News & Stories

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World Cup chat at work compensated

11.8.2006

Hohenheim. Employers suffered a daily loss of 15 minutes to working time during the Football World Cup as employees discussed results once again relived the highlights of the match. According to one study, however, these losses were compensated by the economic plus resulting from the event.

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Resorts suffer most

Trend in US hotel industry: maintenance costs go up

4.8.2006

Atlanta. As the US hotel industry continues to enjoy strong uptrends in occupancy and rate in its third year of recovery, there are increasing signs that the pace of increases in certain areas on the expense side of the ledger is gaining momentum. According to a recent study, from 2001 to 2005, hotel maintenance expenses grew 18.3 percent. This is nearly 33 percent greater than the pace of growth for all other hotel operating costs during this same period.

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Useless

HVS International comes up with a "franchise calculator"

28.7.2006

London. With a "franchise calculator", the HVS International consultancy firm aims at making franchise companies more calculable. The tool is even freely available via the Internet. It was primarily designed for hotel owners and developers. However, these should definitely exercise caution: Choice and Best Western Hotels tested the franchise calculator announcing it to be unsuitable for Europe.

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Image improvement silences critics

World Cup review - the opinion of WCAS, associations and cities

14.7.2006

Augsburg. Germany may not be World Cup winner, but certainly "winner of hearts". Nevertheless, critical analysizes have started discussions. Following last week's reports of "victory and defeat" on room gains and occupancy from German hotel groups, today the organisers will speak: The World Cup Accommodation Services, Accor as lead organising hotel chain, the German Hotel and Guesthouse Association and tourism experts from the World Cup cities Berlin and Munich. Our photo shows another winner: Claudia Kraft, honoured by Franz Beckenbauer and Petra Hedorfer from the Tourist Board as a "Service Champion" during the World Cup.

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And the winner is ???

Occupancy and rates in the host cities of the Football World Cup in detail

14.7.2006

Berlin/Paris. Since 9 June the Football World Cup has been in full swing across Germany. Last year's highly optimistic forecasts for the hotel industry fuelled hoteliers' hopes for extra revenue. With many FIFA-blocked rooms being reopened, many faced the Cup with damped expectations. The direct effects of the Cup are, as a matter of course, largely being shared between the twelve host cities.

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Preparation for further business

Football World Cup 2006 from a hotel perspective - What was it really like?

7.7.2006

Augsburg. Even more hotel chains would have responded, if management hadn't muzzled staff: The final conclusions drawn of business resulting from the FIFA Football World Cup 2006 range from "catastrophic" to "excellent". All in all, though, impressions were positive. Conferences and seminars were brought forward or delayed till after the World Cup period, overnight stays as well as average rates increased. Only the restaurant intake in the hotels suffered. German hotel chains assessed the outcome of the World Cup with their own facts and figures.

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Prepare properly, react properly

FOCUS: How companies can protect travelling staff and ex-pats

30.6.2006

Frankfurt/M. All of the speakers mentioned it, and all participants at the "Security Symposium" said they were right: Only in very few cases are companies prepared for crisis situations and most underestimate the latent dangers for their employees on business trips and abroad. It's clear that travellers/ex-patriots and travel managers/organisers don't see eye to eye on what these dangers include. There are, however, a number of ways of reducing risks and, above all, of getting informed.

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En vogue: express kidnapping

FOCUS: Business travel in times of terror, epidemics and kidnappings

30.6.2006

photo: Elvia

Frankfurt/M. Travel risks are increasing - the biggest danger is the growing "kidnapping industry" with facets like "express kidnapping". While medium-sized companies naively send their employees into risky countries, major groups have long engaged safety officers. Should an expatriate or business traveller be kidnapped, robbed or "just" fall ill, this would be the time for a well-coordinated process chain to take effect. But this is far from being the case. Hotels are regarded as a big "trouble spots" during a business trip. A symposium in Frankfurt.

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Peace of mind with additional commission?

Cancellation insurance for resort hotels

30.6.2006

München. "The hotel industry in Germany is missing out on millions of Euros in commission payment!" Hans Stadler, Director Distribution of ERV European Travel Insurance plc is quite sure. Right on time for the start of the summer holiday season, the ERV has set out to remind the hospitality industry of cancellation insurance. Customers visiting tour operators and who themselves book flights close such insurance deals as a matter of course, whilst hotels continue to lag behind. And that, despite the availability of good marketing support and attractive offers. Yet the hesitation of experience hoteliers isn't without cause. Even without insurance they have ways of teasing their guests hands into their pockets.

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A feel for the right niche

Small chains: Lindner Hotels & Resorts

30.6.2006

Duesseldorf. Hotel groups with fewer than 10 or more than 40 hotels are not rare in Germany. Lindner Hotels & Resorts based in Düsseldorf, however, have managed to be successful with hotels numbering somewhere in between these figures. Yet this is all to change. Another European expansion wave is on the cards.

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