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

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

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

#Logout 2.0: NRAI proposes jointly-owned food delivery platform

What seemed like a compromise between restaurants and aggregators after the much-publicised ‘#logout’ movement last year has turned out to be a temporary truce. Restaurants are gearing up to launch a food delivery platform that will have common ownership and will cater to all the players in the sector.

“Food aggregators have become the digital landlords for us, where we don’t even own that space and are heavily dependent on them for our customer loyalty,” said Thomas Fenn, Co-Founder of Mahabelly Restaurants at a town hall organised by NRAI.

On August 14, 2019, the National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI) had announced the ‘#logout’ movement to remove the distortion created by food aggregators through huge discounting.

"Aggregators have distorted a vibrant marketplace by aggressive discounting and predatory pricing," NRAI had said in a statement, last year. While the logout movement had just created a social media buzz, the current scenario due to Covid-19 has cemented the belief among restaurant owners that the industry needs to take back the control.

He mentioned that food aggregators have not made profits in the last seven years. “In the last five years, the commission charged by the aggregators have gone up from 6% to 24%. All these models have helped in driving their valuation than us,” Fenn added.

To overcome the delivery cost, NRAI has nudged restaurants to work in tandem with delivery vendors to utilise their existing fleet. With an array of new technology platforms like Dunzo and Delhivery, restaurants expect to strip down the delivery cost. The model proposed by the industry association is not without precedence. The restaurant association in Dubai has started working on its own digital platform which is likely to help restaurants reduce commissions by up to 26%.

DRDO Develops WiFi-Enabled UV Disinfection Tower For Sanitising Coronavirus-Prone Areas

 Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has developed an Ultra Violet (UV) disinfection tower for rapid and chemical free disinfection of high coronavirus infection prone areas

The Ultra Violet blaster is useful for high-tech surfaces like electronic equipment, computers and other gadgets in laboratories and offices that are not suitable for disinfection with chemical methods

“The product is also effective for areas with large flow of people such as airports, shopping malls, metros, hotels, factories and offices,” the DRDO said in a statement

The UV based area sanitiser may be used by remote operation through laptop or mobile phone using WiFi link.

“The equipment has six lamps each with 43 watts of UV-C power at 254 nm wavelength for 360 degree illumination,” a DRDO official said.

For a room of about 12×12 feet dimension, the disinfection time is about 10 minutes and 30 minutes for a 400 square feet area by positioning the equipment at different places within the room.

The Ultra Violet blaster is a UV based area sanitiser designed and developed by Laser Science & Technology Centre (LASTEC), the Delhi based premier laboratory of DRDO, with the help of New Age Instruments and Materials Private Limited, Gurugram.

This sanitiser switches off on accidental opening of room or human intervention. One more salient safety feature of the product is the key to arm operation.

Neat little App! Text & Get Recipes based on the ingredients you texted

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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.

6 Tactics We Can Learn from Hotels in Sweden Who Remain Open During COVID-19

In today's challenging environment, many hotels in Sweden have turned to their direct booking channel and communication strategy, seeking to increase online conversions with guests, and putting themselves in an advantageous position for recovery. Here are six strategies Swedish hotels are employing now that could help inspire your marketing plan of attack as mobility starts to recover in your markets.

1. Providing peace of mind

The first step to capturing online bookings should be to reassure visitors, and doing so boils down to the two words: communication and flexibility

Making sure your online visitors know that you have implemented a worry-free booking policy can inspire trust and increase the probability of them moving forward with a booking. Ligula Hotels were quick to take action by grabbing the attention of users arriving on their website using a Layer to display such a message, guaranteeing customers a safe booking thanks to their flexible cancellation and rebooking policies.

2. Promoting staycations to attract local travelers today

Creating a package for guests to feel pampered, the hotel offers the perfect staycation for those who need a break from everything going on at home. By using targeting options within The Hotels Network tool, the Layer message on the homepage is only displayed to visitors within Stockholm, enabling the hotel to show a personalized message to appeal to their local market.

3. Encouraging guests to book longer stays

Hotel Kungstradgarden launched a series of Smart Notes within their booking engine targeting visitors booking for 2 nights. The messages highlight the benefits of staying an extra one or two nights exclusively to those visitors, giving them motive to extend their booking. By using targeted messaging, hotels in Sweden are nudging guests that are already likely to convert to increase their booking value.

