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JOBS IN THE hotel industry are projected to exceed overall job market growth in the next five years, according to recent research commissioned by the AHLA Foundation. The foundation has also introduced an interactive dashboard enabling job seekers to explore and compare roles, requirements and compensation within various hospitality careers. The foundation tasked Lightcast, a labor market analytics firm, with providing data on demographic and growth trends crucial for identifying and mapping career pathways within the hotel and lodging industry, the AHLA Foundation said in a statement. With its real-time, proprietary databases and industry parsing capabilities, Lightcast created an interactive dashboard illustrating career pathways in the hotel and lodging industry from 2010 to 2023. "It's an attractive time to enter the hotel industry," said Anna Blue, AHLA Foundation's president. "A key part of our work at AHLA Foundation is supporting the recruitment, retention and advancement of people in our industry. Understanding the entry points where careers begin, where they lead and what paths they take is a critical step to helping find their home in hospitality."

THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY needs to re-focus its efforts to meet future staffing requirements if it is to increase interest by job seekers, according to consulting firm HVS. At the moment, the hospitality industry is a jobseeker's market and likely to stay that way for the next year or two. Hence, industry leaders should adapt to survive, said Court Williams, CEO of HVS Executive Search in New York in an article titled 'How to Resolve the Current State of Emergency in Hospitality Employment'. Williams stated that "successful recovery from the pandemic will depend on revising every aspect of sourcing, attracting, compensating, incentivizing, and retaining workers." "The hospitality industry has seen a decrease in staff as many people have found alternate career paths as a result of the impacts of COVID-19. Historical talent shortages are being exacerbated by staff quitting in droves as the world returns to work," Williams said in the article. "Now, the onus is on companies to show employees why they should apply for jobs or stay in their current positions."

THE HOTEL INDUSTRY is poised for a fairly strong year in 2023 despite remaining concerns about a downturn, according to a pair of reports. Continuing demand is expected to overcome extra labor costs and economic vagaries to propel performance above pre-pandemic levels, according to the reports from the American Hotel & Lodging Association and STR. The state of the industry AHLA's 2023 State of the Hotel Industry Report projects that demand, nominal room revenue and state and local tax revenue all are well on the way to recovery. Operational challenges, such as staffing shortages and economic factors will replace COVID as hoteliers' top concerns, the report predicts. "Three years after the unprecedented hardships our industry faced due to the pandemic, hotels continue to make significant strides toward recovery," said Chip Rogers, AHLA president and CEO. "2022 saw one of the strongest summer travel seasons ever, and this year we expect hotels to reach new heights in terms of room revenue, room-night demand and state and local tax revenue. But when inflation is taken into account, our industry likely won't see full recovery for several more years. Nevertheless, hotel performance is trending in the right direction - great news for our industry and our employees, who are enjoying better pay, more career opportunities, upward mobility and flexibility than ever before."

IN MARCH, THE U.S. celebrated the achievements and history of women as part of Women's History Month. In recognition of the month, some hotel companies introduced or continued programs aimed at increasing women's role in the industry. In line with the Women's History Month theme this year "Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories," Choice Hotels International kicked off its "HERtels at Choice Development Seminar" with nearly 40 franchise owners, general managers, and hotel associates in attendance. At the same time, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts' "Women Own the Room" initiative has signed over 30 hotels across the U.S. and Canada in the first year of its launch. Also, California hotelier and philanthropist Sunil "Sunny" Tolani issued a special message for the month. HERtels by Choice Choice Hotels took the recently held Hunter Hotel Conference in Atlanta as a launch pad for its inaugural HERtels seminar. The event was held next door to the Marriott Marquis Atlanta, Hunter's venue, and is an enhancement of Choice's HERtels program that was launched in 2021. "While industry-wide parity is improving, with more female investors, directors, and leaders in hospitality than ever before, women entrepreneurs still face significant economic and societal barriers when it comes to hotel ownership and development. As an industry, we owe it to the next generation of hoteliers to change this statistic," said John Lancaster, vice president for emerging markets, franchise development and owner relationships, Choice Hotels International. "This initiative and the invaluable resources it provides is a natural extension of our industry-leading emerging markets program and our enduring commitment to helping growth-minded entrepreneurs further their unique ownership journey."

