American Airlines, Hyatt Hotels offer free vacations to NYC healthcare workers after pandemic

New York City healthcare workers on the frontline of the coronavirus battle are being treated to complimentary vacations courtesy of American Airlines and Hyatt hotels.

More than 4,000 employees at NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst in Queens will get three-day trips to a variety of destinations in the U.S. and the Caribbean once COVID-19 subsides and they're able to take time off.

Doctors, nurses, physician assistants and even food-service workers are among those receiving the thank-you gift.

“We are extremely grateful to Hyatt and American Airlines for this generous gift to our healthcare workers, who have been at the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Israel Rocha, the CEO of NYC Health + Hospitals' Elmhurst facility, said in a news release. “Our doctors, nurses, and other staff on the front lines of this unprecedented healthcare crisis really appreciate the outpouring of support from two of America’s major companies, and we look forward to taking advantage of these well-earned vacations in the near future.”

Case on Marriott for running a cafe during lockdown

A case has been registered against the director of JW Marriott on SB Road, following a report published in Mirror about how this plush hotel was running its cafe, violating lockdown norms in the process. The outlet was entertaining customers from different parts of the city, with many people huddling n a table without masks; thus, butchering the prescribed social distancing regulations.

Cops have said that they had received complaints about JW Marriott from two to three people. The Mirror report prompted them to take the issue in all seriousness. The officers checked the CCTV footage of the hotel, wherein different patrons were seen entering and exiting the premises at different patrons were seen entering and exiting the premises at different times. Cops had also found more than five people sitting at a table.

According to the rule, the hotel can serve only 30 customers who have been staying at the facility.Case has been registered against the hotel director.

Verma has been booked in accordance with section 3 of the Epidemic diseases Act, 1897, section 51 (1) (b) of the National Disaster Management Act, 2005, and the Maharashtra COVID-19 Rules, 2020.

A case has also been registered under Indian Panel Code sections 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) and 270 (malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life). 

Belgian Chefs lay down jackets to protest at lockdown

Hundreds of chefs’ jackets were laid down in the center of Brussels to highlight the plight of hotels, restaurants and cafes that have been shuttered for nearly two months during the coronavirus outbreak.

The whites, separated by a stripe of black kitchen tops, were displayed in neat rows to resemble a cemetery in the ornate central Grand Place square.

Coralie Michiels, one of the organizers of the protest, said the action was partly to show the scale of the hotel, restaurant and cafe sector - providing a livelihood for 10% of Belgium’s 11.5 million people and contributing 18 billion euros ($19.4 billion) a year to the economy.

Belgium has begun easing its lockdown, bars and restaurants will stay closed at least until June, having shut their doors in mid-March.

Shanghai Disneyland tickets sell out as park prepares to re-open after coronavirus crisis

Tickets for the earliest days of Shanghai Disneyland's re-opening in China sold out rapidly according to the park's website, as it prepares to next week end a three-month shutdown because of the coronavirus outbreak.

Tickets for Monday, May 11, the first day the park will welcome guests again, through May 14 were no longer available on the park's online booking service. They also sold out for the weekend dates of May 16 and 17. Chinese third-party ticket vendor Fliggy and MeiTuan also confirmed that their allotted tickets for re-opening day had sold out. According to Fliggy, the platform's tickets for May 11 and May 16 sold out within three minutes.

Follow live developments on the coronavirus pandemic here

Shanghai Disneyland first shut down on Jan 25, as public venues across China closed to comply with social distancing regulations. Disney later closed its other resorts worldwide as the coronnavirus spread. In an earnings call, executives said that shuttered parks would cost the company roughly $1 billion in profits.

In March, Disney re-opened some dining and shopping attractions at its Shanghai site, though its main theme park has remained closed. The Chinese government has asked Disney to cap attendance of the re-opened park at 30% of capacity, or roughly 24,000 people, Disney CEO Bob Chapek said .

