Good morning from Skift. It’s Tuesday, September 12. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.
25.08.2023 - 13:15 / skift.com / Rashaad Jorden / Sean Oneill / Chip Rogers / Cruises
Good morning from Skift. It’s Monday, July 10. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.
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Accor executives have been hard at work to boost the Paris-based hotel company’s digital operations, but what does that entail exactly? Senior Hospitality Editor Sean O’Neill provides answers in this week’s Early Check-In column.
O’Neill delves into what he considers the most notable findings from presentations Accor recently held for investors. The company runs a “digital factory,” which brings together roughly 800 developers, product managers and others to tackle the problems of hotel guests and operators. Chief Digital Officer Alix Boulnois said the Accor has the only digital factory at scale in the hospitality industry.
And O’Neill writes that Accor wants to sell more than just rooms. The company has launched All Food, a platform for booking meals at its restaurants in select markets — including France.
Next, India has unveiled plans to substantially improve its cruise infrastructure. It’s part of the government’s plan to generate nearly $5 billion in revenue from the industry by 2041, writes Middle East and Asia Reporter Amrita Ghosh.
Ghosh reports that Indian authorities want to build three new international cruise ports by 2024 as well as attract 4 million cruise passengers annually by 2041. India is already home to 12 major and 200 minor ports. Ghosh notes that the country faces some noticeable hurdles in its quest to boost cruise tourism, such as its current tax policy and lack of coordination among government agencies.
In addition, one India-based travel executive acknowledged much of the country’s cruise infrastructure is outdated.
Finally, the U.S. hotels registered a modest increase in job growth last month. However, the hotel industry still has a way to go to reach pre-Covid employment levels, reports Associate Editor Rashaad Jorden.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics revealed in its latest jobs report released on Friday that hotels added roughly 5,500 jobs in June. The sector had added only 1,300 jobs the previous month. American Hotel and Lodging Association CEO Chip Rogers expressed optimism that hotels would continue to attract job seekers. But he said a lot more has to be done to increase employment in the hotel industry.
Good morning from Skift. It’s Tuesday, September 12. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.
Tom Brady is getting back to work. Just not on the gridiron.
In the second quarter of 2023, the Middle East’s hotel construction pipeline has seen significant growth, marking its highest project count since the first quarter of 2020, according to Lodging Econometric’s Middle East Hotel Construction Pipeline Trend Report.
From today’s Daily Lodging Report newsletter: Nikkei Asia published an article on Hilton planning to expand its luxury offerings in Asia. Hilton will be bringing its Waldorf Astoria brand to Malaysia, Vietnam, India, and other countries for the first time as part of its plans to open 25 new luxury hotels in the Asia Pacific region over the next few years. That’s up from the 33 luxury hotels it currently runs in the Asia Pacific.
Good morning from Skift. It’s Thursday, November 10. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.
The hotel tech startup Mews has completed five acquisitions in the past three years. Its CEO, Richard Valtr, told Skift last week that there are two more underway.
Hilton Worldwide is rolling out its first-ever hotel brand in the economy slice of the market, Spark by Hilton, taking on rivals such as Marriott International, Choice, and InterContinental Hotels Group in this competitive market segment.
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Accor, the Paris-based hotel giant, will reveal on Thursday a new global “soft” brand, Handwritten Collection, featuring so-called lifestyle hotels. These mid-priced properties have funky furniture and buzzy restaurants and bars but don’t offer the full services of a premium boutique.
Good morning from Skift. It’s Wednesday, February 22. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.
Good morning from Skift. It’s Monday, February 20. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.
Executives at Accor, Europe’s largest hotel operator with about 5,445 hotels worldwide, envy how U.S.-based hotel operators have consolidated North America. But they argue they have a better sense of the ground game for hospitality in the rest of the world.