Cloud Kitchens — Top 10 mistakes that take your business down

Key Take Away

Foodtech startups have re-defined the food consumption of an average Indian customer. From gourmet to street foods delivered to our home by the innovative, algorithm-driven apps assigning a fleet of concierge delivery guys who pick up the food from several choices of restaurants, disrupting the food industry — both in organized and unorganized sectors.

One such advantage of this technology-driven delivery platform is the existence of Cloud kitchens or dark kitchens. 

The major reasons for the failure of these kitchens are:

1. Lack of Business vision

2. Huge leap in Aggregators commission

3. Too Many Players in the Same Segment

4. Pricing Factor

5. Zero Market Research

6. Lack of Consistency

7. Lack of Technology

8. Dependency on Unreliable Labour

9. Flawed Costing

10. Lack of Structure and Process

For more information visit :

https://medium.com/@srinivasanrangarajalu/10-reasons-for-the-failure-of-cloud-kitchens-any-food-business-3c2ea2dfb65

Marriott announces North American, international leadership changes

Long-time Marriott International senior executive Dave Grissen has decided to step down from his position as group president, the Americas, toward the end of 2020 and retire from Marriott in the first quarter of 2021

Grissen leads all aspects of the company's biggest region, the Americas, which generates more than two-thirds of the company's fee revenues

Under Grissen's leadership, Marriott's Americas organization has grown from 2,928 hotels to 5,640 properties today, with another 1,800 hotels in the pipeline

New North American and International Leadership

Marriott also announced plans for the company's lodging operations to be consolidated under two long-time Marriott leaders after Grissen steps down from his current role. Under this plan, Liam Brown will take on the role of group president, North America and Craig S. Smith will take on the role of group president, International.

Brown currently is group president, Europe, Middle East & Africa. Brown was president, Europe, and before that, president, select brands and owner and franchise services, North America.

The company expects that David Marriott, currently president, U.S. full service, managed by Marriott, will join the company's board of directors in 2021

Get Ready to Experience “Island Homes” in Maldives Post Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused disruptions in almost every human activity on the planet. At the moment travelling anywhere is out of the question for most, even though some countries are cautiously opening their borders

Maldives is ready to offer a fresh concept that you really should experience: Island Homes. The thought of being cloistered in a luxurious home with every comfort available while away from home is definitely something many travelers around the world are yearning to experience for themselves once Maldives is open for business post pandemic.

Most Island Homes are located in a contained private area providing the ultimate in privacy with many of the luxuries you’d usually expect to find at a Maldivian resort.

One of the first such properties to pop up in Maldives is the luxurious Veli Vilaa located in Dhiffushi Island.The property has such a calming and magical effect on the senses that guests often despair having to leave. One Serbian family, who arrived before the pandemic leading to  lockdowns all over the world, chose to extend their stay to six weeks once they realized they’d rather stay and experience the stress-free island life, cocooned and sheltered from the woes of the world at large for as long as possible, before heading back.

Maldives Conducts Webinars For Indian Market, Commences Campaign With Kayak

Maldives Marketing & Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) has conducted webinars for travel trade in India and  has commenced a campaign with an Indian travel agency Kayak from today till 22nd May 2020.In an effort to inspire travelers to keep dreaming about the destination.

India is one of the key source markets likely to be amongst the top post-pandemic tourists to the Maldives when traveling resumes once again. In January 2020, there were 13,846 tourist arrivals from this market which was a 19% increase when compared to the same period from last year.

These sessions were held to train potential travel agencies and tour operators to yield the maximum business and achieve a greater reach in the market. The webinars by MMPRC also aim to lead engagement in promoting the Maldives and answer destination FAQs over the course of the lockdown.

Till date, these webinars have reached over 302 pax from tour operators and travel agents in India such as Ease My Trip, SOTC Travel Ltd, Travel Triangle and Vacations Exotica to name a few.

The joint campaign with Kayak will have ads depicting ‘Visit Maldives…later’ displayed throughout the website. The messaging in the campaign is intended to encourage visitors to travel to the Maldives once the pandemic has been overcome.

