Editorial
Dear Insiders,
The Italian government decreed by law: As of 6 August, no one will be allowed to enter a restaurant without a vaccination certificate. The next day, 500,000 Italians made an appointment to be vaccinated. And it was the same in France: The day after the health passport was announced, 1.1 million people signed up for vaccination; by the end of the week, that number had risen to 3.7 million. There you go! Only the Germans are still debating the issue... Presumably until the holiday season and the federal elections are over.
The tendency to simply sit problems out is also a characteristic of many hoteliers. Even in the boom years, they already knew that you had to pay employees more and create more attractive working conditions for them. Many did, others simply ignored things.
The price has now fallen to be paid - all around the globe. Figures from USA, UK and France show how desperate the situation is. I'll just mention just one shocking figure: Over 50% of former employees in the industry who are currently looking for another job say: Neither a raise nor any other incentive would motivate them to return to their old restaurant, bar or hotel job.
Sarah Douag reports on the conditions behind the international figures and describes the consequences in the three countries. At the same time, Sylvie Konzack is trying to work out just how hard the boomerang will return to hit in Germany. Hoteliers and headhunters report. Yes, there will be a race for employees, and this is coming at the worst possible time, in the middle of the crisis, in the balancing act between helpful short-time allowance & weak revenues, rising guest numbers & necessary salary increases.
Fortunately, despite all the acute problems, there are still people like Alexander Eisner and his Atomis Hotels who want to really step on the gas in the hotel industry. Romania also wants to step on the gas: despite Corona, plans for mega-tourism projects and hotels continue to develop there, following the pre-Corona pattern. Macy Marvel on the boom in a little-noticed country.
Human resources, today, is an expression that carries with it a completely different connotation to that used by legitimate business, namely: human trafficking. Perhaps this affects us in Europe less than other countries, but it is still a serious issue. The WTTC has published a report on today's "World Day Against Trafficking in Persons" and is thus sending out a clear signal. As a part of ESG targets, we will hear more about this issue in Europe in the future.
This brings us to our think tank on "Sustainability & Digitalisation". One will no longer work without the other. Investors, operators and IT experts will have to cooperate in the future. The technology ensures that operational costs are reduced, which puts leaseholders in a position to pay higher rents and thus convinces the investor to invest more. That is the lever of success. The drivers behind this are the new consumers and sensors that communicate with each other.
Now you want to know what works and what doesn't? Then listen in as CTO Floor Bleeker of Accor, Andreas Ewald of Engel & Völkers Hotel Consulting and Klaus Kohlmayr, Chief Evangelist of IDeaS share their thoughts. www.hitt.world
As usual, we round off our issue with lots of market news. The half-year results from Accor, Hilton and NH also give an indication of the economic mood in the market.
Till next Friday!
Yours, Maria Pütz-Willems
editor-in-chief
Your opinion? maria[at]hospitalityInside.com
Dear Insiders,
This issue is hopefully able to rein in some fears and curb the feelings of panic before the next wave. The hotel sector is going under, though known hotels continue to go out of business almost every week now. "This is a normal process of market consolidation," Martina Fidlschuster says soberly. And in place of the oft-predicted big wave of insolvencies, she doesn't see many small waves coming either.
Every group is currently polishing its portfolio and scouting out shaky hotels, mostly in secret. Obviously though, taking the example of Flemings hotels this week: Those who rely too heavily on one location run a higher risk in the crisis. And in the case of the large Ellington Hotel in Berlin, it was probably more a question of the mega-property in a prime location and thus a change of use.
Despite such misery though, the pipelines for the cities are still full, so the loss of the 285 Ellington rooms won't even be noticeable. And there are always new players like Renditus on the market who first put out feelers and then make targeted use of synergies.