While we don't know what will happen next, the past several months has shown us that the need to get out and travel is stronger than ever. However, as the labor and staffing crisis continues, some hoteliers struggle to accommodate the uptick in travel. Corporate travel and industry events and the need to meet face-to-face will continue to grow, so now is the time to focus on getting staff ready to welcome back corporate travelers who haven't traveled in 18 months. Taking notes from the entertainment industry One interesting tactic that the hospitality industry should take note of is the way the entertainment industry has handled the return of movies in theaters. If you went to the movies over the summer, you may have seen how the industry pulled together to thank movie-goers for coming back to the theater. Galaxy Theaters CEO came onto the big screen to thank the audience and welcome them back. Regal did something similar. Even more compelling were the messages from directors such as John Krasinski ahead of Quiet Place II and Lin-Manuel Miranda ahead of In the Heights. These two films led the charge in releasing their content to the big screen. In doing so, they took the time to record a message to thank the audience for coming back and for supporting the industry. This strategy works because the theater has a captive audience. After all, unless you are late to the film, or getting popcorn, you are sitting there in anticipation of seeing a movie on the big screen after nearly 18 months of Netflix and microwaved popcorn.

THE U.S. TRAVEL ASSOCIATION recently launched the Sustainable Travel Coalition to align the travel, transportation and technology sectors to create a more sustainable U.S. travel industry, a statement said. The coalition with nearly 60 member organizations will advise USTA on sustainability issues, opportunities and concerns within the industry. The long-term goals of the coalition include, showcasing innovative technologies and calling attention to the ongoing actions and leadership of travel professionals in the sustainability space, boosting industry goals and commitments to conservation, best practices, waste and emission reductions and both long- and short-term investments. It will also highlight why sustainability matters in the industry and play offense by identifying and promoting proactive policies and defend against harmful policies that slow progress or penalize the industry without progress. A policy committee will monitor regular progress and collaboration.

AAHOA'S NEWEST PROJECT aimed at promoting women in hospitality is the "ElevateHER Women's Initiative to Highlight and Support Women Hoteliers and Leaders in the Industry." The initiative, launched Tuesday, will offer networking and educational opportunities for women hoteliers and hospitality industry professionals. As part of ElevateHER, AAHOA is hosting the Women Hoteliers ElevateHER Conference on Oct. 26 to 27 in Cincinnati. The conference will focus on bringing together AAHOA's community of women hoteliers for education, inspiration, and empowerment. "AAHOA has been proud to celebrate the important work women are doing at every level of hospitality, and this initiative further underscores our commitment to the women of AAHOA and elevating their contributions to the industry," said Laura Lee Blake, AAHOA's first full-time female president and CEO appointed in May. "While there's still much work to be done, AAHOA recognizes the significant strides women have made to be seen at industry events, heard in the boardroom, and valued in the workplace. ElevateHER celebrates these accomplishments and will further drive our association's work around elevating and supporting women in the industry."

THREE MAJOR U.S. hospitality firms have donated $1 million to the No Room for Trafficking Survivors Fund by the American Hotel & Lodging Association Foundation to support human trafficking prevention and survivors, a statement said. The Hyatt Hotels Foundation donated $500,000 to the fund and the G6 Hospitality and Extended Stay America gave a combined $500,000 to the initiative, AHLA said in a statement. The fund supports economic stability for survivors of human trafficking. It also provides advance training and education to prevent human trafficking within the industry. A representative from the Hyatt Hotels Foundation will serve as co-chair of the No Room for Trafficking Advisory Council. "We recognize the potential of human trafficking to intersect with the hospitality industry and believe that one of the best ways the industry can combat the egregious violation of fundamental human rights is through efforts like the AHLA Foundation's No Room for Trafficking Survivors Fund," said Malaika Myers, the Hyatt foundation's chief human resource officer. "The fight against human trafficking has no finish-line, and as an industry we will continue to provide cutting-edge resources and support to ensure we are doing all we can to prevent and respond to human trafficking," said Rosanna Maietta, president and CEO of AHLA Foundation.

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.

AAHOA RECENTLY INTRODUCED "HYPE Ownership: Helping Young Professionals Evolve," an initiative focused on supporting the growth of emerging hoteliers within the association and the broader industry. HYPE Ownership offers educational opportunities, networking events, and an annual conference for young professionals and hotel industry experts, AAHOA said in a statement. The goal is to establish AAHOA as the primary resource and advocate for the next generation of industry leaders. "AAHOA is excited to launch HYPE Ownership, a visionary initiative spotlighting the rising stars of the hotel industry, and paving the way for a dynamic future led by young professionals," said AAHOA president and CEO Laura Lee Blake. "It is our commitment to the next generation of leaders of AAHOA as we seek to elevate their contributions to the industry."

