The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has today launched the Hotel Sustainability Basics (Basics) verification scheme. Announced at ITB Berlin, Basics will enable tourist accommodation providers from around the world, regardless of their size, to begin their sustainability journey. Basics, an industry-wide supported initiative, first launched at WTTC’s Global Summit in Manilla last year, is a globally recognised and coordinated set of criteria that all hotels should implement as a minimum to drive responsible and sustainable Travel & Tourism.
U.S. hotel results for week ending 18 February
U.S. hotel performance increased from the previous week, according to STR‘s latest data through 18 February.
Momentus Hospitality launches in Asia with first flagship hotel
The first Momentus hotel in Asia will be officially opened on 1st March 2023. Momentus Hotel Alexandra is a 442-key property that will reimagine the guest experience with a rich set of features and amenities targeted at the new traveller in the post-pandemic era.
Canada hotel performance surpassed pre-pandemic levels in January
Canada’s hotel performance fell slightly from the previous month but surpassed the 2019 comparables, according to STR‘s January 2023 data.
Radisson Hotel Group expands its real-time instant online booking platform
Radisson Hotel Group continues its strategic digital transformation with the expansion of its innovative real-time, self-service online booking platform for meetings and events. Book it easy is now available across all key conference hotels in EMEA. This best-in-class digital solution allows meeting and event organizers to save hours of precious time when planning for a meeting and booking a venue by making the process faster and more efficient.
Hotels on hiring spree with better wages, benefits, flexibility
As nearly 80% of hotels experience staffing shortages, hoteliers are offering potential hires a host of incentives to fill vacancies, according to a new survey of hoteliers conducted by the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA).
Tokyo’s hotel room rates pacing ahead of pre-pandemic levels
The reopening of Japan’s international border several months ago, along with the National Travel Support campaign, have helped boost Tokyo’s hotel average daily rate (ADR) beyond pre-pandemic comparables for two straight months, according to STR.
Projects in the early planning stage of the global hotel construction pipeline reach record high counts
Lodging Econometrics (LE) has released its Q4 year-end Global Construction Pipeline Trend Report. At the close of 2022, LE analysts state that the total global construction pipeline stands at 14,267 projects, a 4% increase year-over-year (YOY), with 2,298,846 rooms. The global pipeline has remained relatively flat for three consecutive years, following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, after reaching peak project and room counts in Q4 2019. However, three of the seven world regions tracked by LE, the United States, Canada, and Asia Pacific, continue to have pipelines trending upward, YOY. The remaining regions stayed largely unchanged by project counts YOY.
UNWTO looks to “Re-write tourism history” at official re-opening of China
Leading a high-level delegation to the city of Hangzhou to join in the official re-opening, UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili, warmly welcomed the lifting of travel restrictions as a major boost to economic growth and social opportunity both in Asia and the Pacific and globally. According to UNWTO data, the pandemic cost destinations worldwide a combined US$270 billion in Chinese outbound tourist spending in 2020 and 2021 alone. The re-opening of borders therefore represents “the moment the world has been waiting for”, Mr Pololikashvili noted.
Marriott International raises US$251,000 with ‘Road to Give’ in Asia Pacific
Concluding the series of its annual charity event, ‘Road to Give’, across Asia Pacific, Marriott International today announced that it has raised more than US$251,000 to support charitable organizations in local communities. Over a three-month period, more than 20,000 associates from 327 hotels volunteered 47,769 hours as part of this charity event.
