UNWTO has launched, in cooperation with representatives of leading international, regional and national hotel associations, a partnership aimed to bring the industry together to share best practices and find common positions on issues such as hotel quality, distribution or major consumer trends.

The first meeting of the Partnership, held in Madrid, focused on the need to elaborate basic guidelines on hotel quality and on the importance of improving the relationship between the hotel industry and the diverse existing online distribution systems.

Participants also discussed the challenges currently facing the hotel industry in view of the global economic situation and how these could affect the short-term development of the hotel business.

Looking into the future of the Partnership, participating associations highlighted the relevance of establishing a forum to exchange experiences and best practices; conduct technical studies on subjects of common interest and issue recommendations and proposals for the benefit of the global industry.

The second meeting of the Global Partnership for the Hotel Industry will take place in Istanbul, Turkey, 3-5 April, 2013.

The meeting was attended by the International Hotel & Restaurant Association (IH&RA), the European Trade Association of Hotels, Restaurants and Cafés (HOTREC), the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA), the Egyptian Hotel Association (EHA), Federal Hospitality, the Association of South Africa (FEDHASA), the Federación Empresaria Hotelera Gastronómica de la República Argentina (FEHGRA), the Hotel Association of Canada (HAC), and the Balkan Alliance of Hotel Associations (BAHA).