 |
||
|
The Travel Career Connexxions Opportunities Newsletter
04/12/05 The only weekly newsletter detailing essential trends, news and top executive moves in travel. Opportunities is a free newsletter that provides you with the vision to "see" travel industry opportunities in the making. Whether you are in sales, business development, guiding your company's growth or managing your career, reading opportunities will give you the advantage to succeed. Opportunities is another innovative tool brought to you by Travel Career Connexxions. For more information, visit http://www.TravelExecutive.com This week in Opportunities:
WTTC Unveils 2005 Travel & Tourism Country Forecasts To ensure that you always receive this newsletter and other communications from Travel Career Connexxions, please add our address to your Address Book (newsletter@travelexecutive.com). This will keep most email filters from misinterpreting and discarding these emails. Did you know? As of 04/12/05 there are 125 executive-level travel jobs published in the Travel Career Connexxions employment report. Positions include Vice President of Tax (04/11), Vice President of Investor Relations (04/11), Director of Sales (04/11), Regional Director - Airport Affairs (04/11), VP of Operations (04/05), Vice President of Sales, Executive Vice President and more. It only takes one person to fill the job of a lifetime - and that someone could be you! http://www.TravelExecutive.com OPPORTUNITIES NEWS & TRENDS! WTTC Unveils 2005 Travel & Tourism Country Forecasts So just how well is the global travel industry faring this year? The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) last week released its 2005 Travel & Tourism forecasts for 174 countries at the 5th Global Travel & Tourism Summit in New Delhi, India. Releasing forecasts prepared on its behalf by Oxford Economic Forecasting, which follow the United Nations standard for Tourism Satellite Accounting, the WTTC reported that the record robust recovery started in 2004 should continue through 2005 at a healthy rate. WTTC also reported that the December 2004 tsunami, which struck some tourism destinations around the Indian Ocean, had a significant, but limited overall impact on the tourism economies. Worldwide for 2005, WTTC is forecasting the following. Demand for all components of Travel & Tourism consumption, investment, government spending and exports is expected to grow 5.4 percent (in real terms) and total $6.2 trillion in 2005. The 10-year annualized growth (2006-2015) forecast is 4.6 percent per annum illustrating the outlook for strong long-term growth. The continued strength of the pound and euro against the U.S. dollar is expected to push visitor exports to nearly $820 billion in 2005 or real growth of 7.3 percent. Travel & Tourism's contribution to the world economy is illustrated by the direct industry impact of 3.8 percent of total GDP and the combined direct and indirect impact of the Travel & Tourism economy expected to total 10.6 percent in 2005. The global Travel & Tourism industry is expected to produce 2.1 million new jobs in 2005 over its 2004 level to total 74.2 million jobs or 2.8 percent of total world employment. The broader perspective of the Travel & Tourism economy (direct and indirect) is expected to create more than 6.5 million new jobs for the world economy for a total of 221.6 million jobs dependent on Travel & Tourism or 8.3 percent of total employment. Said WTTC President, Jean-Claude Baumgarten: "We turned the corner in 2004 and it's full steam ahead for Travel & Tourism in many countries and regions around the world. Much of the pent up demand from three previous years of terrorism, war and health concerns has been released in a record level of Travel & Tourism demand. Consumers and business travelers have voted their confidence in the economy by returning to holidays and business trips in massive numbers. We've haven't seen such a rebound in Travel & Tourism growth for quite some time, it's really quite exciting. For 2005 we expect the rebound to continue at a sustainable pace." The WTTC also released its 2005 Top Ten List of Travel & Tourism economies. For the second year in a row Montenegro has placed first as the fastest growing Travel & Tourism economy in the world. India and China placed second and third respectively illustrating the impact of the emerging middle-classes has on Travel & Tourism growth. In order, the top 10 are Montenegro, China, India, Renunion, Croatia, Sudan, Vietnam, Laos, Czech Republic and Guadeloupe. For more information, visit www.wttc.org. InterContinental Hotels Group Stays