Cocogiri Island Resort to open on 1st December 2020

Cocogiri Island Resort, a new luxury resort situated in Vaavu Atoll is scheduled to open on 1, December 2020.

Located just 12 minutes away by seaplane from Velana International Airport, Cocogiri is already being hailed having one of the best house reefs in the Maldives, making it a dream come true for snorkelers and scuba divers.

Cocogiri is an exclusive, boutique resort featuring 20 water villas and 20 beach villas on a private island ensuring the utmost tranquility for guests.

Guests can also enjoy evenings watching the sunset while dining at Cocogiri’s beach restaurant with a range of international cuisine made by their highly experienced team of chefs, or cool off at the bar. For more adventurous guests, the resort offers the opportunity to scuba dive or snorkel with their on-island Dive School, or raise your adrenaline levels with their extensive water sports programme. Explore the surrounding islands and immerse yourself in the cultural beauty of the Maldives through Cocogiri’s daily excursions.

Regardless of the occasion, Cocogiri Island Resort assures to offer the perfect setting for rare moments of romance, adventure, excitement and memories to last a lifetime.

LUX* Resorts & Hotels Shows Appreciation to Healthcare Professionals in Maldives with Complimentary Stay

In appreciation of the Maldivian medical professionals’ selfless dedication in fighting on the frontline during this challenging time, LUX* Resorts & Hotels in the Maldives shows their gratitude to the local healthcare workers by giving a complimentary two-night stay on full board at either LUX* South Ari Atoll Resort & Villas or LUX* North Malé Atoll Resort & Villas, Maldives.

The public can pay tribute to a healthcare professional who had touched their life during this unprecedented crisis by sharing their stories of appreciation on their own Facebook profile, along with the hashtags #CollectivelyWeCare and #CollectivelyWeCareLSAA or #CollectivelyWeCareLNMA, including a picture of the medical worker and tagging the resort they wish to win a stay in for their nominee.

The post with the most likes will enable the nominated healthcare worker to redeem his or her stay for two adults on full board basis including domestic transfers, as soon as accessibility is re-established to the respective resorts. This campaign will end on 3 June 2020.

Additionally, LUX* Resorts & Hotels will honour these two Healthcare Heroes by planting a coconut tree on World Environment Day (5 June) in their names to serve as permanent reminders of their service rendered during this unprecedented time.

No gesture is enough to repay their selfless acts of service, however, we wish to do our bit to provide them with a well-deserved holiday so they can recuperate and rest,” said John Rogers, General Manager of LUX* North Malé Atoll Resort & Villas.

Starbucks to reopen 150 UK stores to serve takeaway coffee

Coffee giant Starbucks has announced that it will begin the “phased reopening” of 150 UK.The stores ​– which will reopen their doors on May 14 – will largely be made up of the brand’s drive-thru locations, joined by a “handful” of cafes offering takeaway, with delivery services expected to be introduced shortly. The move comes after Starbucks announced the closure of all its UK stores in March. 

Starbucks has said that the reopened locations will offer a “near-complete beverage menu”, but the food menu is to be “slightly restricted” and will “focus on more popular items”. The company will also be offering all NHS workers free beverages – in Tall size only, but in any variety – on the house.

The company has said it will introduce enhanced health and safety measures to the stores, including Plexiglass screens, contactless payments, social distancing measures and new cleaning protocols and increased hand-washing guidelines.  

In a letter to the company’s partners, UK general manager Alex Rayner said that the goal was to “be fully open by the end of June”.

“We have been learning, testing and refining these operational standards every day and have tailored to the specific needs of our Government and healthcare officials. You will be able to work safely in our stores.”

Zomato to lay off 13% workforce

Online food-delivery platform Zomato on Friday said it will reduce its workforce by 13%, while also implementing a temporary pay cut of up to 50% for remaining employees as nationwide lockdown to prevent spread of COVID-19 severely affected its business.

In an email to employees, Zomato Founder & CEO Deepinder Goyal said that the workers affected by the layoffs will continue to get half of their salaries, in addition to health insurance and outplacement support, for the next six months or till they find another job, whichever is earlier

The company is also looking at making “partial or full work from home” a permanent feature to reduce real estate costs.