4. Driving immediate revenue through gift vouchers

Making hotel vouchers available to visitors is a clever way to generate immediate revenue while current demand remains low. Using our Hotel Voucher tool, Hotel Kungstradgarden launched a Layer with an integrated voucher feature, encouraging guests to purchase a gift card today. Aiming to attract potential guests who are thinking about traveling after restrictions have loosened, promoting your hotel vouchers will enable you to capture extra revenue while providing visitors with the incentive to stay with you in the future.

5. Leveraging technology to make smart pricing decisions

One tactic is to leverage AI technology, such as The Hotels Network machine learning product Oraculo, so you can segment your hotel website traffic in real time based on purchase intent, ranging from low-intent users (those who are unlikely to convert) to high-intent users (those who are most likely to convert).

The technology enables you to automatically personalise the website experience for each visitor with the strongest and most relevant messaging and offer. This means that you can decide to only show offers to users who really need an extra incentive to make a booking, generating savings in promotional costs. Conversely, instead of offering discounts to high-intent users who are likely to make a booking anyway, you can communicate upselling messages such as promoting a higher room category or longer stay to boost average booking value.

6. Building a strong community of followers

In Sweden, hotel website booking conversion rates have taken a hit these past weeks, albeit slightly less than in other markets. With increased uncertainty in the minds of visitors, many are not ready to confirm a reservation today, but hotels are finding other ways to generate engagement with their website visitors. The above example shows how Hotel C Stockholm is taking advantage of The Hotel Network's subscription feature to launch an integrated Layer to capture emails and grow their base of newsletter subscribers. Given the current situation, it makes sense to collect opt-in subscribers to be able to keep visitors updated by email about any developments at your hotel or exclusive offers. By continuing to nurture followers in this way, moving forward you can hopefully convert more website visitors into loyal brand advocates.

Source

COVID-19: How is the Foodservice Industry Coping?

The world's latest crisis - COVID-19 - has taken over our lives, irreversibly shifting our economy, society and lifestyle. But how has it affected the foodservice industry - and what big changes are on the horizon? Find out more about how coronavirus has impacted our industry and what foodservice operators should consider when adapting their business to life as our 'new normal'.

How is the industry changing?

Though the pandemic is still in its early stages, we've already seen a considerable shift in how consumers are getting their food, and how local restaurants and foodservice providers are responding.

1. Local farm shops are booming

One of the biggest shifts has been that of consumers turning to local farms for their fruit, vegetables, meat and dairy produce. While grocery stores have experienced severe shortages in supply, farms shops have been able to offer local shoppers a steady stream of fresh goods.

Another big advantage of local produce is that people know where their food is coming from, which not only helps them feel more secure about avoiding shortages from hard-hit countries, but also helps them contribute to the local economy, supporting local businesses that otherwise might not have been able to ride out the storm.

2. Restaurants are shifting to take-away or delivery models

Restaurateurs have been quick to adapt their business model to offer their customers more flexible, pandemic-friendly dining options. This has caused a surge in take-away and delivery service options, not only from quick service or fast-casual restaurants but also from higher-end restaurants.

While the commission fees of delivery service providers can be off-putting for many restaurateurs, there's good news on the horizon. Many delivery services are adapting their business models by reducing or eliminating their fees or opting for a flat-rate, subscription option so restaurants can get a better return on their margins.

But what about food safety concerns? Most restaurants have implemented stringent health & safety regulations to protect both their staff and their patrons - covering everything from sourcing, to preparation and service. In China, foodservice operators like McDonald's have responded with contactless pick-up options where customers don't have to make any contact with the staff.

3. Independent businesses are seizing the day

As many international chains such as McDonald's, Subway, KFC and Burger King have decided to close stores altogether, there's a growing opportunity for small, independent businesses to fill the gap. These businesses are more agile and flexible as they employ fewer staff and are therefore able to react quicker to serve local customers. These customers are likely to spread the word throughout their local communities, further boosting the success of these businesses and building a loyal customer base that's likely to stick around well after the dust has settled.

Food & workforce safety tips

Here are the key factors that any foodservice business should consider.

• Set up clear protocols for your establishment and communicate these to all of your partners, suppliers, employees and customers.

• Employees handling food should wash their hands for at least 20 seconds and wear gloves, a mask and/or hairnet as recommended.

• Employees should stay at least 2 meters away from customers and coworkers, to comply with social distancing recommendations. 

