Briefing: Corporate travel demand is growing

According to Reuters, spending on business travel in Western Europe is expected to rise by over 6% in 2016. This is good news for serviced apartments and extended stay products, which see a lot of demand from this sector.

A report from the Association of Serviced Apartment Providers states that UK businesses registered an 86% increase in the use of serviced apartments in recent years. They also say that Booking.com is experiencing strong growth demand for serviced apartments.

These videos discuss corporate travel and serviced apartment demand:

A report by Accura Media Group found that four out of ten business travellers surveyed said they will travel more in 2016 than last year, while more than half say they will travel more than they did two years ago.

According to Reuters, Germany is the largest business travel market in western Europe at an estimated $57.9 billion, and spending is set to rise 9.5 percent in 2016.

In contrast a new report from the Global Business Travel Association found that business travel volume growth in US is slowing in 2016 due to global uncertainties, but the report still says there are reasons to be optimistic for 2017.

Association of Serviced Apartment Providers found that occupancy figure for serviced apartment across the whole of the UK were high. London was at 84% and the rest of the UK just slightly lower at 83.1%.

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Video clips produced by ybc.tv for the Hospitality Channel, including interview from industry conferences such as the IHIF conference as well as specific Hospitality Channel shoots.

Chinese are tourism’s biggest spenders

China overtook Germany and the United States as the largest spender in international tourism in 2012, according to UNWTO, with an expenditure of US$ 102 billion. The market is only getting bigger, in fact The Tourism Administration of China predicts that more than 100 million Chinese tourists will travel abroad in 2014.

Experts from the hospitality industry discuss increased travel within and out of China:

UNWTO says that the increase has been due to, “rapid urbanization, rising disposable incomes and relaxation of restrictions on foreign travel.”

Hotels.com has been following Chinese travel trends since 2012. The Chinese International Travel Monitor 2014 shows that 97% of Chinese travellers have been abroad for leisure and 49% have been for business and education. It says that Chinese international travellers were the top spenders for hotel accommodation in Australia, Japan, Netherlands, and New Zealand in 2013.

This monitor surveyed Chinese travellers about booking and travel behaviour. The research found that on average Chinese travellers looked at almost five sources of information when researching holidays, which is up from four in the 2013 monitor. 53% said they book accommodation online or through a mobile app. 59% of those surveyed said Free Wi-Fi was the most important service they look for on a trip abroad, and 71% of hoteliers said that Free Wi-Fi was the service most requested by guests from China. This desire for connectivity reflects global trends.

Countries across the globe, including Mexico, New Zealand, Russia, Spain, Taiwan, UK, and the US are targeting this growing source market with tourism campaigns and initiatives. However, according to Hotels.com, Australia is the place Chinese travellers would most like to visit. The USA was the top destination actually visited in 2013, and Hong Kong and Thailand follow in second and third place.

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Video clips produced by ybc.hpgcms.wpengine.com for the Hospitality Channel, including interview from industry conferences such as the IHIF conference as well as specific Hospitality Channel shoots.

Wearable tech: Technology in hotels will increase one way or another

2015 will see the launch of the new Apple Watch, the next in a line of wearable technology that will inevitably be picked up by more of your guests – or your competitors. Last week Tech blogger Robert Scoble reported on wearables at the Intercontinental Hotel in Seoul that tell wait staff when your food is ready. At other restaurants you can order drinks which show up on your watch. In this interview Scoble discusses how this wearable, mobile technology is ushering in an age of context:


Almost every person who walks in to a hotel today already has smartphone, which they may well have used to book their stay.

Wearable technology is the next step. According to market research group Nielson, convenience is the top reason people are buying smart watches, and 35% of owners say they buy them to supplement their smartphone addiction.

The next generation of consumers want life to be fast and efficient. They will continue to invest in new technologies for themselves and hotels should too. Deloitte say that 10 million smart glasses, fitness bands and watches, will be sold in 2014. The wearable devices can offer similar functions to a smartphone and can provide the wearer with real time information about their environment. Owners will want to be able to use their devices wherever they go. If hotels embrace these new technologies they could further streamline processes like checking in. The hospitality industry need to keep updating their technology and processes or they will get left behind by consumers.

Robert Scoble is a technology evangelist and journalist who looks at developments and trends in technology. He owns a Google Glass and a Meta smart watch, the latter of which he had on his wrist when he visited the Four Seasons Hotel in Sydney recently. This technology is already entering the hospitality space and it is a trend set to continue.