“Our business has been severely affected by the COVID lockdowns. A large number of restaurants have already shut down permanently, and we know that this is just the tip of the iceberg,” Mr Goyal said, adding that he expects the number of restaurants to shrink by 25-40% over the next 6-12 months.

Many people have volunteered for a 100% pay cut for at least 6 months, the company remains short of its salary reduction target.

Lower cuts are being proposed for people with lower salaries, and higher cuts (up to 50%) for people with higher salaries.This temporary reduction in pay will also be eligible for 2x ESOP grants.

 All employees who no longer have any work at Zomato, will continue to be “with us at 50% salary for the next 6 months. During this time, outside of the handover period of 1-2 weeks, we expect these folks to spend 100% of their time and energy towards looking for jobs outside of Zomato.”

Some impacted employees who are not directly on Zomato’s payroll, will get two months of severance 

“Each person leaving us will also be allowed to keep their Zomato issued laptops and phones (if any),” he said, adding, “Previously allocated ESOPs will continue to vest during this period of six months, as all these people will remain on our payroll with reduced pay.”

The company will continue to hire people in some areas, primarily in product and engineering.

Noting that the company’s highest recurring expense today outside of payroll is real estate, Mr Goyal said Zomato has over 150 offices globally, most of which are spaces for their sales and logistics teams. “Given how well we have been working from home, we have decided to make partial or full work from home a permanent feature of our lives.”

COVID-19 Employee Health Check Platform

A robust platform for conducting health assessments when the frontline needs it most. Employee safety equals guest trust.

How does the Health Check Platform work?

• A mobile app that can record symptoms and gather a temperature check prior to entering the premises 

• Enterprise-ready reporting capabilities and printable summary reports instilling customer confidence  

• Can be integrated with Harri’s timekeeping system to collect PPE attestations 

• Supports confidence and trust amongst team members

  The Health Check-In Action

  Health Check Mobile App

• Built into Harri Live, a native mobile app for ops teams, managers can complete symptom screenings and employee temperature checks prior to employees entering the location 

• Ability to log symptoms results prior to the employee entering the workplace

• Employees who do not pass the screening process are signalled to be sent home and HR is notified for awareness

  Customer-Facing Employee Health Report

• Easily generate and print a Health Check summary for guest-facing purposes

• Options include a unique design for display on a restaurant front door and delivery and/or drive-thru orders

  Enterprise-Ready Reporting and Tracking System

• Robust tracking and reporting of health checks at the unit, area and enterprise level

• Proactive alerts for above-unit managers related to failed health check

  PPE In-Use Image Capture

• Employees punch into Harri’s Team Hub timekeeping system, creating a visual audit trail of PPE equipment in use

• AI-powered object-detection determines if a mask is present at the time of the clock in and produces alerts

  Employee PPE Attestations

• Employees attest to being provided PPE prior to starting their shift, complying with numerous local directives

Latin America’s Hotel Construction Pipeline Remains Sluggish at the Close of the First Quarter of 2020

In the recent Latin America Hotel Construction Pipeline Trend Report, analysts at Lodging Econometrics (LE) state that the total construction pipeline stands at 702 projects/124,050 rooms, down 2% by projects and up less than 1% by rooms, year-over-year (YOY).

In the first quarter of 2020, 22 new hotels/3,825 rooms opened throughout Latin America, while new project announcements into the pipeline recorded a new all-time low of 36 projects/3,596 rooms

Mexico leads Latin America’s construction pipeline with 222 projects/40,639 rooms. Next is Brazil, standing at 137 projects/22,607 rooms. Peru follows with 41 projects/5,702 rooms; Colombia is next with 36 projects/5,899 rooms and then the Dominican Republic with 33 projects/8,105 rooms. Collectively, these five countries account for 69% of the rooms in the total pipeline.

Cities in Latin America with the largest pipelines include Lima, Peru with 31 projects/4,691 rooms; Mexico City, Mexico with 26 projects/4,358 rooms; Cancun, Mexico with 23 projects/11,234 rooms; Sao Paulo, Brazil with 18 projects/3,294 rooms; and Guadalajara, Mexico with 18 projects/2,302 rooms.

