limiting employee access to certain areas.

This particular article on hospitality and tourism accounting states that the global travel industry is expanding at an accelerated rate. Although there are high demands in corporate travel and high level of satisfaction in the economy, the ever growing industry is vulnerable to many risks given by its consumers. Just as much as the guests utilizing these hospitality services are becoming more pressing towards great prices and expressing concern in the quality of service they receive, hotel businesses are adamant about increasing awareness in cost and profit. To balance all these exclusive challenges, hotels are insisting on being educated and equipped with the most up-to-date technological advances to keep up with the ever demanding industry. With this in mind, the article states three methods to conquer the challenges faced today. The first method is to utilize a cloud based system to keep track of all the innumerous activities present to keep the business running. Due to the fact that a hotel is run by an overflowing amount of employees, all with different jobs and tasks, all using different systems respective to their departments, and require several types of pay (part-time, full-time, tipped employees) methods, it is a challenge to keep things efficient without a proper system. This is the reason why the article recommends using a cloud based system to keep track of the daily labor costs, overtime management, daily payroll transactions, and incorporate easy accessibility to reporting functions. The cloud based system will be beneficial in keeping everything in record beginning from the moment an employees clocks in to the end where they receive their paycheck, as well as, the ability to manage transactions. The second method is to centralize all the various sources of data. Hotels have a countless amount of data being stored. That can range from guest satisfaction satisfaction survey and comment reports, PMS data, to financial reports. With all these busy ac

The article discusses how hotels can overcome accounting obstacles. Firstly managing payroll is cumbersome, so a cloud-based reporting system can provide an easy way to monitor labour and manage overtime, and daily payroll transactions. Secondly, hotels have a difficult time to read data as data can come from a huge variety of sources: STR reports, PMS data, satisfaction surveys, comments. Hotels need a centralized dashboard which combines all critical accounting and performance data to assist hotels in making better decisions. Lastly, the article talks about hotels needing a back-up accounting team in case of disasters. In-house accounting teams may not be able to tackle on one-time event disasters and there must be a back-up team in place in times of urgency. The author, Scott Watson, executive vice president of sales and marketing at a cloud-based financial platform, sees that hotels are becoming more "cost and profit conscious" and I agree with him. Technology solutions are what hotels are craving right now to increase revenue, minimize costs, and maximize profits without sacrificing service quality.

This article helps guides hotels in how to overcome challenges when it comes to the accounting department in any situation that deals with staff tracking, how to decipher intricate data, and what to do in emergencies. The article details the usefulness of the Cloud and keeping track of staff members that are FOH and BOH that are both hourly and salary. That the accounting department could simply look them up in the cloud rather than searching through paperwork to understand exactly what their role is in the hotel and pay them accordingly. The article also goes over how having multiple centralized data sources can help accountants understand information from reports, guest satisfaction questionnaires, and other forms of reporting to pinpoint exactly what needs to be changed to become more efficient in the company. Lastly, the article covers how having back up accounting teams could be a definite positive just in case of emergencies (i.e. weather) so accounting can still be in progress no matter what situation occurs and the hotel can run smoothly.

This brief article is really good at helping a person understand the pros and cons of the PMS system within hotels, especially on smaller hotels. It is said that the PMS will help saves heaps of time by doing a lot of the work for the admins, freeing up time to do other back office tasks. On the other side of this however, one needs to be ensured that the PMS is a smoothly used system so it doesn't create more work for the employees. With the saving time goes hand-in-hand with saving money as well. Once you save time, obviously you can get more work done. It also helps integration onto other sites. On the other hand though, a PMS system will cost money, so that needs to be taken account for while making new budgets. Additionally, the PMS will put everything in one central location for both the employees and outsiders to view. All in all, the PMS will be beneficial if the hotel finds one that will specially benefit them, these things are not made for everybody.

The article goes over the different ways that an Indian company is creating an e commerce platform to transform the way business is done. It goes over the benefits, challenges and impacts that are faced when trying to launch the platform, which is becoming more widely used. With technology providing a bigger platform for the industry, the e marketplace aims to help improve the way suppliers do business, by making it easier to manage sales. The article pointed out that companies who have started to implement the e-commerce have seen 51% increase in revenue, which is remarkable. With all that being mentioned the article does briefly mention how the use of this business aims to provide ways to bring suppliers and buyers to improve the way business is conducted. How the supply chain is handled seems to be the biggest priority of the platform. With e ecommerce being such a major market, the ability to capture the online market is important. I think that the article does not touches upon several points that need be focused on, such as website design and security. Having an operational website that is easy to read and directs the consumer to what they are exactly looking for is one an aspects that affects the way a company does business. I these cases, the quality is as important as the quantity of information that is being given. I went ahead and took a tour of the site and seems easy to use, which is important. The site is generating revenue sales, but with more sales creating more information being stored. Having the ability to adapt to higher volumes of personal information creates a security issue, that would need to be addressed if not handled correctly.