World Leader If you're looking to work for the biggest hotel company or the largest brand, then you might want to know just who ranks in those categories. MKG Consulting last week unveiled its 10 largest hotel groups and 20 largest hotel brands in the world. Last year, through the acquisition of the American, Candlewood Suites, InterContinental Hotels Group took the lead in the worldwide ranking of hotel groups. Despite a new restructuring of its supply, which led to the loss of some 2,000 rooms, it maintained its advance over the challenger, Cendant, which reduced the difference by increasing its supply. Among the 10 largest groups in the world, half posted a drop in their room inventory, mainly the consequence of a quality control policy that led to the elimination of properties that did not meet prerequisite norms. Only one major change occurred with hotel groups, the arrival of Hyatt in the Top Ten, after the acquisition of the AmeriSuites chain, currently integrated into the new operational structure, Global Hyatt, which pushed Hilton International off the top spot, which posted 104,400 rooms in 2005. Among brands, Express by Holiday Inn, the star brand of ICHG, rose by one spot to 8th place. Likewise, Quality, from Choice International, also gained in its market share, and rose by one place in the ranking. The largest change in the ranking occurred with Courtyard by Marriott, which rose by three places, from 16th to 13th. The annual ranking of the world's 10 largest hotel groups is, in order: InterContinental Hotels Group, Cendant, Marriott International, Accor, Choice, Hilton Corp., Best Western, Starwood, Carlson Hospitality Worldwide and Global Hyatt. The annual ranking of the world's 20 largest hotel brands includes, in order, Best Western, Holiday Inn, Comfort Inns & Suites, Marriott Hotels Resorts, Days Inn of America, Inc., Sheraton Hotels & Resorts, Hampton Inn, Express by Holiday Inn, Super Motel 8, Ramada Franchise Systems, Radisson Hotels Worldwide, Quality Inns, Hotels, Suites, Courtyard by Marriott, Hyatt Hotels, Motel 6, Hilton Hotels USA, Mercure, Hilton International, Ibis and Novotel. Site59 Survey Details Summer Travel Outlook What's the outlook for summer travel? Site59, a leader in last-minute online travel getaways, polled customers on their travel intentions for the Summer 2005 season. Thousands of responses were compiled from people who traveled between Dec. 13, 2004 and March 5, 2005, revealing trends in booking behavior, favorite summertime destinations and general vacation policies. Site59 found that 89 percent of surveyed customers are planning to take a leisure vacation this summer, with 38 percent of them planning more than three trips. The overwhelming majority, 95 percent, has not booked any travel yet, with half indicating that they will likely book within one month of departure. When asked what will influence their decision, the most popular response was that customers are "waiting to be inspired," which even outranked "waiting for the best deal." This summer, travel trends include renewed interest in travel abroad with 19 percent of customers looking to collect a new stamp on their passport. Thirty eight percent will travel to the beach, while 17 percent are planning to head to the mountains, and 14 percent will visit big cities this summer. Finally, 12 percent of customers indicate they never go to the same place twice. In addition, people are being given more time off from work, with 73 percent of customers receiving more than three weeks paid vacation time each year. Forty percent report unused vacation time, with the majority, 21 percent, carrying seven or more days over from the previous year. Twenty eight percent indicated that they thought it would be difficult to take time off at all this summer. Caribbean Sets Travel Human Resources Meeting The Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) will hold its first regional human resources conference next month as a means of broadening its annual Tourism Educators Forum. Themed "Raising Standards and Organizational Effectiveness in the Tourism Workplace," the May 23-25 conference will provide a forum for discussing issues which impact on human resource functions. It also aims to impart new knowledge and skills in how to optimize organizational performance and will showcase good human resource practices. The program for the Tourism Human Resources Conference includes a number of plenary sessions and "How To" workshops. The plenary sessions will explore major challenges and opportunities facing Caribbean tourism; trends in human capital management and