Top hotel franchise companies in Latin America’s construction pipeline are Marriott International with 129 projects/22,571 rooms, AccorHotels with 98 projects/13,049 rooms, Hilton Worldwide at a record high 88 projects/12,345 rooms, and InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) with 61 projects/7,116 rooms. These four companies account for 54% of the projects in the total construction pipeline.

The top brands in the pipeline are AccorHotel’s Ibis brands with 67 projects/8,868 rooms, Hampton by Hilton with 25 projects/2,952 rooms and Hilton Garden Inn with 23 projects/3,189 rooms. These are followed by Marriott’s Fairfield Inn with 17 projects/2,489 rooms and IHG’s Holiday Inn Express with 17 projects/2,075 rooms.

COVID-19 did not have a full impact on first quarter 2020 Latin America results reported by LE. Only the last 30 days of the quarter were affected. LE’s market intelligence department has and will continue to gather the necessary global intelligence on the supply side of the lodging industry and make that information available to our subscribers. It is still early to predict the full impact of the outbreak on the lodging industry. 

Hotel Industry Has Been Worst Hit By The Corona- Crisis.

The Covid-19 epidemic has badly affected the hotel industry in 11 major cities of the country, leading to a decline of 29 percent per room in January-March this year. According to JLL India, the level of filling of rooms in 11 cities-Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Goa, Gurugram, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Mumbai, Pune and Kolkata-fell to 5-17 per cent, while per room income decreased by 13-29 percent.

Property advisor JLL India said in a report that the domestic hotel and hospitality sector was badly affected in the first quarter of the year 2020. According to statistics, all the 11 cities lacked both room filling and room earnings.According to property advisory firm JLL India, the first quarter of the current Panchang year during January-March 2020, the ware housing demand in eight major cities of the country has come down by 29 per cent to 59 lakh sq. ft. and new supply has come down by 14 per cent to 90 lakh sq. ft. These eight cities are Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, Delhi-NCR and Pune.

Tamarack Resort Announces Plan for Phased Reopening Beginning May 16

In accordance with Idaho Rebounds, Gov. Brad Little’s guidelines for opening up Idaho, Tamarack Resort has received approval from Central District Health for its phased reopening beginning on Saturday, May 16.

The phased approach prioritizes the health and safety of employees, guests, and homeowners while resuming dining, lodging, and recreation-based activities.

Starting May 16, Tamarack will resume its dining and lodging services and will also open its meadow hiking and biking trails for complimentary use while encouraging appropriate social distancing. Tamarack’s recently opened retail outlets, including the Clearwater Coffee Shop and Village Market and Deli, will also reopen with enhanced health and safety protocols. Construction on The Village at Tamarack will resume, including real estate tours of the Village residential units and the real estate gallery. Additional activities will resume on the following dates:

• May 21: Scenic lift rides on Tamarack Express

• May 22 (Memorial Day Weekend): Waterfront Cabana motorized & non-motorized boat rentals

• May 28: Lift-served mountain biking (dependent on mid-mountain snow melt)

• June 6: Tamarack Zipline Tours (dependent on mid-mountain snow melt)

• Mid-June: Guided whitewater rafting trips on the Cabarton stretch of the North Fork of the Payette River.

For all recreation updates, guests are encouraged to visit TamarackIdaho.com for the latest days and hours of operations, and to pre-book excursions.

Several of Tamarack’s new protocols and procedures across the resort will include:

• COVID-19 training for employees pursuant to Central District Health (CDH), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) guidelines

• All employees will receive daily temperature checks and be provided gloves and masks to wear during interactions with the public

• Enhanced cleaning and sanitizing of all high-touch surfaces, lodging properties, and recreation equipment

• Installation of Plexiglass dividers at all point of sale locations

• Hand sanitizing stations located throughout the resort, including all high traffic areas, elevators, and entry ways to main buildings