Martin Winkler, CEO of Austria Trend Hotels, says: "If you expand by hook or crook in locations where you need 80% occupancy to cover your costs, you're going to have problems." The thinking in Austria is similar. Verkehrsbüro, the parent company of ATH, the serviced apartment group Harry's Home and the private Ipp Hotels want to and will continue to expand. They all solved their problems around rents/leases, government subsidies and employees in their own different ways. Crisis is the mother of all invention.
The same applies to the Global Hotel Alliance, which, with its network of international hotel chains, stands back to look at the broader picture each day. CEO Chris Hartley senses that more and more independent business are looking for a strong shoulder in distribution and loyalty. With NH Hotels as new shareholders, the consortium is set for huge growth as, among other things, NH merges its rewards programme with GHA's. GHA wants to be the alternative to Accor's ALL and Marriott's Bonvoy. More "local experiences" and the new "Discovery Dollar", which can also be used to pay at home, are intended to help. GHA introduces its own loyalty currency. Crisis is indeed the mother of all invention.
Even as the UK's corona case rate climbs towards 500 four days after "Freedom Day", hospitality insiders are slowly turning their attention back to the Brexit fallout. Their biggest drama: the European employees who have left. A current study analyses the immediate future for British hoteliers with data and identification of the weak points.
Landing a coup in a crisis usually means being so solid yourself that partners will pull you along, despite a loss of liquidity. Motel One is now also available in New York - a mega step and a mega compliment for the Munich-based budget lifestyle group. Its first hotel in the USA! It is moving into the previous Courtyard at Marriott at the World Trade Center. The tenant was obviously in trouble, and owner Union Investment terminated before the end of the lease. Motel One follows Marriott. It shows investors as well as the mega-chains: Size doesn't matter anymore. Crisis is both risk and opportunity!
And this is especially true for the subject of sustainability. The destroyed villages and valleys in West Germany, together with the more than 170 dead, is a tragedy that cries out for change. "We must not only announce plans, but act on them too!" says ex-hotelier Wolfgang M. Neumann, today Chairman of the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance. Change is a matter for the boss, needs a leadership strategy, teamwork and clearly defined responsibilities. He will explain how hotels can do this at the HITT Think Tank on 13/14 September.
And an update on Expo Real in October: 12 companies have now confirmed their participation in our joint stand. New additions are Premier Inn and Primestar. More on our page 1.
We wish you a pleasant week full of opportunities!
Yours, Maria Pütz-Willems
editor-in-chief
Your opinion? maria[at]hospitalityInside.com
Dear Insiders,
After this week's talks, I note that the Germans fear the Delta variant. The Delta share was at 74 percent yesterday. Mainly people returning from Spain are bringing the variant along with them. But that goes unnoticed in everyday life. So don't panic, please! Before we get proactively hysterical and start cancelling the fall meetings and trade fairs in our minds, we should wait and see how the British do when all coronavirus restrictions are lifted next Monday after the "infectious" European Football Championship.
Stay positive – as everybody needs business again. Particularly the Germans. Last Tuesday, July 13, marked the so-called tax payers' memorial day – the moment the Germans work for themselves again. Up to this date, every German has given 53% of their annual income to the state. Almost nothing will come from the hotel industry this year.
Professor Stephan Gerhard no longer has any desire to experience such desolate figures, and certainly no more pandemics. The investor, who also acts as a tenant and operator in his company network, is taking precautions: He has enforced special clauses covering pandemics and hyperinflation in all agreements. No more agreements without these clauses! he says firmly. Today, you will read what this looks like and the hardship that went into it. The Graf von Westfalen law firm provides its neutral legal perspective on this issue.
Hotel operators are also sweating for another reason during the start of the peak season: They lack personnel! This topic will remain a constant issue as highlighted by us on many occasions. So start attracting trainees and secure the next generation at an early stage! But a cross-industry study turns out to be completely frustrating: Youngsters google for apprenticeships while employers do not place any ads on this channel. Furthermore, companies whitewash the working reality. Shame on you! But Petra Barta, General Manager of the Die Wasnerin hotel in Austria, would certainly receive excellent feedback: Only three of her 90 employees quit their job during the corona crisis.
