News & Stories
Taking off
Kiev. Just when many of the world's hotel markets seem to be slowing down, demand for hotel rooms in Ukraine, led by the capital, Kiev, is ramping up. Governmental authorities and hotel industry players are especially eyeing 2012, the year in which Ukraine and Poland will jointly host the UEFA European Football championship. In addition to the Polish venues, the games will be held in four Ukrainian cities, including Kiev, Donetsk, Dnepropetrovsk, and Lviv.
St. Petersburg. The neo-classical facade of the Corinthia Nevskij Palace Hotel in St. Petersburg can only be imagined behind its pale full-length construction site curtain. However, in the first half of 2009, the extension of the 5-star hotel at Nevski Prospect is to be finished. This would saturate the luxury market, says Elmar Greif, a St. Petersburg expert. But it is the luxury segment, which is currently recording growth by leaps and bounds. The Russians still do not trust in management agreements. And there is a dramatic lack of qualified personnel. That is why Elmar Greif wants to open up his own hotel management school. The situation in the Tsar city from an expert`s point of view.
Bern. Detailed figures of overnight stays made during the Football European Cup 2008 are still awaited, but Swiss hoteliers report being everything between satisfied to very happy. The arrival of the masses ensured full hotels on many match days. At the semi-final between Germany and Turkey, all hotels within an 80km radius of Basle were full. Because June is always a good month for the hotel industry, however, the plus in occupancy figures is likely to be under 10 percent.
Frankfurt. There are new professional training programmes in the field of business travel. As of the winter semester 2008, it will be possible to study for an MBA in business travel management. In addition, there will be a professional training programme for state-certified Fachwirt fuer Mobilitätsmanagement in two years at the latest. Both developments were initiated by the Verband Deutsches Reisemanagement. The association itself is currently in the process of exchanging staff and expanding its certifications.
Bad Driburg/Nieheim. The all-round offer made by the Graefliches Park-Hotel & Spa Bad Driburg opened just a year ago is beginning to take on a more concrete form: The "Bilster Berg", just a few kilometres away from the hotel - a relic from the English occupation - has now received the go ahead for redevelopment as a modern car testing and presentation carriageway. With that, the recently excellently renovated country hotel in the aging spa town of Bad Driburg is certain to receive a boast in guest numbers; the hotel's pull not only bringing wellness and health guests and golfers, but now also friends of the automobile industry and research.
Frankfurt/M. Today's business travellers are on the road more often than in previous years. But saying this, they keep a tighter hold on their wallets. The good news for the hotel industry is that the number of trips without overnight stay decreased last year. Hotels profit from increased mobility. Four sectors of industry were surveyed on the behaviour of their business travellers: construction, service, trade and the public sector. All important for the choice of hotel is and remains price. The hotel brand plays almost no part in the decision. The current "Business Travel Report" 2008 published by the German Association of Travel Management in collaboration with the consultancy company BearingPoint placed greater emphasis on the hotel industry this year. They also asked which hotel categories and which groups were preferred when booking.
Hanover. As of yesterday, bookings are now possible via the new TUI event manager Reiseleicht. Under the motto "Book cheap and find quickly," holidays will first be sold only through travel agents. Internet will be possible as of the end of the year. The hotel portfolio begins with 130 properties.