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THE WOMEN IN Hospitality Leadership Alliance, a group of 32 organizations advancing women in hospitality, recently launched an interactive speaker directory with more than 700 senior-level women experts. The directory allows conference organizers to filter speakers by career background, title, company type, location, and other criteria, creating a shortlist for various topics and stages, WHLA said in a statement. "Representation matters, and visibility is a key component of career advancement," said Rachel Vandenberg, chair of the alliance podium committee and founder of Accelerate Women Leaders in Travel (an alliance member). "Despite many women having significant expertise in the hospitality industry, there are still fewer women on stage." Also, the Penn State School of Hospitality Management's 2023 Women in Hospitality research report, funded by the AHLA Foundation, found that women held only 24 percent of podium spots at hotel investment conferences and 37 percent of main stage speaking spots, despite comprising 58 percent of the hospitality workforce.

BLACK PEOPLE MADE little progress in the hospitality industry over the past year, according to a report from diversity advocacy group the Castell Project. The COVID-19 pandemic was particularly hard on Black hotel workers and executives. The Castell Project released the "Black Representation in Hospitality Leadership 2022" on Tuesday, which was International Women's Day. Much like last year's report, it showed little progress for racial diversity in the industry. For example, only 11 percent of the 671 hotel company websites reviewed for this study showed Black executives, director through CEO, prominently on their websites in 2021, down from 2019. Those Black executives represented just 2 percent of all hospitality industry executives on the websites reviewed.

IT'S BEEN A tough year for women in the hospitality industry, but progress has been made as more female executives took leadership roles, according to an annual report from the Castell Project, a nonprofit focused on promoting women in the industry. The next challenge, according to the project, is getting more women in hospitality education programs. Castell Project founder and chairwoman Peggy Berg released the 2022 Women in Hospitality Industry Leadership report during the Americas Lodging Investment Summit in Los Angeles earlier this week. During the conference, Berg received the ISHC Pioneer Award for her work in the industry, and she told a story during her acceptance speech that encapsulates where women are coming from in the industry. When she was in college, Berg said, the Equal Employment Opportunity Act lifted the restrictions on women working. So, she walked into a large firm looking for a job. "The partner in charge of the office, Jerry, he took one look at me and said 'Well, this will never work.' And then because of the EEOA, he said, 'I will give you a job if you promise not to get pregnant for two years,'" Berg said. "Jerry thought this was impossible. I thought Jerry didn't understand the law. Mostly I thought, if that's the barrier to success, the best vertical I have to cross, I can run this company. And a few years later, 140 men found themselves with a female partner."

THE LEISURE AND hospitality sector saw some job growth in December, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' December employment report. Not enough, however, according to the U.S. Travel Association, meaning more federal aid is needed. The sector added 53,000 jobs during the month, according to the BLS data. The overall economy added 199,000 jobs. "Leisure and hospitality has added 2.6 million jobs in 2021, but employment in the industry is down by 1.2 million, or 7.2 percent, since February 2020," the report said. "Employment in food services and drinking places rose by 43,000 in December but is down by 653,000 since February 2020." However, the report indicates that the recovery is uneven, said Tori Emerson Barnes, USTA's executive vice president of public affairs and policy, in a statement. December's performance was the second-worst since January 2021, she said. "The small gains made are not enough to propel the sector toward a larger recovery, as more than 7 percent of all L&H jobs remain lost compared to just 2 percent for the rest of the U.S. economy," Barnes said. "As the spread of the omicron variant continues to impact travel, there remains a pressing need for Congress to provide additional federal relief and stabilizing policies that will enable the return of business travel, professional meetings and events, and international inbound travel."

INDIA IS KNOWN for "Atithi Devo Bhava," meaning "The guest is God," but some foreigners disagree. A Canadian man, when asked to choose between India and Pakistan for better hospitality, picked Pakistan without hesitation. His brief interview with an Instagram user has since gone viral, Hindustan Times reported. Instagram user @officialnamour, known for vox pop videos, recently asked Canadian traveler Nolan Saumure about "desi" hospitality. Saumure, a Canadian travel vlogger, has visited dozens of countries, including India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Mexico, Indonesia, the U.S. and Vietnam. When asked, "India or Pakistan-which has better hospitality?" Saumure instantly replied, "Pakistan, obviously."