Human resources is a "sustainable" topic and even part of the ESG Goals. Hyatt's idea to publish data on its employee diversity on a newly developed mega platform, to raise awareness against human trafficking in training sessions, and to increase workplace quality through well-being may once again seem overly American from a European perspective. Globally, however, it is becoming all the more important with respect to a more sustainable, i.e. social, world as a basis for flourishing tourism. Covid-19 clearly reveals how unequal the world actually is.
This is why small steps are so important at the moment: In Venice, mega cruise ships will be banned from October 1 on. That's good and it is a start. The German Alltours tour operator wants to welcome solely vaccinated and recovered guests at its allsun hotels – which is being criticised by hoteliers. Germany wants to replace the infection rate factor by a new, not yet existing value – okay, at least they are thinking about it.
Xenia zu Hohenlohe from the Considerate Group and sustainability expert Tony Williams have thought a lot about innovations, systems, benchmarks and certifications. And about the new, still invisible drivers from the world of finance who collectively want the same thing: Making sustainability measureable in order to give investors peace of mind. The hospitality industry is one of the sectors that is most quickly targeted by the new "Masters of the Measurement". Xenia and Tony will be discussing this topic on September 14 at the HospitalityInside Think Tank. Please find more about this on our first page and at www.hitt.world.
The storm disaster in Germany on Wednesday is a consequence of climate change and doing nothing. 80 people have paid for this with their lives by this morning, and complete infrastructures have been destroyed in the affected regions. Nature strikes back.
Yours, Maria Pütz-Willems
editor-in-chief
Your opinion? maria[at]hospitalityInside.com
Dear Insiders,
The world keeps turning between science and madness: The European Football Championship has been responsible for more than 2,500 corona cases, but nonetheless, Boris Johnson has been cordially inviting crowds of fans to the island and since yesterday, other double vaccinated people. Despite vaccinations and tests, 180 Dutch people got infected after attending a party. Everyone simply wants to party – and go on holiday without a mask! And even though some schools will soon open up again, there are still no air filters in the second year of corona.
Once again, there is perfect chaos. There is again no strategy for dealing with a potential fourth wave. A fourth lockdown is currently impossible as well, as courts would rebuke the government due to the basic rights. In September, there will be elections. So better open all the borders, remove all restrictions and dodge the virus variation storm! And off into the recess of parliament...
None of these "top managers" would survive on the free market. Those bearing real responsibility in the crisis do not run away. Instead, they keep working non-stop, thinking about new concepts and sustainable ideas.
"We need to stay as flexible as possible," says Volker Kraft answering the crisis in the retail sector, and considering the chances provided by the crisis regarding the initial hotel fund by ECE Real Estate Partners. The company's core business revolves around shopping malls, but trade and hospitality will be reconnecting differently in the cities. City malls will stay strong! Only ordering and picking up will adjust themselves. Not only does he support his store tenants via lease reduction, but also via a digital mall. And the lobby of the first acquired fund object in Venice will be turned into a mini mall. Thinking differently, thinking out of the box, creating new things: Ascan Kókai, hotel investment expert, explains how and where ECE aims at investing its millions in the future.
But small players can also make it big in the crisis: The German spa town of Bad Muenstereifel used to lead a spiritless existence, but then the real estate professionals arrived. In 2019, a total of 2.4 million shopping fans visited the town, all of them chasing fashion brands among the half-timber house idyll. Hotels and restaurants greatly benefit from this.
The radical conversion of the Pierre & Vacances Center Parcs Group is a totally different issue: A big mountain of debt burdens Europe's largest leisure provider. The strict 5-year plan is full of promises. Everything is becoming green, local, sustainable, slow – with holiday huts and homes full of Millennial families. Committed to pure nature and simple, but more frequent trips per year, this target group is just the right booster CEO Franck Gervais needs. He did his homework at Accor.