Disney will restart operations with "far below" that number for a few weeks while it adjusts to new safeguards including social distancing, masks and temperature screenings for visitors and employees, he said.

U.S. Leisure and Hospitality Industy Lost 8.2 Million Jobs in 2 Months

The U.S. leisure and hospitality industry in April lost 7.7 million jobs, a 47 percent drop, and was the worst-hit sector among non-farm payrolls for the second month in a row, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics

April was the first full month where the coronavirus pandemic raged in the United States. The job losses come on top of half a million jobs lost in leisure and hospitality in March.

It was food and drinking establishments, rather than hotels, that were most-impacted in April. The bureau stated that restaurants and bars lost 5.5 million jobs in April, or 71 percent of the total decline in leisure and hospitality employment.

The April job loss in leisure and hospitality was more than three times greater than the second-most-impacted sector, education and health services, which saw a decline of 2.54 million jobs.

The two-month employment drop, including March and April, reached 8.2 million in leisure and hospitality. Some 459,000 jobs were lost in leisure and hospitality in March, versus February, as the coronavirus pandemic began to take its toll. As in April, dining establishments and bars took the brunt of the hit.

In late April, the U.S. Travel Association and Tourism Economics projected that the coronavirus pandemic would lead to the loss of 8 million jobs out of a total of 24 million in the U.S. economy. 

Vande Bharat Mission: Authorities seek hotel rooms across the country

India begins its biggest repatriation exercise to bring back 14,800 nationals stuck in 12 countries, the government is earmarking a range of hotel rooms across the spectrum, from one star properties to plush five-stars, for quarantining these travellers who will be landing in different cities
Hotels newly earmarked in Delhi include the Taj Palace Hotel, Shangri-La’s Eros Hotel and Le Meridien, according to people aware of the matter. Besides Taj Palace, the Indian Hotels Company Limited ..
(IHCL) has earmarked rooms in five of its hotels in Bengaluru for the exercise, including in Taj MG Road, Taj West End and the Vivanta hotel in Whitefield.

“We are glad to be able to offer support and care for our community,” said a Shangri-La spokesperson. “The hotel will accommodate some of these returning travellers as and when required. During this period, we will take all necessary precautions and strictly abide by the guidelines provided by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare,”.

“We have got 200 rooms. The Delhi government had approached us. As per the instructions that we have received, all the guests are supposed to pay for the rooms. The government is not footing the bill. In our case it’s Rs 4,000 for a single room and Rs 4,800 for a double room, inclusive of meals plus taxes,” said Tarun Thakral, Chief Operating Officer at Le Meridien. “I think they are giving options to arriving passengers to choose from hotel categories and rates.”
The Delhi government has reportedly allocated 1,200 rooms in Delhi and National Capital Region for the purpose.

The Hotel and Restaurant Association of Western India (HRAWI) said it has been in constant touch with the authorities in Maharashtra and has arranged more than 1,500 rooms at discounted rates in Mumbai across categories
At IBIS New Delhi Aerocity, there are 200 rooms which have been committed for the repatriation exercise
Lemon Tree Hotels said it has been approached by different state authorities on room availability and quotation in locations like Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, Alleppey, Kochi, Amritsar and Lucknow.
Besides IHCL, hotel chains such as Lemon Tree, Accor and Radisson Hotels have been offering quarantining services for asymptomatic people during the lockdown.

GBTA Industry Forum Series: Interview with Patrick Pacious, President & CEO, Choice Hotels

Scott Solombrino, CEO, GBTA chats with Patrick Pacious, President and CEO of Choice Hotels as part of the GBTA Industry Forum Series. Patrick shares his experience working for a hotel company where 100% hotels are franchised, the challenges facing small business owners, their advocacy efforts and the government funding which has been introduced to support these businesses.