• While 'open food' areas such as buffets do not pose an increased risk, customers and employees should continue to behave in a hygienic manner. Where possible, food should be pre-packaged

  For restaurants offering a delivery service:

• Delivery staff should be well-trained and adhere to public health advice regarding the collection and delivery of orders.

• Drivers should wear clean (and when necessary, protective) clothing, and sanitize their hands before and after every transaction.

• Delivery vehicles should be kept clean, in good condition and free from sources of contamination. They should be disinfected regularly.

• Where possible, 'contactless delivery' options should be offered - where food can be left at the front door or on the porch.

• You may want to consider limiting the range of menu items on offer to simplify the production process and streamline your operation.

• Food packaging should be controlled, to make sure that it is suitable for different food types (some packaging is not suitable for hot food).

Tribal Casinos Are Turning to Technology to Protect Employees

 The safety of staff on casino grounds was anything but assured. Just as hotels have struggled with the prevalence of staff-related incidents including, but not limited to, injury, harassment, and assault, bustling casinos have endured the development of similar, concerning trends. Casinos, after all, invite an influx of guests from around the world, with studies showing that 26% of the population gambles along with a 4.1% increase in Indian gaming revenues. As patrons are caught up in games of chance and, subsequently, feel their inhibitions lower with the consumption of alcohol, incidents seem to happen at a higher frequency.

Not Leaving Staff Safety to Chance

Pauma Band of Mission Indians, a tribal casino in San Diego County, came under fire for 'unfair labor practices' when they put a stop to union organization. The organization was in affiliation with Unite Here's work to raise awareness for hospitality staff safety

 "The use of ESD technology has had a very positive impact on how our team members view their personal safety and how grateful they are the company made it a priority to outfit them with these devices before they were even mandated by local jurisdictions. Team Members have used these devices not only when they felt threatened or intimidated by someone but also when they were ill and could not get to a phone to call for assistance. 

With the provision of Bluetooth-enabled staff safety devices, employees are empowered to call for help in the case of an emergency, both on and off property, utilizing their smartphone or a small, standalone device. The distress call promptly transmits the precise location of the employee, sending real-time updates as they move throughout the property after sending the alert. As you might imagine, the adoption of this solution represents a pivotal step for tribal casinos hoping to transform their staff safety practices well into the future.

According to industry veteran, Joel Moore, CRDE, CHE, VP of Hotel Operations at Thunder Valley Casino Resort, "The use of ESD technology has had a very positive impact on how our team members view their personal safety and how grateful they are the company made it a priority to outfit them with these devices before they were even mandated by local jurisdictions.

The First Step Towards a Safer Future for Staff

 The River Rock Casino and Resort in Richmond is one of the first hotels in Canada to adopt the new technology, arming their staff with the React Mobile panic button platform.

River Rock Casino employees are provided a React Mobile standalone LTE device that is easy to use and, more importantly, discreet and easily wearable. If an employee feels threatened or in need of assistance anywhere on the property, they can simply press a button on the device, which will signal for help through a smartphone app and share the employee's location to security services.

In addition to the React Mobile safety system, River Rock has a 24-hour highly-trained security team as well as a state-of-the-art surveillance system.

An Update from Marriott’s CEO on Commitment to Cleanliness

Marriott International has always placed an emphasis on health and safety for our guests and associates. Our founder, J.W. Marriott, used to personally inspect kitchens and guest rooms for cleanliness during his hotel visits. A high standard of cleanliness is in our DNA.

The COVID-19 pandemic has required us to raise our demanding standards to an even higher level with new protocols for the current circumstances.

Marriott has put in place a multi-pronged approach designed to meet the health and safety challenges presented by COVID-19. Below is an overview of the key components of Marriott's Commitment to Cleanliness.

• Marriott Global Cleanliness Council: Consisting of in-house and outside experts in food and water safety, hygiene and infection prevention, and hotel operations, the council will work to develop a new generation of global hospitality cleanliness standards, norms and behaviors for our more than 7,300 properties around the globe.

• New Cleaning Technologies: While our council develops its work, we have initiated plans to roll out enhanced technologies at our properties over the next few months, including electrostatic sprayers and the highest classification of disinfectants recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and World Health Organization to sanitize surfaces throughout hotels.