THE U.S. TRAVEL Association is urging Congress to implement short-term priorities to stimulate leisure and hospitality sector as 61 percent or nearly two-thirds, of all jobs still lost due to the pandemic are in this segment. The revised job data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics for the past several months confirmed that 10 percent of leisure and hospitality jobs now remain lost. "While the overall jobs report may be good news for some, the revised BLS data now confirms an even bigger revelation," said Tori Emerson Barnes, USTA executive vice president of public affairs and policy, in a statement. "The uneven recovery of the travel sector is due in large part to the lack of inbound international travelers, and the deep reduction in business travel and professional meetings and events. There could not be a more pressing time to support this vital contributor to the U.S. economy and rebuild American jobs."

A NEW ENVIRONMENTAL, social and governance report released by Choice Hotels International highlights steps that would allow the company to reduce utility costs, save time for franchisees, and increase Choice's ESG commitments. Those steps include new energy- and water-saving technology, diversity goals for hotel ownership and more. The report entitled "Building a Better Tomorrow, Today" lays out the company's plan to being a good corporate citizen, according to a release. "Choice Hotels shares a uniting belief that tomorrow will be even better than today, and we are committed to building that better tomorrow," said Patrick Pacious, Choice's CEO, in the report. "As one of the largest lodging franchisors in the world, we are building on more than 80 years of success in developing a portfolio of diversified brands and creating a lasting, sustainable legacy for the future - one hotel, one family, one community at a time." Key findings The report further details measures being undertaken by Choice to integrate ESG standards and principles into its long-term decision-making and operations, including: Reporting Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions for the first time and aligning ESG disclosures with the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board standards and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Appointing an executive with knowledge of the business as vice president, sustainability and creating two new ESG governance forums to strengthen Choice's ESG strategy and execution. Joining the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance, a global network that champions responsible hospitality, and becoming one of its largest members. Relaunching HERtels by Choice, driving a 53 percent year-over-year increase in the company's hotel franchise deals with woman owners. Committing $25 million in incentives for contracts with underrepresented minority and woman owners by 2025. Setting a goal to increase the representation of women in senior leadership roles to 50

ONE IN EIGHT new jobs created over the next nine years will be in the hospitality and leisure sector, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The U.S. hospitality industry is projected to add about 822,700 jobs between 2023 and 2033. This growth marks the third-largest increase among all major sectors, following business services and healthcare and social assistance. "As of 2023, leisure and hospitality recovered all jobs lost during the pandemic in 2020," BLS stated in a blog post. "Employment is projected to grow from 16.6 million today to 17.4 million by 2033. The sector comprises three main industries: accommodation; food service and drinking places; and arts, entertainment, and recreation."

U.S. HOSPITALITY SECTOR has consistently maintained the highest quit rates by workers among all industries, consistently exceeding 4.5 percent since July 2021, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. However, the leisure and hospitality sector maintained the highest hiring rate among all industries, fluctuating between 6 percent and nearly 19 percent. These industries saw a loss of 837 thousand workers in September, yet 1.1 million individuals were hired into the industry during the same month. This hiring rate exceeds the national average, which was 3.7 percent in September 2023, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce said in its latest report titled Understanding America's Labor Shortage: The Most Impacted Industries. The latest jobs report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics reveals a positive influx of individuals into the workforce.

UTTAR PRADESH RECEIVED hospitality investment proposals worth approximately $12.2 billion, or Rs 1 trillion, in the last two years after introducing its 2022 tourism policy. The Indian state, which hosted the Global Investors Summit in February 2023, sees tourism as key to reaching its $1 trillion economy goal by 2029. The state aims to expand tourism infrastructure and hospitality properties through private sector partnerships, Business Standard reported, citing government officials. "The proposed investments include hotels, resorts, guesthouses, wellness centers, and homestays across all 75 districts," said Mukesh Kumar Meshram, principal secretary of tourism and culture in UP, according to the report.