THE U.S. HOTEL industry will be well on the way to recovery in 2022, according to consulting firm HVS Americas. However, a full recovery in real terms, after adjusting for inflation, remains a few years away, it added. With more assets, both distressed and well performing, expected to come to market this year, 2022 will be an exciting year for the industry, said Rod Clough, president of HVS, in an article titled 'ALIS 2022 Takeaways - Our Industry Braces for a Big Year Ahead'. A near full recovery in RevPAR at $85 for U.S. hotels is likely to happen by the end of 2022 when compared to $86 in 2018-19. "The higher inflationary environment will continue to bode well for hotels, resulting in ADR pricing power leading to a lift in revenue on top of still lean operational models. Group travel is still lagging the recovery, but near-term, smaller-group bookings (at newly raised room rates) should help bridge the gap while the industry waits for larger meetings to return," Clough wrote in the article. "Rising development costs due to supply-chain disruptions, labor shortages, and overall inflation are leading to a general contraction in new hotel openings. Moreover, development challenges are intensifying for major CBDs, attributed to slow office re-openings, a lag in larger convention bookings, higher operating/labor costs, and even higher construction costs than your average project."

Stuckey also worked for ShawContract where he directed that company's partnership with AAHOA. He also worked for InterContinental Hotels Group. "[Stuckey] brings substantial experience to his position and a sound strategic vision for the association's important business development work. He has an exceptional understanding of our members and the hospitality industry," said Cecil Staton, AAHOA president and CEO. Now is an important moment in the hospitality industry, Stuckey said. "AAHOA, its members, and industry partners have always been an important part of my hospitality career, including working and consulting directly with members," he said. "Feedback, partnership, growth, and innovation will be my mantra as we look to grow our value and connection with AAHOA members and industry partners, carrying out AAHOA's 2021-2023 Strategic Plan, and continuing down the road to recovery for the entire AAHOA community."

THE AMERICAN HOTEL & Lodging Association philanthropy branch AHLA Foundation has launched a trafficking prevention training program for the hotel industry in collaboration with ECPAT-USA and Marriott International to mark the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons observed on July 29, a statement said. The program titled "Recognize and Respond: Addressing Human Trafficking in the Hospitality Industry" was developed by Marriott by partnering with non-profit organizations and survivor experts. It includes learning paths for associates and managers around increased guidance on responding to potential trafficking situations and interacting with potential victims. It is available to the hotel industry through ECPAT-USA's online learning platform for free, the statement said. The new initiative advances the American Hotel & Lodging Association and AHLA Foundation's "No Room for Trafficking" awareness program which raises awareness about human trafficking. "One of No Room for Trafficking's goals is to train every single hotel employee to identify and respond to a potential human trafficking situation. Through this innovative new training, the industry as a whole will be better equipped to help identify and stop cases of human trafficking," said Chip Rogers, president and CEO of AHLA. "We are extremely grateful to Marriott International and leading trafficking prevention partners who are offering this free training with support from the AHLA Foundation."

THE AMERICAN HOTEL & Lodging Association and the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International Americas have formed a partnership that will more closely align the two associations to benefit their respective members and advance the hospitality industry, AHLA said in a statement. Also, AHLA and its technology committee, HTNG, announced the inaugural AHLA Technology Acceleration Award, a new program to recognize companies that are advancing innovation in hospitality technology. According to the statement, the partnership will create linkages to the industry's sales, marketing, and revenue optimization professionals for AHLA, while expanding HSMAI's organizational reach by aligning it with America's largest hotel association. Under the new agreement, effective April 25, AHLA will provide HSMAI with opportunities to participate in AHLA's On the Road events, and HSMAI will promote the events to its members and local chapters. AHLA and HSMAI will also promote each other's events, campaigns, and education and certification programs, and have reciprocal participation in distribution-focused committees. As per the agreement, AHLA and HSMAI will further explore opportunities to align the work of both organizations' foundations to address industry-wide initiatives on workforce and promoting Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. AHLA and HSMAI leadership will meet regularly to discuss and coordinate key strategic industry issues and shared objectives, the agreement noted. AHLA said the AHLA-HSMAI partnership expands upon a relationship the two organizations started early last year, when HSMAI became a content partner for AHLA's On The Road state hotel conference series, offering innovative and exclusive revenue generation insights at On The Road events.