• Cleaning Regimen Changes: When guests check into our hotels over the next few months, they will notice a number of additions to our cleaning regimen designed to set an even higher standard of cleanliness for the hotels as well as modifications to associate-guest protocols developed to be consistent with recommended social distancing guidelines.

  The steps we're taking on cleanliness and new hospitality norms are as much about the health and safety of associates as they are about our guests. 

  By taking care of associates and following these new protocols - we will be collectively taking care of our guests and the global community.

Hospitality Financial Leadership – What Will the Post Pandemic Hotel World Look Like?

Talk about a big change in the way we travel - not to mention the changes in technology and investment.

I think the other side of this pandemic is going to see some profound changes in the traveling world and the hotel business. In this piece, I am going to get my crystal ball out and make some predictions:

Prove you are healthy. Right now, it seems that testing and determining who has had the virus, who has the antibodies, who has a fever, etc., is the path forward to re-opening our world. Will we need to be tested before we travel? Will we need to prove we have had the vaccine or antibodies before we get on a plane in the future? How will hotels receive guests? Will we all need proof we are healthy before we can interact with one another? I can see that this would be a possibility. What will that mean for hotels, restaurants and bars?

Cleanliness scores. In the past two decades, we have seen the social media phenonium of service scores and customer ranking of our hotel world that has had a major impact on how we are perceived by the public. I think going forward that the same applies to our cleanliness. The brand and hotels that have the highest cleanliness scores will be in higher demand by the public. I see a boom in the way this information is collected and used.

Room certifications. Our guests will be demanding clean rooms. We need to come up with a way to guarantee that our rooms are germ-free.

Touchless everything, like check-ins and guest room doors. Anything we can do to remove the need to touch surfaces like elevators, tv remotes, thermostats, etc. will be welcome enhancements that are going to separate the men from the boys when it comes to clients choosing where to stay.

GOPPAR index. The focus will shift from REVPAR index to GOPPAR index. Owners will demand greater transparency and the only way this can be delivered is by comparing the performance of your hotel to a competitive set. Higher REVPAR must translate into higher profits. 

Financial leadership. Our business has always been about providing great service, having engaged colleagues and generating profit The future belongs to the hotels and brands that drive financial leadership skills into all areas of the operation. Having leaders that know how to manage their payroll and expenses and flex those against business levels will be paramount to success

Best Western® Hotels & Resorts Introduces Industry-Leading Cleaning Program: We Care Clean

Best Western Hotels & Resorts (BWHR) was the first hotel brand to set a high level of cleanliness with the roll out the I Care Clean program in 2012. The program was developed through a partnership with innovation and design firm, IDEO, and required its hotels to focus on guest high touch items and areas with standards

The We Care Clean program expands upon the I Care Clean standards and the enhanced cleaning protocol already in place, and includes the implementation of measures to improve safety - such as the installation of social distancing floor decals and front desk partitions - as well as the enforcement of heightened and comprehensive cleanliness standards on an ongoing basis across five key areas:

Front Desk and Lobby:

 New protocols will minimize guest contact with personnel through a streamlined check-in and check-out process such as the use of Best Western's Mobile Concierge platform.

Enhanced sanitization procedures will be in place at the front desk, in the lobby and across guest touch points throughout the hotel with disinfecting taking place regularly.

Guest Room and Housekeeping:

Unnecessary items will be removed from guest rooms, such as decorative pillows, bed scarves, paper notepads and pens.

Enhanced and thorough cleaning protocols will be implemented in guest rooms. Guest rooms will not be entered for 24 to 72 hours after check-out, at which time the room, linens and all touch points, for example, faucets, door handles, light switches, thermostats, clocks and hangers will be cleaned with chemicals aimed at killing COVID-19

Temporary Breakfast Offerings: While recognizing the importance of a quality breakfast, offerings have been adapted to prioritize the health and safety of guests, including:

 Breakfast offerings that comply with local regulations, with breakfast rooms closed where required to avoid unnecessary guest congregation.

Enhanced 'Grab & Go' offerings will be implemented in most hotels providing guests with pre-packaged food and beverage options.

Public Amenities:

 When allowed to open, public amenities such as fitness centers, swimming pools and meeting rooms will be cleaned on closely monitored schedules with disinfecting chemicals.

Hotel Employees and Staff Requirements:

Hotel employees will follow strict guidelines, including utilizing Personal Protective Equipment, frequent and stringent hand-washing protocols, and housekeepers/laundry staff will wear both gloves and a mask.