REVPAR FOR U.S extended-stay economy, mid-scale and upscale segments is recovering back to pre-pandemic levels, according to a report from consulting firm The Highland Group. Total extended-stay hotel occupancy is very close to the first quarter levels reported in 2016 and 2017 but below its peak years since 2015. "Overall, first quarter extended-stay hotel ADR was the highest ever reported in 2023 and all three segments have more than fully recovered their 2019 nominal ADR values," the report said. In its "2023 First Quarter U.S. Extended-Stay Hotels Report," Highland said the economy and mid-price extended-stay hotels made considerable gains in RevPAR relative to corresponding classes of all hotels between 2019 and 2023. Due to high concentration of rooms in urban markets, upscale extended-stay hotels have seen RevPAR decline slightly relative to all upscale class hotels. However, the gap is expected to narrow as urban markets make a full recovery, the report noted. "Rising interest rates and construction costs, as well as tightening loan underwriting, means extended-stay supply growth should be relatively low nationally for two to three years. Assuming the overall hotel industry does not endure a correction, extended-stay hotels should set more new performance records during the near term at least," says Mark Skinner, partner at The Highland Group.

The Indian state of Uttar Pradesh eyes investments of more than $3.9 billion (Rs 32,000 crore) in the hospitality and tourism sector, according to a report published in Business Standard. The investment could create an additional 80,000 accommodation units through hotels and resorts, addressing the room availability deficit. Religious tourism surged post the consecration of the Lord Ram temple in Ayodhya on Jan. 22. Uttar Pradesh anticipates an annual tourist footfall of 850 million by 2028, emphasizing the expansion of hospitality units in tourism hubs like Varanasi, Ayodhya, Prayagraj, and Agra, Business Standard daily reported. "To cater to this increasing demand, the state is looking to create a robust supply of accommodation units with the development of hotels, resorts, and homestays," a government official was quoted as saying in the report.

DIGITAL TIPPING CAN boost hotel associates' earnings by up to $375 per week, according to a recent study by Shiny, a digital tipping platform. Furthermore, guests are 15 percent more likely to tip compared to 2023, with half leaving tips of $10 or more. Shiny's second annual report, "Harnessing Tipping Data to Empower and Motivate Hospitality Workers," also includes a case study on Stonebridge Cos., a hospitality management firm that implemented Shiny's digital tipping platform across its hotels in 2022. The report analyzes tipping behaviors and patterns at hotels using its digital tipping software. "Not only is providing a tipping option for associates a phenomenal benefit to increase take-home pay, but it also is a fantastic way to keep employees engaged beyond daily standup," said Rebecca Robinson, Shiny's cofounder. "In this report, we continue to explore trends in digital tipping to further improve operations and ultimately increase retention."

FIRST HOSPITALITY, A Chicago hotel management and development company, recently launched First Analytics, a suite of analytics and reporting tools. The platform helps hospitality leaders make data-driven decisions that drive revenue growth, optimize financial performance, improve guest satisfaction and increase employee engagement, First Hospitality said in a statement. "First Analytics has been at the core of our company's foundation. In this next phase, we are providing owners with real-time analytics through a customized dashboard for on-demand access to achieve their objectives," said David Duncan, First Hospitality's president and CEO. "We have created a solution that strengthens alignment, enables data-driven decisions, and helps us outperform competitors."

TRAVELERS IN 2022 will prioritize reunion and reconnection as the pandemic separated families and friends, according to a report by Hilton. The pandemic has led to several other changes as well, the report found. This year, travelers are expected to care more about sustainability and community efforts, according to Hilton's "The 2022 Traveler: Emerging Trends and the Redefined Traveler" report. They also are looking to remain loyal to brands, companies and organizations that align with their values, according to the report. "People have embraced efficiencies in many aspects of life and will be looking for similar conveniences in their travels, like contactless check-in and check-out and digital keys. With a reimagined workplace and new routines and habits in place, travelers will be looking for more grounding and balance in their travel schedules," the report said. New and refreshed hobbies are leading to a more informed, sophisticated, and, in some cases, in-shape 2022 travelers, the report said. This trend is expected to drive demand for new fitness and culinary options, as well as unique travel experiences.