All that requires a lot of courage, strength and vision. The movers & shakers that are participating in our HITT Think Tank in September know that as well: Adrian Flueck from the Invesco Real Estate investment company, Executive Olaf Demuth from the multi-billion Zech construction company, and Thomas Schlereth architect, developer and owner of the sustainable Serviced Apartment Hotel Soulmade in Munich will be discussing their ideas and financial viability of sustainable hotels intensely and controversially! All of them hate green washing. I am aware of this and more since our briefing. Let me present these gentlemen to you today on our first page.
In addition, it feels great to be able to say today: The HITT programme is complete! All of the experts have accepted their invitation. You can find the final version with all the names on www.hitt.world. This is the result of - so far - 10 months of research and thinking out of the box with our team and advisory committee. So far, I've learned a whole lot of new things. Now we just need you - people who passionately discuss with us for the sake of a new sustainable era! arly Birds still benefit until next Thursday, 15 July.
And this is why I hope that you will also learn more from our news today, for example, on the global Covid-19 consequences, the hotel transaction during the first half of the year, about NH's Recovery Plan, the allure of Spanish resort destinations and the slowly returning life in German cities. By the way, the change also reflects itself in the personnel news today and, as usual, in our news mix.
Expo Real decided to close one hall after the registration deadline. Therefore, the "World of Hospitality" will move to Hall A1. In the meantime, ten companies have confirmed their participation in the joint stand. With the move, space has become scarce, so talk to us if you still want to exhibit.
Have another good week,
Yours, Maria Pütz-Willems
editor-in-chief
Your opinion? maria[at]hospitalityInside.com
Dear Insiders,
The corona state aids might be enough to survive, say the CEOs and CFOs of the German hotel groups HRG, Motel One, Deutsche Hospitality, RIMC and Solutions Holding today – however, in combination with a big "but" … They all welcome the extended bridging aid III but still remain very cautious. The crisis is far from over yet.
The government is less cautious when it comes to travel rules: Yesterday, Germany lifted general travel warnings for 80 corona risk areas, and no longer advises against tourist travels abroad in principle. However, no agreement could be reached on entry rules for returning vacationers this week – which annoys many citizens, especially because of the threatening delta scenarios, which are conjured up on a daily basis. I contend: The politicians in Berlin are now just going hunting for votes, and the German population is becoming victim to egoism and greed for power again, based on incompetency and the inability to make decisions.
The Plaza Hotel Group, however, was able to decide very quickly to help the now ailing Maritim Hotels and buy some of their floors, in order to provide the old but large rooms with comfort and a kitchenette. Susanne Stauss talked to Managing Director Yonca Yalaz about this off-market deal.
Also in Italy, it's the small and silent changes or the big announcements that describe the shift in the market. The signals are being sent out by wealthy owners and hotel groups as well as individual players. Massimiliano Sarti on the Mediterranean hunger for investment and expansion.
And we cannot ignore Asia: Louvre Hotels first tried out their new smart hotel concept in Shanghai, now it has been transferred to Lyon. The heart of the concept: A web app, which allows guests to control many features via QR code. Many more innovations will come from Asia – or from the US: Apple is in the process of making the hotel app superfluous. In this country, however, the focus is still on new apps and not on automated process chains, which make life easier for hoteliers – as they will have to manage with even fewer employees in future.
The staff shortage is severe: In all conversations I have on this topic, I hear from nearly every Central European country that every business or group has lost one third of their staff members due to the pandemic. Hotels in Vienna are now able to provide figures for this misery: 38% of the employees want to stay and 38% want to leave – also because they do not have enough money to secure their livelihood.
