Hawaii says it’s ready for visitors
Hawaii’s hotel industry says it’s ready for the state to reopen to tourists. And that includes being ready if a visitor falls ill with COVID-19 after they arrive, meaning that hotels around the state will have protocols to keep visitors and workers safe. Right now, the state’s Gov. David Ige expects to reopen Hawaii September 1 to visitors who test negative for coronavirus within three days of their arrival, although current conditions on the mainland are not promising.
TUI closing one-third of its travel agencies
Britain’s biggest holiday company is to close one-third of its high-street travel agencies. The company, TUI, said it will close 166 of its 516 high-street stores in the UK and Ireland “as it adapts to changes in customer behavior.” The move by Tui will cost 900 jobs, but many may be saved by redeployment. A new homeworking sales and service team will be created. The firm is seeking to reassure prospective customers by offering cover for passengers against coronavirus-related problems.
U.K. says yes to holidays, but with a catch
Boris Johnson’s government said Britons should stick to their holiday plans to countries not on the U.K. coronavirus quarantine list, but warned advice could change suddenly and urged airlines and tour operators to show “understanding” by offering refunds and re-bookings. The U.K.’s blanket rule on travelers returning from all of Spain, as opposed to a region-based approach taken by other countries, is a significant blow to the country’s hotel industry and angered Madrid.
Slightly higher occupancy for U.S.
U.S. hotel performance data for the week ending July 25 showed slightly higher occupancy and room rates from the previous week, according to STR.
July 19-25 (percentage change from comparable week in 2019):
Occupancy: 48.1% (-37.9%)
ADR: US$99.24 (-27.3%)
RevPAR: US$47.75 (-54.8%)
U.S. occupancy has risen week over week for 14 of the last 15 weeks, although growth in demand (room nights sold) has slowed. Aggregate data for the top 25 markets showed lower occupancy (40.8%) and ADR (US$97.32) than all other markets. Norfolk/Virginia Beach, Virginia, was the only one of those major markets to reach a 60% occupancy level (66.1%). Four additional markets reached or surpassed 50% occupancy: Detroit, Michigan (55.2%); Atlanta, Georgia (50.5%); Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-New Jersey (50.4%); and San Diego, California (50.0%). Markets with the lowest occupancy levels for the week included Oahu Island, Hawaii (22.7%); New Orleans, Louisiana (28.3%); and Miami/Hialeah, Florida (30.7%). Of note, in New York, New York, occupancy was 36.3%, up slightly from 35.9% the week prior. In Seattle, Washington, occupancy was 35.1%, an increase from 34.2% the previous week.
How can tech help hotels during this time?
Can technology assist hotels as travel opens up when the pandemic is contained? That’s the question Horwath HTL is seeking to answer in a new industry report. Key technological improvements can help mitigate some operational challenges that arise due to the uncertainty surrounding the pandemic: a possible second wave, and a possible vaccine with an uncertain timeline.
How SE Asian industry leaders are coping
As part of the “Path to Recovery” campaign for SE Asian Hospitality, Savills Hotels initiated a video series to regularly keep clients and industry leaders updated about market snapshots. The most recent video from the series involves insiders from Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, The Philippines and Cambodia discussing the ways they’ve been coping with the pandemic overcome.
Hospitality Challenge: 30 Scholarships
The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has partnered with Sommet Education to create an initiative granting 30 scholarships to help support the hospitality industry. The initiative, called simply the “Hospitality Challenge,” will provide scholarships for education programs, support career climbers and switchers, and aid entrepreneurs and innovators as they develop projects that help drive tourism’s recovery.