For more detail please visit on below link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-9h2PV-CaI#action=share

How UK hotels are preparing for the holiday season from hell

Across the country, hotels that were shuttered at the start of the coronavirus pandemic have become eerie, empty shells. Front desks are devoid of receptionists ready to check-in guests, rooms are collecting dust. And with the summer season on the horizon, life for UK hoteliers is about to get much harder

The majority of Britons who had planned a domestic holiday in the UK this year believe that it is unlikely to go ahead, according to domestic tourism research from VisitBritain. "Those domestic summer holidays lost are not likely to be replaced with only a minority who have cancelled holidays looking to replace them," says Patricia Yates, chief executive of VisitBritain.

If lockdown doesn't lift by this summer, it would be a huge financial blow to many of the 13,000 hotels and over 35,000 B&Bs and guest houses in the UK, which make around 30 per cent of their annual revenue during the summer months. Chris Tate, partner at audit, tax and consulting firm RSM, says hotels that host corporate events skew the market's revenue figures because they are busiest from October through November — hiding just how dire the summer drop-off can be for the rest of the market

ITC Hotels launches ‘WeAssure’

ITC Hotels has launched the ‘WeAssure’ initiative under which the chain has partnered with National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare Providers (NABH) and DNV GL Business Assurance to ensure 'clinical' levels of hygiene and safety for its hotels.
The company said these assurance certifications will stand testimony to the ' rigorous' hygiene protocol being put in place to ensure the safety of guests and associates at ITC Hotels across India.

Nakul Anand, executive director at ITC said WeAssure is a unique programme designed in collaboration with medical professionals and disinfection experts to further enhance the existing hygiene and cleaning protocols.
ITC Hotels said the accreditation by National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare Providers (NABH) will enhance existing procedures and controls in the area of sanitation, hygiene, safety and infection control thereby conforming to hospital level hygiene standards
ITC said ‘WeAssure’ will address all facets of hotel operations from revised protocols for back of the house activity at the receiving store, back offices, laundry to the public areas with heightened sanitization measures for guest luggage and elevators to room service.

‌Lorraine‌ ‌Sinclair Appointed Executive Chef At Pan‌ ‌Pacific‌ ‌London‌, United Kingdom

Pan‌ ‌Pacific‌ ‌London‌ ‌announce‌d‌ ‌the‌ ‌appointment‌ ‌of‌ ‌Lorraine‌ ‌Sinclair‌ ‌as‌ ‌Executive‌ ‌Chef.‌ ‌Located‌ ‌in‌ ‌London's‌ ‌new‌ ‌landmark‌ ‌tower,‌ ‌One‌ ‌Bishopsgate‌ ‌Plaza,‌ ‌this‌ ‌multi-award-winning‌ ‌chef‌ ‌returns‌ ‌to‌ ‌her‌ ‌home‌ ‌country,‌ ‌following‌ ‌years‌ ‌honing‌ ‌her‌ ‌craft‌ ‌at‌ ‌Sheraton‌ ‌Saigon‌ ‌Hotel‌ ‌&‌ ‌Towers,‌ ‌where‌ ‌she‌ ‌was‌ ‌Director‌ ‌of‌ ‌Culinary‌ ‌Operations‌ ‌for‌ ‌four‌ ‌years.‌ ‌

On‌ ‌joining‌ ‌the‌ ‌hotel,‌ ‌Lorraine‌ ‌will‌ ‌be‌ ‌responsible‌ ‌for‌ ‌the‌ ‌entire‌ ‌food‌ ‌and‌ ‌chef‌ ‌operations.‌ ‌Widely‌ ‌recognised‌ ‌as‌ ‌one‌ ‌of‌ ‌the‌ ‌top‌ ‌female‌ ‌chefs‌ ‌in‌ ‌the‌ ‌world,‌ ‌She ‌will‌ ‌lead‌ ‌the‌ ‌hotel‌ ‌brigade‌ ‌and‌ ‌will‌ ‌be‌ ‌putting‌ ‌her‌ ‌own‌ ‌stamp‌ ‌on‌ ‌restaurants‌ ‌and‌ ‌menus.‌ ‌