Human resources will decide about efficiency and competition in future. And HR is even becoming a focus of state regulation – against the backdrop of climate change and sustainability. This is made clear by our two legal experts from the global law firm of Baker McKenzie. At the HospitalityInside Think Tank on September 13, Xavier Junquera and Dr Ulrich Hennings will explain the enormous pressure that is created by state regulation and the consequence for cost calculation, agreements and partners. Please find more on this on our first page and all the details on www.hitt.world! We are looking forward to your registration! In Munich, only 50 people will be allowed to take part in person...
Yours, Maria Pütz-Willems
editor-in-chief
Your opinion? maria[at]hospitalityInside.com
Dear Insiders,
July and August are approaching, the travel months of the year. The Delta variant is equally mobile and fears of a relapse into restrictions and quarantines circulate. Hoteliers in the Balearic and Canary Islands will be hit again. In Menorca, for example, everyone is desperately waiting for the British: They make up 80% of the tourists there. Positive news from Italy: Some regions report "sold out", at least for the month of August. Beatriz de Lucas and Massimiliano Sarti let us know how the season is going.
Such contradictions are probably the norm at the moment; there is still a long way to go before we can speak of safe travel in Europe. The EU Covid certificate, which is supposed to make life easier for travellers from next Thursday, has also not yet been implemented in all member states. There is also a six-week transition period here.
In Switzerland, too, not everything is fixed yet. From tomorrow on there will be more relaxation and entry permits for third countries, but only for those who are vaccinated and not for those who have recovered from infection or who only have tests to show. Another small detail that makes a big difference in everyday life...
In Switzerland, by the way, the para-hotel industry will catch up significantly with the classic hotel industry this year: While bed & breakfasts, mountain huts, campsites and youth hostels suffered greatly in 2020, the increase in bookings is now exhilarating. According to one study, self-catering accommodation in the mountain region of Andermatt has even caused property prices and rents to shoot up. Macy Marvel provides facts and figures.
It's nice when business is good. But employees are lacking everywhere. The "employees recruit employees" model offers an opportunity to find employees faster and with even better qualifications. Ask your employees to post job openings on their own social media channels! It works, the technology and healthcare industries are already demonstrating it. Frequent personnel changes can even become an advantage! The hotel industry is ideal for this, Thomas Bittner says encouragingly, an experienced organisational psychologist, and has benchmarks to back up his statement.
Creditreform has certified that the industry has a high risk of insolvency, but two specialist lawyers dismiss the warnings: No insolvency tsumami currently in sight in Germany! However, it can still happen if the over-indebtedness increases in the next few months.
The pandemic hit hard: The top 50 hotel brands recorded massive losses in brand value last year. It fell from $70 billion to $47 billion. Hilton remains the best in the loss year. We bring you further reports on the capitals of the four Nordic hotel markets, on the repositioning of the operator Primestar and, of course, lots of information on the market.
And last but not least, it's "Urban Hospitality under Fire"! Not today and here, but on 14 September during our Think Tank. Gesa Rohwedder, Head of Hospitality at Drees & Sommer, will discuss Mixed Use and new hotel concepts with the participants, combined with an exclusive live premiere: She presents a demonstrator that can be used to plan "mixed use concepts" digitally. More on this on page 1!
Munich Trade Fair has also extended the registration deadlines for exhibitors to 30 June. So you still have a chance to enter the "World of Hospitality" 2021 for a reasonable registration fee!
Yours, Maria Pütz-Willems
editor-in-chief
Your opinion? maria[at]hospitalityInside.com
Dear Insiders,
Finally, infection rates and the weather are in sync – and the mood is clearly brightening up. The run on pharmacies in Germany to transfer the paper vaccination pass into a digital version tells a lot. But nonetheless, the situation is still fragile. Entrepreneurs as well as each individual still have to be mindful about their responsibility. Vaccinations are no carte blanche, and not every vaccine provides the promised effect as we learned from Curevac this week.
