Major players based in the Japanese capital will be relieved that an Olympic cancellation has been avoided, but smaller operators will be unable to see a silver lining, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

Ralph Hollister, Travel & Tourism Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Many smaller establishments that do not have the high cash reserves that their large-scale competitors possess needed the Olympics to occur this summer

“The closure of major attractions in Japan that encouraged a constant flow of guests such as Tokyo Disneyland, combined with China banning overseas trips, has created a severe lack of tourism in recent months. This lack of guests meant that many lodging operators had to place more reliance on revenues being boosted through a successful 2020 Olympics.”

Japanese lodging companies – especially hoteliers – were banking on a strong tourist year to compensate for significant capital investments. These high-value investments amid already flagging economic growth were made in the confidence that revenue generated from the Olympics would kick start financial return for stakeholders.

“Cash flow problems were becoming of great concern to many Japanese hotels that were starting to feel the impact of the economic slump. Some will simply not have the financial power to stay open in order to reap the financial rewards of Tokyo 2021.”

To support hospitality trainers in the COVID-19 pandemic, the Council of Hotel and Restaurant Trainers (CHART, www.chart.org) is providing free membership through a newly created Membership Access Program to new members, and is providing pay-what-you-can renewal for current members who are unable to renew their membership due to the crisis.

“Hospitality training professionals are at the forefront of helping the restaurant, foodservice, and lodging industries get back on their feet and get employees ready to serve guests again in the coming weeks,” said Serah Morrissey, CHART President

CHART membership includes access to:

Ask My Peers – a private, members-only online discussion group that actively shares solutions and best practices
Virtual Training Forums – newly-created to address timely and critical COVID-19 topics
Regional Training Forums – in-person and virtual meetings across the U.S.
Hospitality Training Magazine – articles and member blogs with practical training content
Hospitality Trainer Toolbox – an arsenal of research, publications, and ideas
Member Directory – contact information for the nation’s top hospitality trainers

APPLICATION INFORMATION: New members must meet the eligibility criteria of being in (or recently in) a hospitality training position for an operator business. Free membership will be offered through May 31, 2020 and will last for a period of one year.

DONATE: CHART, a non-profit association, is accepting donations to offset the cost of this program.

The hashtag for this program is #BetterTogetherCHART.