Her‌ ‌nearly‌ ‌thirty‌ ‌years'‌ ‌experience‌ ‌in‌ ‌top‌ ‌kitchens‌ ‌in‌ ‌Europe,‌ ‌Asia‌ ‌and‌ ‌the‌ ‌Middle‌ ‌East,‌ ‌has‌ ‌seen‌ ‌Lorraine‌ ‌hold‌ ‌eight‌ ‌Executive‌ ‌Chef‌ ‌positions.‌ ‌She‌ ‌was‌ ‌selected‌ ‌as‌ ‌the‌ ‌first‌ ‌female‌ ‌Executive‌ ‌Chef‌ ‌in‌ ‌a‌ ‌number‌ ‌of‌ ‌different‌ ‌locations‌ ‌including‌ ‌Bahrain,‌ ‌Istanbul‌ ‌and‌ ‌Hong‌ ‌Kong,‌ ‌and‌ ‌most‌ ‌recently‌ ‌in‌ ‌Dubai,‌ ‌in‌ ‌her‌ ‌position‌ ‌at‌ ‌the‌ ‌Fairmont‌ ‌Hotel.

‌ ‌While‌ ‌in‌ ‌Hong‌ ‌Kong,‌ ‌two‌ ‌restaurants‌ ‌under‌ ‌Sinclair's‌ ‌direction‌ ‌were‌ ‌awarded‌ ‌Michelin‌ ‌Stars.‌ ‌She‌ ‌was‌ ‌nominated‌ ‌as‌ ‌a‌ ‌"Les‌ ‌Toques‌ ‌Blanches"‌ ‌Board‌ ‌Member‌ ‌and‌ ‌has‌ ‌published‌ ‌a‌ ‌charity‌ ‌cookbook.‌ ‌This‌ ‌is‌ ‌in‌ ‌addition‌ ‌to‌ ‌her‌ ‌receiving‌ ‌multiple‌ ‌accolades‌ ‌including‌ ‌the‌ ‌BBC‌ ‌Good‌ ‌Food‌ ‌award,‌ ‌Time‌ ‌Out's‌ ‌Best‌ ‌Steak‌ ‌House‌ ‌and‌ ‌being‌ ‌placed‌ ‌third‌ ‌in‌ ‌Best‌ ‌Restaurants‌ ‌in‌ ‌2013‌ ‌by‌ ‌Esquire.

Responsible Tourism Is Key To Driving Travel Industry Recovery In A Post-Lockdown World

The travel industry has been impacted by environmental disasters including the droughts in Cape Town and the bushfires in Australia, which have awakened our business and personal consciousness. The industry has arguably been late to sustainability and we are now at our own ground zero. This is a unique moment in time to take a pause, right the wrongs, and move away from viewing responsible travel as a 'nice to do'. There should be no such thing as 'sustainable tourism', simply 'tourism' where acting ethically and responsibly sits in the DNA of every travel brand.

 Destinations need to move away from acting as marketing organisations and focus on being responsible management companies with an environmental and social emphasis which in turn will help reap long-term economic benefits

Health and safety will also be embedded into travellers' decisions. This means that destinations will need to work closely with the health ministries, banks, investors, insurance companies and the private sector to achieve this moving forward in a well-coordinated, informed and transparent way. Carbon offsetting also needs to be looked at more closely by all travel brands to ensure their schemes are ethically driven.

It's important, now more than ever, that brands and destinations prioritise responsible travel as the cornerstone of all recovery plans. Amid Covid-19, we can't lose sight of the Paris Agreement, out of this tragedy will come innovation and greater responsibility that the travel industry must act on.