Again and again, there are incalculable depressions. Wearing masks a few weeks longer is nothing compared to the dangerous Delta variation that is currently cutting new corona paths and could lead to increased travel restrictions.
Everyone still in the Covid-19 grip is afraid of the latter: business and MICE hotels. Fairmas recorded a pitiful 13.8% occupancy and 10.60 euros of RevPAR in its statistics for May across Germany's A cities.
City hotels are truly suffering. In this respect, the initiative of the four hotel groups of 25hours, Motel One, Accor Northern Europe and Vienna House that aim at starting a joint marketing campaign to boost business travel is a great idea. They are also calling on other hotels to join in!
And this news from Wednesday is extremely pleasing: Expo Real will be taking place again in October! Finally, things are getting physical again with roughly 300 main exhibitors from 25 countries so far divided across six halls. Only vaccinated, tested and recovered visitors are allowed, which will provide safety among all those ups and downs.
Our "World of Hospitality" will be located in hall A2 next to the restaurant and is happy about the initial eight co-exhibitors. Until June 23, you can join us as a co-exhibitor at a reduced fee. You will find all the details on our page 1.
The pandemic has set back everything and everybody. It is a long way back, also for Novum Hospitality. CEO David Etmeman is granting us the first interview after slipping under the umbrella of the Economic Stabilisation Fund in December 2020 – as the only hotel group so far. He talks with Susanne Stauss on the fund, the aids and a selected pipeline. He aims at paying his full lease again from January 1, 2022.
Full resort hotels will likely be seen in Austria in July and August – also because many guests prefer to go on holiday right in front of their doorstep instead of travelling to far places. Many guests were thus only "borrowed" this year say Austrian tourist experts and hoteliers who simultaneously ask: How many of them will we be able to keep? Fred Fettner attended the discussions at the ÖHV congress.
I would be very happy if you would join us at our HITT in September. Additional names were added to the top-class programme this week: accordingly, the Accor Paris CTO accepted our invitation, as well as the globally acting Baker McKenzie law firm, Invesco Real Estate and the Zech Group from Bremen. To win over such renowned companies, our Advisory Committee of four put its contacts and passion for the think tank and the issue for debate to the test. I will introduce you to these four people today on our page 1. Or you can check them out at www.hitt.world. Only three more names are missing now, then our programme will be complete.
This issue, too, would not be complete without the latest reports on the modified Ringhotels strategy, the no longer standardised Novotel brand, the new German Travel Insurance Fund, the latest personnel news and our market news mix.
Yours, Maria Pütz-Willems
editor-in-chief
Your opinion? maria[at]hospitalityInside.com
Dear Insiders,
Creative minds have a new focus - on Food & Beverage. There hasn't been this much lateral thinking in a long time. The future lies in vegetables, not in meat. The latter will only be produced from cell cultures anyway in a not too distant period. Vegan is here to stay. Local and exotic will no longer be a contradiction in terms.
Susanne Stauss asked German restaurant professional Jean Ploner about new concepts, as well as former Rotana CEO Omer Kaddouri, who now drives forward mainly vegan food chains from Amsterdam. The examples provided by the two interviewees form a veritable cascade of ideas, with the appropriate links attached for your perusal. Ploner is also worried about the future of gastronomy though. Among other things, he could imagine systematising restaurant kitchens in a kind of cooperative model.
In the F&B sector, a lot revolves around sustainability, and at the French hotel group EKLO, it's all about that. Founder Emmanuel Petit builds and operates urban green hybrid and eco-friendly low budget hotels under this brand. He himself comes from Accor and is now co-financed by the two Accor founders Dubrule and Pélisson. A charming detail. They also seem to affirm what our writer Sarah Douag presents to us as an opening question today: Can aggressive pricing be reconciled with style, award-winning interior design, sociability and sustainability? An extremely interesting article with a lot of concrete information about construction and materials.