• Signage and markers to support all social distancing guidelines

• Limiting the number of guests inside dining, reception, and ticket areas

• Use of one-time menus in dining establishments

• Use of touchless card readers for transactions

• Complimentary masks available for all guests who forget to bring their own

  The resort encourages all guests planning to visit Tamarack and surrounding mountain communities in Valley County to respect new protocols in place at local businesses and recreation areas – by continuing social distancing, wearing a mask in public, practicing good hand hygiene, and staying home when feeling sic

Steigenberger Hotels & Resorts Will Reopen Its Hotels in Germany Before the End of May

Thomas Willms, CEO, Deutsche Hospitality, undertook an on-site visit to the Steigenberger Hotel Munich on Thursday 14 May 2020 in order to clarify how the company’s new extended guidelines and hygiene measures will apply in practice. “We have been trialling and revising a new hygiene concept on an ongoing basis over the past few weeks,” 

Steigenberger Hotels & Resorts will reopen its hotels in Germany before the end of May. The Steigenberger Hotels & Resorts in Bad Homburg, Bad Neuenahr, Bad Pyrmont, Petersberg, Braunschweig, Bremen, Dresden, Düsseldorf, Heringsdorf, Jena, Cologne, Leipzig and Zingst will recommence operations on 25 May.

The Steigenberger Inselhotel in Constance will also open on 29 May and the Steigenberger Hotel in Munich on 30 May.

The Steigenberger Hotel Dortmund and the Steigenberger Hotel Bad Wörishofen will be welcoming guests back from 8 June and 10 June respectively. Finally, the Steigenberger Frankfurter Hof, the Steigenberger Conti Hansa Kiel, the Steigenberger Hotel Berlin, the Steigenberger Hotel Metropolitan, the Hotel Fürstenhof Bad Pyrmont and the Steigenberger Hotel Hamburg are scheduled to be available again from 1 July. The Steigenberger Hotel Treudelberg Hamburg is already back in business and will be accepting reservations from 15 May.

Presentation of the new standards

Thomas Willms joined Oliver Schafer, General Manager of the Steigenberger Hotel Munich, to explain how guest arrivals will be managed whilst maintaining social distancing and ensuring compliance with the new hygiene regulations. Further areas covered included the restaurants, the guest lifts and the conferencing area.

How the hotel’s facilities could be used without compromising social distancing. One guest room had been adapted by removing the usual decorative cushions, stationery articles and bathrobes. The TV remote control and all the glasses in the room itself and in the bathroom were disinfected after use and packed away in a paper bag. Despite the reduction in the number of utensils provided in the room, guests are, of course, welcome to request any additional items they need at any time.

Mumbai: Horrific accident on Marine Drive; 18-year-old son of hotelier killed, friend hurt

 An 18-year-old son of a hotelier was killed and his friend suffered serious injuries when their speeding car collided with a stationary bus at Marine Drive in South Mumbai. The incident took place at 4:30 pm on Tuesday.

The mishap occurred on SN Road near BD Somani Chowk, nearly 100 metres before the Marine Drive flyover as the car was en route to Chowpatty. There is no clarity on why the teenagers had gone to Marine Drive during the lockdown.

Aryaman Nagpal, the son of Rajesh Nagpal (part-owner of Taj Group of Hotels), was rushed to Sir HN Reliance Foundation Hospital and Research Centre where he succumbed to his injuries. Shouryasingh Sharad Jain is undergoing treatment at the Harikishandas Hospital. As per The Times of India, Jain was behind the wheel.

Domio Develops Apart-Hotel Industry's Most Comprehensive Cleaning Program

Domio, the apart-hotel hospitality company, unveiled its new Domio Difference program outlining industry leading guest experience enhancements to provide guests with peace of mind while they relax in the comfort of home and confidence of a hotel during their Domio stay. The Domio Difference program outlines a series of innovative guest-facing technology combined with enhanced cleaning measures and health amenities to provide guests with assurance of safety and security during their stay

The Domio team developed the cleaning portion of its new program with guidance provided by the CDC, EPA, WHO and leading cleaning chemical manufacturers including Ecolab to formulate its new 100-point cleaning process. Additionally, all Domio guests will be provided with in-room face masks and disinfectant wipes.