  • Robert Scoble, Technology Evangelist, on Google Glass and other wearable developments in technology.

  • Elizabeth Winkle, Managing Director, STR Global on how technological efficiencies are revolutionising hospitality.

  • Peter Shaindlin, Chief Operating Officer, Halekulani Corporation on why hospitality should consider the consumer.

  • Catalin Cighi, Managing Partner, Cain Hospitality Innovation on there being no choice but to embrace technology.

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Video clips produced by ybc.hpgcms.wpengine.com for the Hospitality Channel, including interview from industry conferences such as the IHIF conference as well as specific Hospitality Channel shoots

Briefing: Women at the top

Although women have always accounted for over 50% of the hospitality workforce, this has typically been disproportionately towards the bottom of the pyramid. Things are gradually improving with women being promoted into C level roles, but there is still plenty of work to do to address the gender gap. In this briefing we speak to three women who have built successful hospitality careers about what the industry can do to bring more diversity at the top.

Comment from:

  • Kathleen Matthews, Chief Communications & Public Affairs Officer, Marriott International Inc on why women are still disproportionately represented in the hospitality industry

  • Karen Friebe, Partner, Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP, on why women need more role models in the industry

  • Wolfgang Wienz, Senior Technical Specialist, Hotels, Catering & Tourism, International Labour Organization on whether the industry can overcome gender gaps

  • Elizabeth Winkle, Managing Director, STR Global on how women in the industry would benefit from mentor relationships

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Video clips produced by ybc.hpgcms.wpengine.com for the Hospitality Channel, including interview from industry conferences such as the IHIF conference as well as specific Hospitality Channel shoots.

Briefing: the ‘big data’ minefield

The digital economy is producing unparalleled amounts of data, in part due to increased customer engagement through social media and online platforms. Simultaneously, the capability of technology and data management systems is progressing rapidly, allowing the vast silos  of data within the hotel industry to be put to good use.

This briefing looks at the process of analysing the hospitality industry using data and the issues that arise from increased access to valuable and sensitive information. Comment from:

  • Wolfgang Neumann, President & CEO of The Rezidor Hotel Group on managing customer data

  • Carlo Gagliardi, Partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers on why hotels must use big data wisely

  • Andrew Boshoff, Head of Strategy & Development at Global Hotel Alliance on creating smart, usable data.

  • Elizabeth Winkle, Managing Director of STR Global on crunching data for the hotel industry

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Video clips produced by ybc.hpgcms.wpengine.com for the Hospitality Channel, including interview from industry conferences such as the IHIF conference as well as specific Hospitality Channel shoots.

Briefing: an appetite for investment in the Middle East

With the world’s eye currently focused on specific parts of the Middle East, it is important to also focus on the huge opportunity open to hospitality and other industries throughout areas of the Middle East. This broader market is one of huge growth and potential for all sorts of hotel product and the pipeline for new developments is massive.

Understanding where the opportunities lie is important, and whether demand is continuing to outstrip supply in some of the most prolific hospitality markets including Saudi Arabia and Dubai is discussed by our leading experts in this briefing. Including video clips from:

  • Elizabeth Winkle, Managing Director of STR Global on the incredible pipeline in the Middle East
  • Bob Loewen, COO of Wyndham Hotel Group on bringing their brands to the Middle East
  • Christopher Knable, COO of Katara Hospitality on the opportunity the World Cup brings for hospitality
  • And Darroch Crawford, Managing Director of Premier Inn Hotels LLC on the market demands in Dubai
 


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Video clips produced by ybc.hpgcms.wpengine.com for the Hospitality Channel, including interviews from industry conferences such as the IHIF conference as well as specific Hospitality Channel shoots.

Briefing: Opportunities growing in emerging economies

It is no secret that the emerging economies are now seeing some very good results in terms of growth and ROI. This is the case across all industries not only for the hospitality sector.

Integral to anyone moving into these areas is the need for a local partner who understands the continuing obstacles faced with a fast-moving, unknown market.

In this briefing we hear from:

  • Konstanze Auernheimer, of STR Global, on the conditions for opportunity in hospitality across all 4 BRIC economies
  • Andrew Sangster, of Hotel Analyst, speaking about measuring the risk and reward of moving into these markets.
  • And James Lisbon, of Mishcon de Reya, about investment opportunities in Russia, Latin America and Africa
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