International Tourist Numbers Could Fall 60-80% in 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a 22% fall in international tourist arrivals during the first quarter of 2020, the latest data from the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) shows. According to the United Nations specialized agency, the crisis could lead to an annual decline of between 60% and 80% when compared with 2019 figures. This places millions of livelihoods at risk and threatens to roll back progress made in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Tourism has been hit hard, with millions of jobs at risk in one of the most labour-intensive sectors of the economy

Available data reported by destinations point to a 22% decline in arrivals in the first three months of the year, according to the latest UNWTO World Tourism Barometer. Arrivals in March dropped sharply by 57% following the start of a lockdown in many countries, as well as the widespread introduction of travel restrictions and the closure of airports and national borders. This translates into a loss of 67 million international arrivals and about US$80 billion in receipts (exports from tourism).

Although Asia and the Pacific shows the highest impact in relative and absolute terms (-33 million arrivals), the impact in Europe, though lower in percentage, is quite high in volume (-22 million).

Prospects for the year have been downgraded several times since the outbreak and uncertainty continues to dominate. Current scenarios point to possible declines in arrivals of 58% to 78% for the year. These depend on the speed of containment and the duration of travel restrictions and shutdown of borders. The following scenarios for 2020 are based on three possible dates for the gradual opening up of international borders.

• Scenario 1 (-58%) based on the gradual opening of international borders and easing of travel restrictions in early July

• Scenario 2 (-70%) based on the gradual opening of international borders and easing of travel restrictions in early September

• Scenario 3 (-78%) based on the gradual opening of international borders and easing of travel restrictions only in early December.

  Under these scenarios, the impact of the loss of demand in international travel could translate into:

• Loss of 850 million to 1.1 billion international tourists

• Loss of US$910 billion to US$1.2 trillion in export revenues from tourism

• 100 to 120 million direct tourism jobs at risk

  This is by far the worst crisis that international tourism has faced since records began (1950). The impact will be felt to varying degrees in the different global regions and at overlapping times, with Asia and the Pacific expected to rebound first.

  Experts see recovery in 2021

  Domestic demand is expected to recover faster than international demand according to the UNWTO Panel of Experts survey. The majority expects to see signs of recovery by the final quarter of 2020 but mostly in 2021. Based on previous crises, leisure travel is expected to recover quicker, particularly travel for visiting friends and relatives, than business travel.

International tourist arrivals, 2019 and Q1 2020 (% change)

International Tourism 2020 Scenarios

International tourist arrivals in 2020: three scenarios (YoY monthly change, %)

When do you expect tourism demand in your destination will start to recover?

Samira Clarke Appointed Director of Sales At Residence Inn by Marriott Long Island Garden City - NY, USA

Clarke brings her nearly 15 years of experience in the New York hotel industry, including most recently at OTO Development's AC Hotel New York Times Square, to the new Residence Inn as the director of sales.

Prior to her time with OTO Development's properties, Clarke built tremendous experience in the New York hotel industry with stints at the Courtyard Times Square West, Allegria Hotel, Hilton Garden Inn Times Square Central, among others.

She has served in a variety of roles, including front office coordinator, sales manager, and catering sales manager.

Contactless Check-In/Check-Out and Keyless Room Entry Now Available to Hotels Via the Fuel Mobile App

Fuel, a leading provider of guest-facing hotel software solutions and digital marketing services for the global hospitality industry, has expanded the digital-key functionality of its industry-leading mobile application for independent and boutique hotels.

Enabled through a successful integration with ASSA ABLOY™, the world's largest provider of hotel locking systems, the newly incorporated technology allows hotel properties with the Fuel Contactless Mobile App and ASSA ABLOY™ locking systems to let guests access their assigned guestrooms using their mobile phone as a digital key. With this feature enabled, guests can check in remotely, bypass the front desk, and go directly to their rooms upon arrival at a hotel property.

 The app can be customized with the hotel's color palette and logo, and it provides additional digital-concierge features such as Itenerary, Weather, Maps, Local Information and Special Offers.