While certain technology improvements such as keyless entry and mobile check-in and check-out were already under development by the Domio team as part of its long-term vision of inserting leading technology into hospitality to create frictionless guest experiences, the thrust of the Domio Difference cleaning enhancements were fast-tracked as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic

The Domio Difference program highlights, include:

• In-Unit Health Kit: Guests will be provided with complimentary face masks and disinfecting wipes in each Domio apart-hotel unit.

• 100-point CDC Compliant Apart-Hotel Cleaning: Domio has developed a 100-point checklist inspired by CDC research to ensure clean room stays.

• Contactless Check-In and Check-Out: Domio guests can now check-in and check-out via Domio’s mobile app, enabling guests to bypass the front desk if they so choose.

• Keyless Entry: Domio’s proprietary technology enables guests to use their mobile device to unlock their apart-hotel removing the need to use a key or keycard.

• Voice-Enabled Assistant: Designed specifically for our apart-hotel guests, our in-room voice-enabled Angie units provide guests with a touchless interface for communication.

• Focus on Fitness Centers: Improved guidelines for disinfecting the hotel Fitness Center, closing for cleaning multiple times daily and limiting the number of guests allowed in at one time.

• 80-point CDC Compliant Public Area Cleaning: Increased frequency and detailed checklist inspired by CDC research along with social distancing.

• Employee PPE: Rest comfortably knowing all employees will be provided masks, gloves and other PPE to ensure your well-being.

Solay Mobile App Provides Social Distancing Technology For Resort Pools & Beaches

Resort Technologies, LLC, proudly announces the iOS initial release of its mobile technology solution, Solay, available now for download in the App Store. The Solay Mobile App provides Resorts & Hotels with a free inventory management system to set up overnight guests with reserved seats placed 6 feet apart at pools and beaches. Offering a contactless solution to maintain social distancing, Resorts & Hotels utilizing Solay contribute to a safer return to travel and experience greater ease in adhering to COVID-19 guidelines.

The Solay Mobile App is a seating reservation tool used by overnight guests that generates real time information to Hotels & Resorts. Solay utilizes customized property information and seating maps, organizing the logistics of social distancing among Hotel & Resort registered guests when they enjoy pools and beaches. Solay has a no contact reservation and check-in process on each user’s individual iPhone and does not require any other integrations or property technology solutions. As an effective way to manage vacation experiences through the challenges of COVID-19, the Solay service will promote reassurance and increase confidence of guests vacationing at Hotels & Resorts.

Resort & Hotel Management staff can re-open with peace of mind knowing Solay provides a cost-free system to support property and guest needs alike at pools and beaches without the uncertainty of a first come, first served model.

Solay is also proud to announce all user fees are currently waived to help support hospitality and encourage vacationers to enjoy leisure time again. The Solay Mobile App was established to allow the pure essence of the word “vacation” to be embodied in the guest experience. Solay, a better experience for all.

Solay is now available for free download in the iOS App Store. Android is planned for release in Q1 of 2021 along with development of additional features.

More information can be found online at http://www.solayapp.com

Attracting Travelers After COVID-19

As states and countries relax their restrictions on quarantine and social distancing, airlines and hotels will likely start offering generous discounts in order to generate demand and entice travelers back out into the world beyond their front doorstep.

A major step towards recovery in this segment is likely to come when larger corporations relax business travel restrictions, and other smaller companies follow suit. It is estimated that 5-10% of business travel may be eliminated permanently due to reduced travel budgets, business closure, unemployment, and the growth of online meetings.

 A survey conducted by LuggageHero, indicated that 58% of Americans are planning to travel between May and September 2020, as long as their destinations aren't in quarantine.

Some analysts predict that air travel will not return to full strength until at least mid-2021 which means that leisure travelers are more likely to be taking staycations or car trips to surrounding states.

2020 may bring the re-birth of the road trip and hotels should pay particular attention to their drive markets as the likelihood is this segment is going to be the most likely to celebrate their post-quarantine freedom by taking a short trip within 2-3 hours' drive.

For these reasons, along with continued fear around the pandemic, leisure travel may recover at a slower pace and only recover to previous levels once a vaccine is developed.