 Employees will be empowered to stay home if unwell, communicate their potential exposure to COVID-19 with management, and will be fully educated on how to maintain a safe and clean home

This announcement is the latest example of BWHR's commitment to supporting its hoteliers, guests and communities during the COVID-19 health crisis. BWHR was the first hotel company to offer a relief package to its hoteliers to help ease the financial burden during this challenging time. BWHR was also the first in the industry to extend loyalty status to its BWR members whose travel plans have been greatly impacted by travel restrictions and cancellations resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.

WTTC Outlines What “The New Normal” Will Look Like As We Start To Travel

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has outlined what the "new normal" will look like as countries begin to end their COVID-19 lockdowns and ease travel restrictions.

"Travelling in the New Normal" is part of WTTC's plan which includes critical steps and coordinated actions, including new standards and protocols, which offer a safe and responsible road to recovery for the global Travel & Tourism sector as consumers start planning trips again.

Public-private collaboration between business and governments is vital to develop new health protocols which will form the travel experience and also provide people with strong reassurances when travelling.

WTTC believes younger travellers in the 18-35 age group, who appear to be less vulnerable to COVID-19, may also be among the first to begin travelling once again.

"We should avoid new, unnecessary procedures that create bottle necks and slow down the recovery. However, a quick and effective restart of travel will only happen if governments around the world agree to a common set of health protocols developed by the private sector, such as those we've outlined.

"These must provide the reassurance travellers and authorities need, using new technology, to offer hassle-free, pre-vaccine 'new normal' travel in the short term."

This includes the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the Airport Council International (ACI), Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), United States Travel Association (USTA), Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the European Travel Commission (ETC) and the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO).

IATA, ACI and ICAO are pooling their crucial expertise and are working closely to define the best protocols to keep travellers and employees safe to enable the aviation sector to recover. The World Health Organisation (WHO) and other health experts have also contributed by providing their experience from various global medical crises.

There will be new protocols for check-in involving digital technology; hand sanitiser stations at frequent points including where luggage is stored; contactless payment instead of cash; using stairs more often than lifts where the 2 meter rule can be harder to maintain; and fitness equipment being moved for greater separation among other examples.

There are positive signs of the first green shoots of recovery. Research by travel data and analytics expert Cirium shows that over 30% of domestic capacity has returned to the Chinese aviation market in the last two months

WTTC says the Travel & Tourism sector is now facing over 100 million job losses worldwide due to the coronavirus pandemic, at a cost of up to US$2.7 trillion of GDP.

In 2019, Travel & Tourism contributed 10.3% of Global GDP, was responsible for generating one in four of the world's new jobs and, for nine successive years, had outpaced the growth of the global economy.

Hospitality Industry United for “Buy One, Give One” Campaign to Jumpstart Travel, Support Hotels and Provide Thank You to Healthcare Workers

To help Jumpstart Leisure Travel, the hospitality industry has united to launch Buy One, Give One, a "vacay layaway" program designed to generate immediate revenue for hotels, while simultaneously providing a "thank you" to healthcare workers who have been tirelessly working on the front lines.

Available at BuyOneGiveOneStay.com through June 30, the initiative incentives consumers to purchase future travel now with special offers ranging from discounted stays to gift cards to loyalty points for redemption prior to travel.

In return, participating hospitality brands/hotels will donate room nights, gift cards, or loyalty points to organizations, including the American Nurses Association and NewYork-Presbyterian, among others of their choice, to distribute to medical professionals who can use them toward future leisure stays.

 MMGY Global, the largest integrated marketing company specializing in the travel, tourism, and hospitality industry, and the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) partnered to launch the effort.

Hospitality has been one of the industries most impacted by the coronavirus pandemic with 70% of hotel employees laid off or furloughed and eight in 10 hotel rooms empty, according to data released by the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA).

From the comfort of their homes, travelers can explore enticing offers from more than 30 participating hospitality brands and hotels and counting. They can also take comfort in knowing that their purchases will result in meaningful donations by the participants.

"In these unprecedented times, it is more important than ever for all of us to join together to fuel recovery," said Bob Gilbert, CHME, CHBA, President & CEO of HSMAI. "With Buy One, Give One, we offer a collective charitable response to the pandemic across the hospitality industry, providing immediate funds to hotels in addition to a much-deserved respite in the future for those who have put their lives on the line to care for the sick."