The full feature set of the Fuel Contactless Mobile App is enabled by its ability to communicate with the hotel's Property Management System. Fuel has integrations with most of the hotel industry's leading PMS software providers, including Oracle Hospitality, SMS, Maestro, IQware, Megasys and Resort Data Processing.

"We have been developing and perfecting our Contactless Mobile App for over three years," said Stuart Butler, chief operating officer of Fuel.

Starting at $250 per month, the Fuel Contactless Mobile App & Digital Key is the most feature-rich and cost-effective custom mobile app for independent hotels.

A Message from Brian Chesky, Co-Founder and CEO of Airbnb, Inc.

Airbnb Co-Founder and CEO Brian Chesky sent the following note to Airbnb employees.This is my seventh time talking to you from my house. Each time we've talked, I've shared good news and bad news, but today I have to share some very sad news.

When you've asked me about layoffs, I've said that nothing is off the table. I must confirm that we are reducing the size of the Airbnb workforce. For a company like us whose mission is centered around belonging, this is incredibly difficult to confront, and it will be even harder for those who have to leave Airbnb. I am going to share as many details as I can on how I arrived at this decision, what we are doing for those leaving, and what will happen next.

 Airbnb's business has been hit hard, with revenue this year forecasted to be less than half of what we earned in 2019. In response, we raised $2 billion in capital and dramatically cut costs that touched nearly every corner of Airbnb.

While these actions were necessary, it became clear that we would have to go further when we faced two hard truths

• We don't know exactly when travel will return.

• When travel does return, it will look different.

Out of our 7,500 Airbnb employees, nearly 1,900 teammates will have to leave Airbnb, comprising around 25% of our company. Since we cannot afford to do everything that we used to, these cuts had to be mapped to a more focused business

How we approached reductions

It was important that we had a clear set of principles, guided by our core values, for how we would approach reductions in our workforce. These were our guiding principles:

• Map all reductions to our future business strategy and the capabilities we will need.

• Do as much as we can for those who are impacted.

• Be unwavering in our commitment to diversity.

• Optimize for 1:1 communication for those impacted.

• Wait to communicate any decisions until all details are landed — transparency of only partial information can make matters worse.

  Process for making reductions

  Our process started with creating a more focused business strategy built on a sustainable cost model. We assessed how each team mapped to our new strategy, and we determined the size and shape of each team going forward. We then did a comprehensive review of every team member and made decisions based on critical skills, and how well those skills matched our future business needs.

  The result is that we will have to part with teammates that we love and value. We have great people leaving Airbnb, and other companies will be lucky to have them.

  Severance

  Employees in the US will receive 14 weeks of base pay, plus one additional week for every year at Airbnb. Tenure will be rounded to the nearest year. For example, if someone has been at Airbnb for 3 years and 7 months, they will get an additional 4 weeks of salary, or 18 weeks of total pay. Outside the US, all employees will receive at least 14 weeks of pay, plus tenure increases consistent with their country-specific practices.

  Equity

  We are dropping the one-year cliff on equity for everyone we've hired in the past year so that everyone departing, regardless of how long they have been here, is a shareholder. Additionally, everyone leaving is eligible for the May 25 vesting date.

  Healthcare

  In the midst of a global health crisis of unknown duration, we want to limit the burden of healthcare costs. In the US, we will cover 12 months of health insurance through COBRA. In all other countries, we will cover health insurance costs through the end of 2020. This is because we're either legally unable to continue coverage, or our current plans will not allow for an extension. We will also provide four months of mental health support through KonTerra.

  Our goal is to connect our teammates leaving Airbnb with new job opportunities. Here are five ways we can help:

• Alumni Talent Directory — We will be launching a public-facing website to help teammates leaving find new jobs. Departing employees can opt-in to have profiles, resumes, and work samples accessible to potential employers.

• Alumni Placement Team — For the remainder of 2020, a significant portion of Airbnb Recruiting will become an Alumni Placement Team. Recruiters that are staying with Airbnb will provide support to departing employees to help them find their next job.