"Sustainability must be honest". Neil Jacobs, CEO of Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas, knows it: The wellness pioneer of the global wellness scene sells its guests wellness, health and now follows their new lifestyle where life, work and play merge. We introduce Neil to you today on our front page, and you can find out how he and Six Senses put this into practice on the second day of the HospitalityInside Think Tank in September. Another top speaker of international renown. We are very happy about his acceptance.
Meanwhile, German hoteliers will continue to move between relaxation and tension in the coming months. The state aid has been extended until the end of September and the limits have been significantly increased. But is all this enough to keep city and MICE hotels alive? Dehoga Managing Director Ingrid Hartges sees herself in the commentary for us between joy and frustration and wants to continue fighting in August for an extension until the end of the year.
Meanwhile, Austrian hoteliers have already celebrated their survival at the ÖHV congress this week, the first physical meeting since corona. 450 hoteliers were in attendance. The industry has received €4.5 billion in funding.
At Booking.com, government aid is now flowing in the other direction. The OTA is now "spontaneously" paying back support from the Dutch government of some €65 million and €40 million more - after a massive outcry: Last week, the U.S. holding company announced it was giving three executives €28 million in bonuses.
Europeans cannot understand the ups and downs of Chinese state-owned companies. It has now come to light how very deep in debt the former and now insolvent giant HNA is: Creditors are claiming €153 billion.
Amadeus Hospitality asked which of thecorona trends are here to stay, and Ascott is already providing its guests with telemedicine. More industry news in our News Mix.
Yours, Maria Pütz-Willems
editor-in-chief
Your opinion? maria[at]hospitalityInside.com
Dear Insiders,
The sheer joy about the restart is everywhere, yet the uncertainty remains. This is just as true for Germany as it is for Austria and Dubai. Once again, it makes clear just the great levelling across the whole world in the wake of the virus. From now on though, it’s positivity that counts. Positivity coupled with a plan like in Dubai or Austria.
The Arabian Travel Market and Dubai were respected by the surveyed hoteliers for the simple reason that it was held as a physical event and was handled in a professional and disciplined manner. It's the signal that counts! Everyone is now highly motivated. There's even a gold rush atmosphere again.
Meanwhile, the general conditions remain tense: Room rates are catching up, some faster some slower, depending on the hotel location. Another 60,000 rooms are set to make their way into the market and owners are starting to test chain brands against each other. Yet Dubai always has treats in store for investors, tourists and the new species of "remote workers". The "Star of the Orient" is in restart mode. As of Wednesday, it even has a new Urban Master Plan 2040.
The EU Covid Certificate, which promises "total freedom of travel" from 1 July, is hotly anticipated. So far though, holiday-hungry potential travellers are a bit more cautious than expected. In Austria, for example, there are still quite a few beds available in June, and in Germany the picture is "varied", as Thomas Edelkamp from Romantik Hotels puts it. We have collected voices from holiday hoteliers, consortia and associations. So far, only July and August are as good as fully booked in Germany. Positive trend: Hoteliers are raising their room rates. If not now, then when?
Still, some restarts are accompanied with much more uncertainty: The purchasing company Progros reports serious bottlenecks and delays on the part of the suppliers.
The new price awareness must continue, not only because running costs have increased, but also because new costs will be added in the future - foreseeably in the field of sustainability. "Travel must remain affordable," demands London-based investment professional and tech investor Wes Paul. "Sustainable tourism in its current form is an expensive premium product, we need to introduce technologies that make it affordable so that the mass of tourists can reduce their impact on the environment."
A new networked way of thinking is therefore developing in the fields of construction and operation: Technologies and alternative energies are capable of driving down costs and securing the future of tourism. Wes thinks outside the box. That's why he'll be opening our Think Tank on 13 September. The article about this high flyer can be found on our homepage at www.hospitalityInside.com, the complete programme and more on www.hitt.world.