This article is very interesting because it talks about how establishments like Sports Authority and Toys 'R' Us are out of business due to e-commerce sites like amazon, ebay, Jet.com and others. It explains how businesses can adapt to an era of e-commerce. The first thing a business can do is to consolidate inventory, in other words have all the inventory in one single pool instead of different channels like brands have done before. The second thing is to establish a two-day shipping network, here the article explains how consumers expect immediate gratification with online orders. We see grocery stores doing this but with faster shipping within hours. The third thing one can do is leverage from an existing e-commerce channels for visibility. A business can sell its products on networks that are already established such as amazon, Jet.com and ebay. The fourth thing a business can do is use brick-and-mortar channels to increase exposure, meaning using physical stores such as Sports Authority and Toys 'R' Us to help increase exposure. It explains that drop shipping to these companies will help sales, 0% of all retail purchases still happen in physical stores. The final thing a business can do is use its resources. It is important to have an e-commerce expert on your payroll to grow the business online which will help in sales and stay on top of the this era. The article finishes by explaining that adaptability is the future of retail, which I believe adaptability is the future for any business. It is important to adapt and keep making things easier and more convenient for consumers.

The article states that the partnership between Marriott International and TravelClick will truly allow the company to maximize revenues and win new business. TravelClick will provide Marriott International with Agency 360, which is a source of travel agent bookings from all four GDS systems. It also includes travel agent GDS advertising, which is a tool that helps hoteliers attract high-ADR bookings from travelers. Lastly, Rate 360 will be used as well, this helps ensure hoteliers that they have the most current room rate data to optimize their competitive position. This partnership will continue to allow Marriott International to prosper by using different outside companies to help them become better hoteliers.

This article explains the way the hospitality industry is responding to the Corona virus crisis using digital and online capabilities. One obvious support that the industry is giving to the response efforts is by providing beds to respond to the emergency cases in the crisis like in the examples of Cloudbeds working with Sabre, Marriott, and RateGain and Hotels for Helpers, in the Netherlands which is offering discounted hotel rooms for those in need. The hospitality industry are also adapting to the crisis by finding online solutions for their employees to work from home and also providing wide range of resources on the crisis for users.

Amid the outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19) software companies like Hubb and many more are coming up with solutions for bringing people together virtually. These softwares can help in reducing the impact on the event industry and help businesses conduct events when needed.

A PMS system's purpose is more than just doing the mundane tasks of booking and data mining. It's main purpose is to optimize customer experience with efficiency and accurate data. For employees this allows for quicker and more productive work. In this article, the author points out the major keys that have helped top-performing hotels and resorts, which includes PMS systems. According to the article, "GEM is a long-term, multi-pronged initiative that encompasses virtually all aspects of a property and having the right technology infrastructure is critical". PMS upgrades are one the the top largest investments that hotels and resorts are pouring into. PMSs are providing customers and employees with efficient ways to complete routine tasks such as check-in/out, managing reservations, guest information look up and etc. Hotels that upgrade their PMSs are taking advantage and using this to boost their customer experience. PMSs are capable of capturing guests' preference information and housekeeping assignments and much more. The article also talks about CRM (customer relationship management) and how it is an "essential component of a hotel's guest-centric technology infrastucture". With the PMS data, CRM can help marketing and sales in regards to their target market. In my opinion, this is a fantastic approach that the industry is investing in. PMSs have been helping the industry for a long time and constant upgrades can only boost business efficiency and increase customer satisfaction. Customers want an easier way to check in and out. They want to see their preference of room temperature or favorite snacks in the fridge. This can be done by using a great PMS. For managers and employees, the PMS systems makes it easy to capture these details and allows them to understand trends and take actions based on the information collected.

To summarize this article discusses a great management goals to help effective hotel maintenance plan. EAM CMMS is a system that will most likely help hotels maintain operational costs as well as manage the lifecycle of assets. Having this system doesn't automatically help accomplish these goals. It is important to know how to properly use the system in order for it to be efficient. Maintenance planning for a hotel is more than just creating a schedule and hoping the staff may get to it as quickly as possible. Costs for maintenance can increase if things are not properly handled and maintained. Thus, it is important to attain hotel maintenance management goals. Some of these goals are as follows: * Meeting capital budget expectations * Establish standard operating procedures. * Eliminate overtime * Reduce energy consumption by 15%. * Reduce customer complaints (maintenance related) by 30%

I found this to be a very interesting article. For those of you who don't know TravelBank, this is an app which launched 2016 targeting business travelers. The app helps the user keep track of their travel expenses and file an expense report. Further, it also helps the user predict travel expenses, which amongst other would include transportation, lodging, dinning, and airfare. The article quoted the Global Business Travel Association, stating that last year, companies spend $1.3 trillion globally for business travel. TravelBank announced that they will add a new feature to their app, the so called 'AutoRewards' feature. Here users are able to book flights through a unique interface which they call 'rewards points value'. With this new feature, one is able to collect reward points, but TravelBank has a different twist to it. In their case, the more financially responsible the user travels, the more reward points one will receive. With this approach, they want/hope to help employees make more (financially) responsible bookings.