The best way to manage your segmentation mix is to take a data first approach. Segment towards drive markets and test what works before expanding your reach and media spend. Also try to understand in-bound travel data as an indicator of where guests are arriving from and choose to target those areas first.

Top Ten Largest Travel and Tourism Businesses

The travel and tourism industry was thriving through the end of 2018, making it the eighth straight year of sustained industry growth. More than 1.4 billion people arrived at international ports around the world

 In 2019, the United Nations World Tourism Organization estimated that one out of every ten jobs globally was linked to the travel and tourism industry.

This growth trend was projected to continue through 2022 until Covid-19 changed everything.To get an overview of what the Travel and Tourism industry looked like before this unprecedented disruption, we’ve compiled a list of the top 10 Largest Travel and Tourism Businesses in the World, arranged in order of 2018 total revenue. Two of the ten on our list are family-owned.

10. Travel Leaders Group

Country of Origin: USA

Revenue: 7.12 billion

Number of Employees: 4,000

Founded in 2008 and headquartered in New York, Travel Leaders Group is a relatively new company that caters primarily to upscale and corporate clientele. 

In 2018, 71 per cent of revenue came from business travel, 25 per cent came from leisure travel, while four per cent came from other categories. Its network of hosted agents generated approximately $436.6 million in sales. Recent estimations suggest more than a third of all agents in North America work under the Travel Leaders Group umbrella either directly or indirectly

9. Royal Caribbean Cruises

Country of Origin: USA

Revenue: 9.49 billion

Number of Employees: 77,000

Royal Caribbean Cruises is one of just two cruise lines to make our list of top tourism businesses in the world. Founded in 1968 in Miami as Royal Caribbean International, the business has grown to become the world’s second-largest cruise line.

8. Walt Disney Parks, Resorts & Leisure

Country of Origin: USA

Revenue: 20.29 billion

No of Employees: 170,000

Disney Park’s 2018 total of $20.29 billion marks its ninth straight year of increases and nearly doubles the 2009 total of $10.67. Disney’s most attended Park is the Magic Kingdom in Florida with just under 21 million visitors in 2018

In total, Disney boasts six resort destinations with 12 theme parks and 53 resorts in the United States, Europe, and Asia. They also run a successful cruise line with four ships and plans for three more to be completed in 2021, 2022, and 2023.

7. Carnival Corporation & PLC

Country of Origin: USA

Revenue: 20.83 billion

Number of Employees: 120,000

Carnival Corporation & PLC holds the distinction of being the world’s largest leisure cruise line with a combined fleet of 102 ships visiting more than 700 ports all around the world. Carnival is a family-owned business

These cruise lines attract nearly 11.5 million guests annually – approximately half of the total global cruise market. With 225,000 daily cruise guests and 100,000 shipboard employees, an estimated 325,000+ people are sailing aboard the Carnival Corporation fleet every single day.

6. Flight Centre Travel Group

Country of Origin: Australia

Revenue: 21.8 billion

Number of Employees: 20,600

Flight Centre Travel Group was founded in Sydney in 1982 and currently stands as the largest retail travel agency in Australia

In 2018, Flight Centre Travel Group sold travel valued at approximately $60 million every day.  Flight Centre travel group is currently headquartered in Brisbane. It operates more than 2,800 retail outlets in Australia, New Zealand, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, South Africa, Hong Kong, India, China, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates and Mexico with licence agreements in another 80 countries.

5. CWT

Country of Origin: USA

Revenue: 25 billion

Number of Employees: 18,000

CWT is a Minnesota-based, family-controlled travel management company perhaps best known by its former name Carlson Wagonlit Travel, which was rebranded as CWT in February 2019

4. BCD Travel

Country of Origin: Netherlands

Revenue: 27.1 billion

Number of Employees: 13,800

BCD Travel is a travel management company headquartered in Atlanta but is a subsidiary of the BCD Group located in the Netherlands. BCD Travel operates travel management services such as travel bookings, consulting and meetings and events in 109 countries around the world

3. Global Business Travel

Country of Origin: Netherlands

Unit Sales: 33.7 billion

No of Employees: 17,400

Initially American Express Global Business Travel, GBT is a world leader in business travel planning and management. The business is incorporated in the Netherlands but is headquartered out of New Jersey.

