Travellers plan holidays around sporting events, hotel expiration dates: fact or fiction?, how a new era of mega-regions is taking shape and principles underlying Sheikh Mohammed’s decision making.

Travellers plan holidays around sporting events
Wednesday, 22nd May 2019

Travel bookings increase by up to three times the usual average on football fixture announcement day.

A huge 68 percent of global travellers have planned holidays around sporting events at least once and almost half (47 percent) admitted to changing their holiday booking to make sure they don't miss a football match >>

Raffles welcomes new hotels in China and the Maldives
22 May 2019 : Raffles Hotels & Resorts, renowned for bringing old world elegance, first class travel experiences and genuine charm to the world's most fascinating cities and desirable holiday hot spots since 1887, is pleased to announce the opening of two important new landmark hotels, Raffles Shenzhen and Raffles Maldives Meradhoo >>

News from around the APAC region
22 May 2019 : Hotel industry and travel news from around the Asia Pacific region: Next Story Group acquires hotel in Melbourne, KMA Group signs MoU for six hotels in Myanmar, IHG to re-open IC Hayman Island renovation and more >>

HIGHLIGHT ARTICLE

Hotel Expiration Dates: Fact or Fiction?
Wednesday, 22nd May 2019

Expiration dates: they’re super common in some industries – they are regularly seen on consumer-packaged goods, food and drinks, medicine, etc – but the idea of an expiration date isn’t often applied to the hotel industry.

But, in my opinion, it should be. Here’s a little known/rarely considered fact: an empty room is an expired one.

Just like with milk or medication, hotels’ rooms also have expiration dates, after which the empty room becomes a liability, rather than an asset >>

Marketing Tip: A Lesson from Hershey's Summer Chocolate Bar
One of the best things you can do for your brand is to get people talking about it. You can start a conversation with almost anything – a whimsical pen, a risqué topiary, or a quirky slogan on a postcard.

Be open to modernizing your brand and taking risks, even if that means putting a silly emoji on your chocolate bar >>

Five Principles underlying Sheikh Mohammed’s Decision Making
I have worked for Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum for over twenty years now in a number of capacities and have had the privilege to watch him in action and I think one of the most remarkable things about the way he works is his decision-making >>

How a New Era of Mega-Regions is Taking Shape
Amid rapid urbanisation, neighbouring cities are joining forces to create mega-regions that are increasingly driving the global economy >>

Why Listening To Your Guests Is The Key To Improved Operations Management
Improving the management process of internal operations is one of the most important goals of every modern hotelier and with so many tasks, responsibilities, and technologies that you have to juggle with on a daily basis, the simple act of listening might come across as too basic >>