TODAY: Insights from the 2018 Hotel Data Conference, top franchise companies and brands construction pipeline and 'Crazy Rich Asians' May Not Solve 'The Diversity Problem' In Film, But It Sure Makes For Great Destination Marketing.

Insights from the 2018 Hotel Data Conference
Monday, 27th August 2018

Now in its tenth year, the Hotel Data Conference is a well-established gathering of hospitality professionals who come together to discuss the future of the industry and over the week, I attended breakout sessions about Alternative Accommodations, Loyalty Sessions, and Independent Hotels. Below are a few of the takeaways I gathered from these sessions >>

Top franchise companies and brands construction pipeline
27 Aug 2018 : In the second quarter of 2018, analysts at LE report that the top franchise companies with the largest construction pipelines. Development projects in these three franchise companies comprise 66% of total construction pipeline rooms >>

Increasing Global Anxiety
26 Aug 2018 : With so much uncertainty in the world, a new worldwide poll regarding what is stressing people around the world found the majority of people polled believe their countries are 'on the wrong track' (56 percent) >>

How the Brits are travelling in 2018
25 Aug 2018 : New research has revealed seven out of 10 families globally take at least two family vacations a year, with Asian travellers taking more than twice as many family trips as their Western peers (five trips a year versus two) >>

Dusit continues Middle East expansion
24 Aug 2018 : Thailand-based hospitality company Dusit International has signed a management agreement with the Al Majed Group to operate Dusit Doha Hotel, set to open in Q4 2018 this will be the group’s first Dusit-branded property in Qatar >>

HIGHLIGHT ARTICLE

'Crazy Rich Asians' May Not Solve 'The Diversity Problem' In Film, But It Sure Makes For Great Destination Marketing
Monday, 27th August 2018

Perhaps one of the most highly anticipated films of the summer, Crazy Rich Asians has been a goldmine for the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), which is continuing its efforts to modernise the city state’s image as a destination.

Lynette Pang (Assistant Chief Executive, Marketing Group, Singapore Tourism Board) who spoke at WIT Singapore 2017, stated the film is 'a natural opening to get the conversation going about the real Singapore and pique interest in visiting the country, especially in the North American markets' >>

Why It’s Time to Rethink The Start-Up Model
The dream of becoming an overnight billionaire has inspired many tech entrepreneurs to rapidly build their empires, but sometimes at the expense of sustainable growth and corporate culture >>

How Are Hotels Responding to the Seismic Shift in Staying at a Location?
Hotels are experimenting and evolving in terms of their design, amenities, service and so forth, so accordingly, the combination of data, content and technology, too, needs to transform to attain guest-centricity >>

Five Ways Fast Food Restaurants Are Updating Their Look
Even in the world of online grocery platforms like Instacart and the focus on healthy eating, consumer demand for fast food remains strong: Quick-serve restaurant (QSR) sales increased more than 12 percent from 2015 to 2018—the largest jump out of any category in the food and beverage industry >>