THE U.S. HOTEL industry will continue its recovery in 2022, but the path will be uneven and potentially volatile, according to a report by the American Hotel & Lodging Association. It added that a full recovery from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic will take several years. AHLA's 2022 State of the Hotel Industry report also revealed shifts in consumer and business sentiment. The report was created in collaboration with Accenture and is based on data and forecasts from Oxford Economics and STR. According to the report, hotel occupancy rates and room revenue will approach 2019 levels this year, but the outlook for ancillary revenue, which includes F&B and meeting space, is less optimistic. Leisure travelers will continue to drive recovery, the report added. Hotels lost a collective $111.8 billion in room revenue alone during 2020 and 2021. Business travelers made up 52.5 percent of industry room revenue in 2019 and it will be 43.6 percent in 2022. Business travel will be down more than 20 percent for much of the year, the report said. As the full effects of Omicron is not yet known, just 58 percent of meetings and events are expected to return. AHLA report said that the rapid rise of bleisure travelers-those who blend business and leisure travel-are impacting hotel operations now. A recent study revealed that 89 percent of business travelers wanted to add a private holiday to their business trips in the next twelve months.

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."

DAVID KONG, THE recently retired CEO of Best Western Hotel Group, has launched DEI Advisors, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping women and other minority groups to achieve their career aspirations. Specifically, it plans to close the diversity gap that still exists on the upper, leadership levels of the hospitality industry. Based in Scottsdale, Arizona, DEI Advisors will conduct a series of interviews with industry leaders with the intent of sharing inspiration and guidance to help individuals navigate their careers. The interviews will teach how to overcome conscious and unconscious bias, seek advancement, face structural barriers successfully, establish networks, advocates and mentors and better integrate their work life and personal life. "I formed DEI Advisors as a non-profit organization to collect and share insights and learnings from industry leaders," said Kong, who is DEI Advisors principal and founder. "While many companies are doing wonderful work in the areas of DEI, individuals must also be responsible, and feel empowered, for their own personal growth and career aspirations. Essentially, we're aiming to prepare future leaders in the industry for the driver seat of their own journey, where they get to truly help create and advocate for their own destiny."

AAHOA's "HYPE OWNERSHIP-Helping Young Professionals Evolve" conference held recently in New Orleans attracted around 200 members. The event focused on fostering the growth of new hospitality industry professionals, offering educational opportunities like panel discussions, roundtables and keynotes to equip emerging hotel owners with the tools for success, AAHOA said in a statement. "The HYPE Conference allowed us to hear first-hand from our young members about their ideas and concerns regarding the future of our industry," said Tanmay Patel, young professional director for AAHOA's Western Division. "It was enlightening to hear from so many young people about their hopes and dreams for taking the work started by their parents, in many cases, and how they hope to better position the industry for future success." "The feedback we received from attendees and the interaction we saw illustrates there is a great need for our industry to nurture our connection to future leaders," said Dylan Patel, Young Professional Director Eastern Division. "Their commitment to elevate the industry to new heights is evident."

THE U.S. TRAVEL Association and Tourism Diversity Matters formed a new strategic partnership to focus on issues related to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), a statement from USTA said. The partnership will provide USTA more access to Tourism Diversity Matters' subject matter expertise, research and resources. Founded in 2021, Tourism Diversity Matters addresses blind spots in ethnic disparities within the tourism and events industries. It will provide these industry leaders with resources and tactics to develop more effective DEI strategies to engage, recruit and retain a diverse workforce. DEI is a core priority of USTA, the association said in a statement, and is committed to having a vital role in affecting lasting change and supporting the development of industry-wide DEI plans. The partnership will advance workforce development issues and federal policy initiatives that support travel's recovery, the statement added. "USTA has a clear vision: in working closely with Tourism Diversity Matters, we aim to help the travel sector achieve a truly diverse, equitable and inclusive industry for all," said Roger Dow, USTA's president and CEO and a board member of Tourism Diversity Matters. "Aligning with Tourism Diversity Matters is a great step toward this pursuit that will enrich USTA's membership for years to come."

EXTENDED-STAY HOTELS OUTPEFORMED the broader hotel industry across all performance metrics in October, marking a notably strong month for the sector, according to The Highland Group. Extended-stay supply outpaced demand, leading to a decrease in occupancy. However, the decline was less pronounced than the overall hotel industry, where STR/CoStar reported a drop in demand compared to the previous year. Furthermore, the metrics of extended-stay hotels, including ADR, RevPAR, and revenues, demonstrated stronger growth compared to their counterparts in the broader hotel industry, The Highland Group said. The 2.2 percent net rise in extended-stay room supply in October, consistent with September, represents a modest increase compared to the average over the past 16 months. However, October marked the 25th consecutive month of 4 percent or less supply growth, significantly below the long-term average. The 12 percent surge in economy extended-stay supply, coupled with a reduction in mid-price segment rooms, primarily results from conversions, as new construction in the economy segment is estimated at around 2 percent of rooms compared to a year ago, the report added.