TODAY: Profit per Room plummets in the Middle East & Africa, surprising source of unethical tourist behaviour revealed and Rotana wins big at World Travel Awards 2017.

Tuesday, 31st October 2017
Following a summer of mixed fortunes, which included a welcome year-on-year increase in profit per room in August, hotels in the Middle East & Africa were back to business as usual this month as GOPPAR levels sunk by 17.1% year-on-year >>

Surprising source of unethical tourist behaviour revealed
31 Oct 2017 : Investigation of international and mainland Chinese tourists and Hong Kong residents reveals some surprising findings that should prove useful for academics, policymakers and industry practitioners seeking to develop “mitigation strategies to reduce anti-tourism sentiment” in Hong Kong and other tourist destinations >>

Rotana wins big at World Travel Awards 2017
31 Oct 2017 : Making a clean sweep of 19 awards at the Middle East Gala Ceremony of the World Travel Awards (WTA) 2017, along with securing the coveted 'Middle East’s Leading Hotel Brand' title for the 11th year in a row, Rotana, one of the leading hotel management companies in the region with hotels across the Middle East, Africa and Turkey, has firmly consolidated its leadership position in the region’s tourism and hospitality sector >>

AB Concept unveils China's first Rosewood resort
31 Oct 2017 : Hong Kong-based design studio, AB Concept, is proud to unveil the design for China’s first Rosewood Resort in Sanya, which opened its doors in August; conceived around a unique balance of relaxation and excitement at the exclusive Haitang Bay at Sanya, the resort sets a new standard for luxury hospitality in one of the most popular vacation destinations in China >>

IHG to debut Holiday Inn in Laos capital
31 Oct 2017 : InterContinental Hotels Group® (IHG) has signed a management agreement with BIM Group to develop the first Holiday Inn hotel in Vientiane, Laos. This will be IHG’s third project with BIM Group, who also owns Crowne Plaza® Vientiane and the upcoming InterContinental® Phu Quoc Long Beach Resort & Residences >>

HIGHLIGHT ARTICLE

Hotels Need to Value Transparency as Much as Guests Do
Tuesday, 31st October 2017

Of the many uniquely American curiosities known around the world, hidden ‘resort fees’ are not among the most celebrated and in many other countries (here in Australia, for example), consumer law prohibits any pricing tactic that hides or obfuscates the total cost of a hotel booking. In the US, however — and despite ongoing protest from consumers and some lawmakers — it’s still possible to book a three day resort stay for $600, only to be hit with a mandatory $300 resort fee at the moment of check-in or check-out >>

Supersonic Take Off for Lodging?
NASA announced earlier this week that it is moving forward with its quest to bring supersonic flight to commercial aviation, it hopes to design and fly a supersonic jet that produces a low rumble when it breaks the sound barrier instead of the double thunderclap now heard only from fighter aircraft that break the sound barrier. However, the flight plan for lunch in New York with dinner in London is a long way from being filed >>

OTAs Under Pressure — Time to Show Why Direct is Best
OTAs hit the headlines in the UK this week as authorities unveiled a major investigation into their practices: the British competition watchdog is examining booking sites’ 'clarity, accuracy and presentation of information' and even questioning whether they break consumer law >>