• RiseSmart — We are offering four months of career services through RiseSmart, a company that specializes in career transition and job placement services.

• Employee Offered Alumni Support — We are encouraging all remaining employees to opt-in to a program to assist departing teammates find their next role.

• Laptops — A computer is an important tool to find new work, so we are allowing everyone leaving to keep their Apple laptops.

Marriott International Ranks #1 On DiversityInc Top 50 List

Marriott International, Inc. was recognized as the #1 company for diversity across industries on the 2020 DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity list. The ranking also makes Marriott the highest-ranking hospitality company on the list for more than ten years and the only one to have achieved the top ranking. 

Marriott's success in the diversity and inclusion space is based on a 360-degree cultural approach encompassing results-oriented metrics and initiatives supporting associates, customers, suppliers and owners. This approach had led to signature accomplishments such as collaborating with leading human rights nonprofits on human trafficking prevention training and leveraging TakeCare, its award-winning employee wellbeing program, to advance the practice of diversity and inclusion in the modern workplace.

 The company has been recognized for its talent development programs with a long list of notable and lifetime achievement awards, including - Working Mother 100 Best Companies Quarter Century and Hall of Fame, Black Enterprise Best Companies for Diversity, a repeat LATINA Style Company of the Year, Asia Society Best Companies for Asian Pacific Americans, National Association for Female Executives (NAFE) Top Companies for Executive Women Hall of Fame

Time for the Hotel Industry to “Remove the Box”

The hotel industry is one of the worst-hit industries during this crisis. A lot of studies have been conducted to help us understand the impact on the economy and our organization's bottom-line. Industry experts, through their various associations, have predicted that the average hotel occupancy in Malaysia for the year will stand at around 25% or less.

According to a recent study by Malaysia Association of Hotels (MAH), the industry is looking at a potential loss of RM6.3b in rooms revenue alone. Assuming rooms revenue accounts for 60% of the total hotel revenue, with F&B and other income accounting for the remaining 40%, the industry is facing a RM10.5b in potential losses.

MAH represents about 1,000 hotels out of the 4,880 hotels registered with the Ministry of Tourism Arts & Culture (MOTAC). However, these 1,000 hotels with 164,000 rooms represent 56% of total rooms inventory available throughout Malaysia.

 The number of hotels closing for business is increasing by the day, indicating not only loss of business, but also loss of jobs. The current estimate is that 1 million travel industry personnel (including hotel, airline, cruise and travel agents) will lose their jobs by the end of this year.

While we take stock and moan how the hotel industry's poor prospects, let us focus our attention on what we can, and should, do moving forward.

According to a study by the University of Singapore Technology and Design, China is expected to be the first to get back to normalcy while Malaysia's magic date is predicted to be July 6. Whether we like it or not, we should look at China as one of our main feeder markets, besides the domestic market of course. Consider appointing representatives or affiliates based in key cities in China to work with online platforms and mainstream travel agents there and start re-promoting Malaysia as a destination. Hoteliers need to actively prepare for this, and as soon as China reopens its doors, hotels must already be "Chinese friendly" at all service touch points

A financial reprojection is necessary to understand your hotel's new breakeven point. We often hear that the breakeven point (BEP) in an operating hotel is at 40% occupancy levels

At least for the short to mid-term, hotels will be looking at domestic travellers as a main source of customers. This will indeed be the fastest strategy to regain some occupancy. Malaysians still love the "Cuti-Cuti Malaysia" short getaways

Hotels may in the near future need to be certified "Social Distance Compliant" by authorities after they have practised and passed SOPs set by authorities. This is going to be very similar to the HALAL certification we see displayed on public areas. This could be something we will all be used to in the near future.

