Blockchain update: EyeforTravel posted a story this week about tech-forward Nordic Choice Hotel’s work on blockchain distribution and how it executed the first hotel reservation on a public blockchain at its Hobo hotel in Stockholm. The story discusses the distribution implications and possibilities. Is it a recipe for success, and how much potential does it have to lower distribution costs?—Jeff Weinstein
Have you heard of Alphas? Expedia Group Media Solutions has new research on the influence of Generation Alpha – those born after 2010 – on family travel decisions. It revealed, among other things, that 83% of travelers plan trips together as a family, and most parents and grandparents discuss travel with their Gen Alpha children or grandchildren. Also, 71% of parents and grandparents are deciding between two or more destinations, or don’t have a destination in mind when they first decide to take a trip. What other factors come into play when kid-friendly environments are crucial?—J.W.
Disappointing pay rates: You’ve seen CEO pay tables, but do you know what the average server, housekeeper, front desk clerk and bellman makes? In the U.S., the median annual wage for an employee in the traveler accommodation industry was just US$32,420, below the overall median wage of US$38,640, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Here is a list of average pay rates among line level and property-level managers.—J.W.
No, Part I: Just – no.—Barbara Bohn
No, Part II: Absolutely not.—B.B.