Our shorter news today also have it in them: Sarah Douag asks why Booking.com is rewarding three top executives with EUR 28 million in bonuses during the crisis. And the EU is trying to tighten its control over digital markets with stricter legislation.
From Italy there are current figures on job losses in the industry, in Spain one wonders why so little interest and money is flowing into tourism tech start-ups, and, in view of the next steps for its opening, Austria is considering how long the now common tests and test roads will continue to make sense.
Contemplation and pushing forward with new things is always good: The new initiative "Business Union" has been founded and its presiding members elected; it wants to give the industry more lobbying clout - as set out in detail in our last two issues. It'll be interesting to see how that develops. We also have sad new as we report on the unexpected death of Pandox CEO Anders Nissen. With varied mix this week, we say goodbye until next Friday!
All interested parties for Expo Real 2021 should keep an eye on the registration deadline for co-exhibitors on 23 June. Those who still want to secure a place at the "World of Hospitality" stand for October please register with our trade fair team by 11 June. For information and download click on the Expo Real banner on our homepage or in the newsletter.
Stay in positive spirits!
Yours, Maria Pütz-Willems
editor-in-chief
Your opinion? maria[at]hospitalityInside.com
Dear Insiders,
Social media posts and emails this week were overflowing with joy at the reopenings in the restaurant and hotel industry, even if Europe itself remains an unmanageable, inhomogeneous patchwork. It's not the weather app I now open each morning on my phone, it’s the infection rate in my local area that I want to know: Are we still under 100 or already under 50? What's permissible at each particular stage has to be researched on the internet each time.
But people are becoming increasingly positive - a good thing. Adieu Tristesse! At the same time, GfK reports that consumer sentiment is on the rise: Vaccination and relaxation of corona measures are certainly having an effect - beer gardens and shopping centres were already full again in many places.
All this makes city hoteliers who are still lacking international guests and MICE all the more testy. They still worry as the governments - e.g. in Germany, Switzerland and Italy - remain unpredictable. Will they extend the financial aid and short-time working support until the end of the year? For some medium-sized affiliated companies, this is becoming a question of survival. 2021 remains a brutally tough year.
This is very clear from our correspondent Massimiliano Sarti's report on the restart challenges in Italy. How do you expect to attract tourists when curfews are still in place? Cities worry: They'll probably struggle for another year and a half.
Corona loans will take many businesses further into debt. Banks are no longer providing finance, so leaving opportunities open for other types of investor. These could also be attracted with deals secured through Blockchain. An Austrian model promises transparency and security for all involved. A new, still unfamiliar topic, but Fred Fettner sets out to provide a clear and comprehensible description.
Such future topics will not be capable of being avoided for long. Nor will hoteliers be able to escape BIM/Building Information Modeling. But this is just one aspect that will impact on sustainable hotel construction in the future. Alex Duckworth of AECOM, a gigantic global services company in the construction sector, will be looking outside the box and at the new competition at the HospitalityInside Think Tank on 13/14 September. You can find this article on our page 1, all further HITT-infos are available directly on www.hitt.world.
And: We are very pleased that Deutsche Hospitality will support our Think Tank as a sponsoring partner! Another good name next to Accor, Drees & Sommer, IDeaS, uniper and Hotelschool The Hague. We will introduce you to all of our sponsors shortly, as well as our Advisory Board, all of whom have contributed to the "making of" the HITT.
Exchange among colleagues and with experts will become even more important given the intense dynamic post-corona. The hotel construction boom seems to be continuing, at least in Europe the pipeline is full; in Germany there is currently more delay than drive. And Serviced Apartments will play a role in the market change. The new Market Report by Anett Gregorius has been available since yesterday; we touch on key topics. A new, international wellness study shows how well-being and health will change post-corona - and how hotels can benefit from this.
I wish you an exciting read, with your eyes on the future!
Yours, Maria Pütz-Willems
editor-in-chief
Your opinion? maria[at]hospitalityInside.com