Commingle:Engage Offers Hotel Business Recovery Marketing Services

Commingle:Engage, the hospitality industry's premier provider of full-service social media marketing and guest reputation management services ,announced the launch of its hotel business recovery marketing services aimed to assist hotels with their re-opening and recovery stages. Commingle:Engage is providing 'done for you' multifaceted hotel business recovery marketing services for even the smallest of properties with plans starting at just $525 per month.

The hotel business recovery marketing services include comprehensive and multi-faceted approaches to leverage the enormous consumer reach of social media, email marketing, Facebook advertising and proprietary Messenger marketing services developed by the Company.

The hotel business recovery plan starts with team creating a unique Stay.Play.Explore landing page designed to highlight local attributes of the property, destination, kid-friendly attractions, staycation/getaway/spa packages and amenities

From there we create social media and email marketing campaigns that drive consumers back to the property's Stay.Play.Explore page where they can pass through to the booking engine for reservations.

On top of this, we deploy geo-targeted Facebook advertising and our proprietary Facebook Messenger services to capture future wedding sales leads."

Choice Hotels Announces Commitment To Clean Initiative

Building on the existing dedication to cleanliness at its nearly 6,000 franchised hotels in the United States, Choice Hotels International, Inc. announced a new initiative: Commitment to Clean. The initiative is Choice Hotels' holistic approach to supplying franchisees and their employees with the tools they need to help Choice-branded hotels achieve superior levels of cleanliness, and address health and safety concerns associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Commitment to Clean leverages Choice's long-standing relationship with Ecolab, the industry expert and global leader in water, hygiene and infection prevention technologies and services; guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the World Health Organization and the U.S. Travel Association; and Choice's membership in the American Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA) Safe Stay Advisory Council, to provide hotels with the latest resources and training.

The Commitment to Clean initiative builds on Choice Hotels' long-standing cleanliness protocols, and enhances the existing program with guidance developed in response to the pandemic, including recommendations related to deep cleaning, disinfecting, hygiene, and social distancing best practices and protocols.

Protocols

• Heightened cleaning protocols for high-traffic areas such as the front desk, fitness centers and pools, as well as other high-touch surfaces throughout the hotel, using hospital-grade disinfectant approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to combat the spread of COVID-19

• Housekeeping "on-demand" option that allows guests to request delivery of additional toiletries, towels, linens or coffee without having a housekeeper enter the room.

Products

• Design enhancements to help facilitate contactless check-in and check-out, such as plexiglass partitions at front desks for added protection and key drops for guests' use upon departure.

• "Clean seals" on certain high-touch items in guest rooms to provide reassurance of sterilized condition.

Communications

• On-property signage and decals reiterating CDC social distancing guidelines, personal sanitation guidelines and the importance of surface cleaning.

• Communications from front desk staff to guests about precautions taken for their safety and comfort, and reminders about additional safeguards available at guests' choosing.

Las Vegas Sands Announces Temporary Closure of Las Vegas Properties

Las Vegas Sands announced that, out of an abundance of caution and in line with recent guidance from federal and state governments, it is closing its Venetian and Palazzo resorts in Las Vegas until at least April 1. A decision on whether to extend the closure or re-open will be made at a later date. The process of closing the properties will begin immediately and be completed as soon as possible.

"These are clearly challenging times for our country and our community. We are in the hospitality and entertainment business and our team members work very hard to provide a great experience for the thousands of people who come through our doors daily. However, our most important commitment is the one we have made to the health and safety of our team members and guests.

Right now, the best way to fulfill that commitment is by asking people to not come to work. While we hope this closure is a short-term necessity, we are realistic it may be a prolonged event. Like we have done in the past, we are fully prepared to support our team members over an extended period should it be needed," said Rob Goldstein, president and chief operating officer of Las Vegas Sands.

The company also announced it is donating a total of $250,000 to several important local organizations to serve our community during this time of need. Those organizations include Three Square, Communities In Schools and Share Village Las Vegas. In addition, the company plans to bolster that financial support with donations of meals and needed equipment.