Category: Recent News

Expedia Group unveiled its study highlighting the preferences of the growing Asian middle class, expected to reach 3.5 billion people and make up two-thirds of the world’s middle class by 2030[1]. The study provides travel industry professionals with the context to better serve the increasing number of mass-affluent [2] (meaning middle-upper income) travelers from Asia and tailor offerings to their preferences. Conducted in partnership with Atomik Research, the study surveyed 4,000 respondents across Asia (China, India, Indonesia, Singapore, and Vietnam).

Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAR, “Marriott”) has reached final resolutions with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and 49 U.S. State Attorneys General and the District of Columbia in relation to the 2018 Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide guest reservations database security incident. The resolution with the State Attorneys General includes an agreement to pay $52 million. As indicated in the agreements with the FTC and the State Attorneys General, Marriott makes no admission of liability with respect to the underlying allegations.

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) today launched a landmark report at its Global Summit in Perth, Western Australia, highlighting how Indigenous tourism is projected to contribute $67BN USD to the global economy by 2034.

Uncertainty about what lies ahead is a theme in every conference I attend and hospitality leader I’ve spoken with recently. Still, more potential exists today than ever for creativity in serving guests and driving business results. To illustrate this, I want to examine The Social Hub, originally launched as The Student Hotel in 2012. In my article earlier this year, How The Social Hub Uses Community to Thrive in Hospitality, we explored the company’s focus on community-building as a core strategic opportunity. For this article, I spoke with the company’s founder and CEO, Charlie MacGregor, about how their “hybrid hospitality” business model has made it socially engaging and financially resilient.

A common question I get from my clients at OnlyCast is, “Can I cancel my hotel’s cable TV subscription?” With streaming platforms becomming increasingly popular and cable costs increasing, many hotel owners are rethinking the necessity of live channels. Guests are showing less interest in traditional TV, while hospitality casting solutions are becoming the preferred choice. The key question now is: What’s best for your hotel, your guests, and your bottom line?

A new report from the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has revealed that business travel is set to surpass pre-pandemic levels this year, faster than previously predicted, to reach a record US$1.5TN.

Canary Technologies, the hospitality industry’s #1-rated guest experience software, announced today the integration of Digital Compendium into its award-winning Guest Management Platform. This update drives more revenue and streamlines operations for the hospitality industry.

The debate between “best-of-breed” and “all-in-one” solutions is not new; in fact, the war between these competing ideologies has waged on for many years, especially within the world of hospitality. On one hand, it’s rather easy to make a case for an all-in-one solution – if you can get everything you need, exactly as you need it, in one place, why would you divide and conquer? On the other hand, countless real-life scenarios help to illustrate the limitations of solutions that claim to have it all.

It often amazes me how difficult some companies make it to do business with them. I could share so many examples, but let’s use the restaurant industry to illustrate my point.

Business travel is back.