Optii Solutions Appoints Katherine Grass as Chief Executive Officer

Optii Solutions, the provider of the most advanced labor optimization solution for hotel housekeeping teams, announced the appointment of Katherine Grass as Chief Executive Officer as well as the creation of a Playbook designed to give hotels a head start in efficiently managing the challenges presented preparing properties for recovery in a post-COVID world.

 She has over 20 years in the IT and travel sectors. She joined Optii Solutions from their lead investor, Thayer Ventures, a travel-tech focused venture capital firm and has held senior-level positions with Amadeus IT Group and Amadeus Ventures.

The Playbook is a data-driven, lean operations guide discussing the universal challenges faced by each hotel and will propose strategies to overcome these challenges, turning operations into a lean and resilient machine.

"The Playbook is a guide to assist hoteliers with the monumental task ahead for reopening and getting back to being profitable," said Katherine Grass, CEO of Optii Solutions. 

Industry leaders agree that, once we come out of this crisis, our industry will need to be more nimble and creative across all departments. The Playbook outlines tips and strategies hoteliers can apply to their operations to overcome six fundamental challenges that lie ahead during these uncertain times.

Hungary Fines Booking.com Operator 6.1 Million Pounds for Unfair Practices - Reuters

Hungarian competition watchdog GVH has fined online reservation operator Booking.com <BKNG.O> 2.5 billion forints (6.1 million pounds) for unfair business practices, including misleading advertisements and psychological pressure on consumers.

The watchdog said in setting the fine it had taken into account the Netherlands-based company's fee income from the Hungarian market following a probe into the website launched in 2018.

"Booking.com B.V. has led unfair business practices by misleading advertisements claiming free cancellation for some accommodation as well as by exerting aggressive psychological pressure to facilitate faster bookings," the GVH said.

Lodging Interactive Launches Touchless Digital Menu System for Restaurants and Hotels

 Lodging Interactive the hospitality industry's premier provider of full-service social media marketing and guest reputation management services , announced the launch of MyMenusOnline, its new touchless digital restaurant menu system. With MyMenusOnline restaurant guests simply scan a tableside QR code or NFC tag to view the restaurant's menu on their own mobile device. The system is meant to replace traditional printed menus and eliminates concerns in potentially passing germs between in-house dinning guests handling the same menus.

MyMenusOnline is managed and updated by the dinning establishment via any mobile device, tablet or desktop PC. All changes are pushed out to consumers in real-time, ensuring "daily specials" are always up to date.

MyMenusOnline is 100% web-based and mobile optimized and there is no need for any app download. Consumers scan a unique QR code or NFC tag and automagically the restaurant menus appear on their devices. Consumers can also save restaurant menus to their mobile device home screens for future access.

"According to a recent COVID-19 report published by the National Restaurant Association, restaurant operators that are getting ready to reopen will need to consider how they operate under much stricter sanitary guidelines," said Vallauri. "Some industry experts are calling for one-time-use disposable menus, which is sure to increase the operating costs for restaurant owners. With MyMenusOnline, we take that cost out of the equation."

Learning Never Ends: A Revenue Manager’s Journey to the Next Level

Revenue management sits at the heart of all the action within a hospitality operation. Decisions are made real time and there is always something new on the horizon. What you learnt while training for hospitality or even over the years can become redundant very quickly if you don’t keep up with evolving trends, techniques and tools.

Pawan Sahani of Hospitality Minds India was quick to pick up on this. Having started his career at Hotel Grand Residency and after nearly 4 years at Hospitality Minds India, when the opportunity to upskill with Australian Revenue Management Association (ARMA) came up, he could not refuse. He knew the course’s practical make-up that armed students with knowledge and tips that he can apply at his work every day.

Pawan came across the first level of the ARMA course, part of which is offered at a discounted rate to STAAH partner clients. Level 1 of this course is free for all STAAH partners. ARMA is the leading organisation in Asia Pacific and Australia and works with market leaders and educational institutes to create training initiatives to support the development of those in the field of revenue management.

Pawan went on to complete Level 1 and 2. He now feels more confident than before to contribute positively to the growth of properties through best practice, sound processes and latest technologies for revenue management.

Among some of the topics covered in the course are Foundations and Calculations, Measures and Maximisation, Yieldmax Stimulation Game, Group and the Revenue Management Relationship and more.