In 2018, Global Business Travel acquired Hogg Robinson Group, a travel company with roots that trace back to the 19th Century.

2. Booking Holdings

Country of Origin: USA

Revenue: 92.7 billion

Number of Employees: 24,500

Booking Holdings is one of the largest online search and booking platforms for flights, lodging, dining, car rentals and other travel-related services.

In 2017, travellers booked 673.1 million room nights of accommodation, 73.0 million rental car days, and 6.9 million aeroplane tickets using websites owned by Booking Holdings. That year, 93.4 per cent Booking Holdings’ revenues were from commissions, while 6.6 per cent of revenues came from advertising.

1. Expedia Group

Country of Origin:USA

2018 Revenue: 99 billion

Number of Employees: 24,000

One of the most recognisable brand names in the tourism industry fell just short of $100 billion in total revenue to top our list of tourism businesses. The Expedia Group provides an online platform for various travel-related needs  In 2018, the business changed its corporate name from Expedia, Inc. to Expedia Group, Inc.

Just under 69 per cent of Expedia Group’s 2018 revenue came from lodging, 8 per cent from airline bookings, 9.7 per cent from advertising and media, and 13 per cent from other sources.

MasterChef Spain Contestant Kicked Out For Serving Up Dead Bird To Judges

Contestants on the show, which has different national editions all over the world, constantly work to create culinary masterpieces that make viewers at home salivate until they nearly drown.

Regardless of their speciality outside the series, each episode sees the chefs provided with all sorts of ingredients and they have to work with whatever they're given.

However, it seems like one challenge was seemingly too difficult for one competitor.

According to News Corp, Saray was uncomfortable with defeathering a bird for the Spanish series' latest episode. As a result, she said a big 'FU' to the judges and served up an uncooked, unplucked partridge

Look, she gave it a go in terms of presentation. She covered the bird in some cherry tomatoes and a nice looking sauce. Obviously it's still not edible but hey, you can't knock a good bit of presentation

The judges and other competitors looked genuinely shocked with one saying: "This is never seen in MasterChef."

She was also feeling a little discontented on the show, having claimed some of the previous critiques she had received in other rounds were unfair or harsh. After getting a much bigger spray from the judges, she waved them goodbye and left the competition.

Karnataka permits bars, clubs to sell liquor at MRP

The move by the Karnataka government is part of its plans to shore up revenues from excise and help the cash-starved state in its battle against COVID-19 and the economic uncertainty that shrouds it.

The notification by the excise department says that establishments with cl-4 (clubs), cl-7 (hotels and boarding houses) and cl-9 (bars and restaurants) outside containment zones and malls or shopping complexes be allowed to resume sales to ensure its stock like beer does not expire and add to their losses.

The excise department notification comes at a time when the B.S. Yediyurappa-led state government has eased lockdown restrictions in most parts of Karnataka including Bengaluru, its growth engine, that has been classified as a red zone.He said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should declare Covid-19 as a national disaster and that Yediyurappa should demand a ₹50,000 crore special package for Karnataka.

With taps from the centre drying up, Karnataka has already increased excise prices by 17-25% (depending on slabs) that would help raise at least ₹2,000 crores. The state had set a fiscal target of ₹22,700 crore for the current year and has been clocking high sales ,when liquor sales started in the state.

Manu Chandra, the head of the Bengaluru chapter of the National Restaurants Association of India (NRAI) says that selling liquor at MRP would deplete the investments of such establishments.

The liquor that we have in our stores right now is essentially capital or investment that’s lying with us which whenever we open we may be able to sell at whatever margins we used to

He adds that owners of these restaurants pay a higher renewal fee and the MRP model would hit its “economics for a six".

He says that the lockdown happened at the end of March and much of the stocks had depleted with restaurants normally waiting till the beginning of April to replenish. He says that not everyone in the business may be able to sustain this model and may write to the excise department to stop liquor sales and only keep the kitchen open.