EXTENDED-STAY HOTEL room supply in the 100 largest metropolitan statistical areas in the U.S. grew 2.5 percent in 2022 compared to 2021, its smallest increase in several years, according to a new report from The Highland Group. The survey, which researched supply, demand, revenues and new construction of extended-stay hotels, said the outcome in 2022 was about half the net supply gain reported in 2021. According to the report, the lengthening hotel development timeline, fewer construction starts, disenfranchising hotels that no longer meet brand standards, conversions to apartments and some municipalities acquiring extended-stay hotels for housing have resulted in the muted growth. While there was a sharp decline in reported extended-stay rooms under construction last year compared to 2021, construction starts increased 6 percent over the last 12 months. "However, they remain low compared to the pre-pandemic period, the report noted. RevPAR growth in 2022 strongly favored ADR as opposed to occupancy gains in 2021. "Consequently, more than 40 MSAs reported lower average occupancy in 2022 than during the previous year. However, only a dozen MSAs have not yet recovered RevPAR back to its nominal 2019 value compared to about half the MSAs last year," it showed.

THE U.S. ADDED 428,000 jobs in April, keeping the unemployment rate at 3.6 percent, just above the level two years ago, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. However, the leisure and hospitality sector saw some of the slowest growth in job creation. After spiking to 14.7 percent in April 2020 following business closures across the country due to COVID-19, unemployment has declined steadily and is now just a hair above its 3.5 percent rate before the pandemic, the latest jobs report indicates. The number of unemployed people was at 5.9 million in April, not far from where it was in February 2020, new data showed.

U.S. EXTENDED-STAY HOTELS set new records for demand, ADR, RevPAR and room revenues in the fourth quarter of 2022, according to a report from hotel investment advisors The Highland Group. Also, the report showed rate resistance is apparent at lower price points due to recession and the economy extended-stay segment reported nine consecutive months of declining demand and three successive quarterly falls in occupancy. According to the Highland Group's "U.S. Extended-Stay Hotels: Fourth Quarter 2022" report, mid-price extended-stay hotels reported their second consecutive quarterly decline in occupancy in fourth quarter. Similar occupancy declines occurred for about two years starting in mid-2015 before ADR growth moderated and occupancy recovered. Extended-stay hotel supply growth was the lowest since 2013 during the quarter, below its long-term historical average for 20 consecutive quarters. The last time extended-stay supply growth was consistently near its current level was from 2010 fourth quarter through third quarter of 2014. "Extended-stay hotel RevPAR was more than 12 percent higher than in fourth quarter of 2019. There were 567,770 extended-stay hotel rooms open at the end of the quarter. Excluding 2020, the 6,481 net gain in rooms open over the last year was the lowest annual increase since 2012. Room nights available increased 1.2 percent over the last year which was the smallest annual gain in supply for nine years," the report said. "Fractional net economy and upscale segment supply gains compared to 2021 are largely due to re-branding moving rooms between segments in our database, de-flagging of hotels which no longer meet brand standards, as well as the sales of some hotels to multi-family apartment companies and municipalities."

INDEPENDENT HOTEL OPERATORS must refine their strategies to stay competitive in 2025 amid labor shortages, price-sensitive travelers and the growing dominance of branded hotels, which now account for 72 percent of U.S. properties, according to Cloudbeds. Furthermore, independent hoteliers are focusing on 2025 as the "year of optimizing performance." Cloudbeds' 2025 State of Independent Lodging Report provides a data-driven analysis of the global independent lodging segment, highlighting key trends across often-overlooked property types. "Hospitality is fundamentally human-and independent properties represent its heart and soul," said Adam Harris, Cloudbeds' cofounder and CEO. "Cloudbeds is helping these businesses transform challenges into opportunities, proving that being independent doesn't mean being alone. Together, we're building a future where independent hospitality businesses don't just survive-with access to technology like Cloudbeds Intelligence, they lead the way forward."

U.S. EXTENDED-STAY hotels continued to perform well in November with recovery indices up compared to October and 2019, according to a report from The Highland Group. However, the market is showing signs of slowing. All extended-stay segments posted RevPAR gains in November compared to last year, the US Extended-Stay Hotels Bulletin: November 2022 report said. "Monthly gains in ADR and RevPAR have decelerated for most of the year and November increases were the lowest in 2022. Both economy and mid-price segments reported RevPAR increases well below the rate of inflation for the first time in November," the report said. "ADR growth is still high compared to long-term averages but with the economy segment reporting its eighth consecutive monthly decline in demand and mid-price extended-stay hotel demand also declining in November, rate resistance is building especially at lower price points."