development and critical thinking for optimum performance. CTO will also present the result of a study on good human resource practices in Caribbean tourism. The conference is being organized by the CTO, in collaboration with the Caribbean Tourism Human Resource Council (CTHRC) and the Universidad del Este International School of Tourism and Hospitality Management in San Juan, Puerto Rico, which will be the host venue. Conference details and registration forms are available on the CTO intranet site, www.onecaribbean.org. Hyatt Set to Make Debut on Vegas Strip 3700 Associates announced that Hyatt Hotels Corporation will operate their 2,700 hotel and condo-hotel residences, to be called The Cosmopolitan Resort & Casino. The partnership is particularly significant because it provides Hyatt its first opportunity to showcase the internationally recognized Grand Hyatt name in Las Vegas. The Cosmopolitan, located next to Bellagio, will be a boutique, mixed-use luxury condo-hotel-resort featuring condominiums, hotel rooms, a casino, retail, dining and entertainment venues, meeting rooms, and The Cosmo Beach Club. It is scheduled to break ground in mid-2005 and open in early 2008 Starwood to Manage Sheraton Shanghai Hotel China hotel growth continues to be hot, especially for U.S. hotel companies. Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc and Shanghai You You Group Co. Limited have announced an agreement whereby Starwood will manage the Sheraton Shanghai Hotel & Residences, Pudong in China. The hotel, which will debut in 2008, will feature 509 rooms, 150 serviced residences, and close to 16,400 square feet of meeting and function space. With this addition, Starwood will have five upscale hotels in Shanghai by 2008, including the Sheraton Shanghai Hotel & Residences (opening 2008), W Shanghai - Pudong (opening 2008), The Westin Shanghai, St. Regis Hotel, Shanghai and the Sheraton Grand Tai Ping Yang Hotel, Shanghai. According to the Shanghai Tourism Commission, the increasing numbers of multinational companies and travel related companies have helped stimulate the tourism industry in Shanghai. By end of 2004, there were at least 600 international and domestic travel services, and 55,000 guest rooms in Shanghai. Shanghai expects to receive at least four million visitors from abroad in 2005, with domestic tourist numbers forecasted at 100 million. Ritz-Carlton to Manage Hotel in Shenzhen, China There's more expansion on the China hotel front. The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company signed a formal agreement with Shenzhen Galaxy Real Estate Development Company, Ltd. to manage a 245-room luxury hotel in the southern China city of Shenzhen. Opening in 2007, the 25-story hotel -- located adjacent to the Shenzhen Convention and Exhibition Centre in the Futian Central Business District -- will be the sixth strategic site in China for Ritz-Carlton. The company's flagship property in China, The Portman Ritz-Carlton, Shanghai opened in 1998. The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C. of Chevy Chase, Md., (USA) currently operates 58 hotels in the Americas, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa. Hilton Debuts Second Indianapolis Property Following just eight months after the opening of the Hilton Indianapolis Downtown, Hilton Hotels Corporation has announced the opening of Indianapolis' newest full-service hotel, the Hilton Indianapolis North. Located in Northeast Indianapolis, the hotel was previously operated under another brand name and has undergone a $5 million renovation to become a Hilton. The Hilton Indianapolis North is owned by HEI Indianapolis LLC and operated under a franchise license agreement with Hilton Inns, Inc., a franchising subsidiary of Beverly Hills-based Hilton Hotels Corporation. It is managed by Merritt Hospitality, a division of HEI Hospitality, LLC. Hyatt Set to Oversee New Curacao Resort Hyatt Corporation and Santa Barbara Hospitality, N.V. announced today the signing of a long-term management agreement for Hyatt Regency Curacao Resort, Spa & Casino. Construction on the 350-room full-service luxury resort and spa will commence this summer with completion of the resort slated for late 2007. The first phase of the resort community, known as Santa Barbara Plantation, will include a series of facilities and high-end amenities. In addition to Hyatt Regency Curacao, the master plan will offer residential units and may include Hyatt Vacation Ownership units. Curacao, with a population of approximately 158,000 and a land area of 171 square miles, is the largest and most populous island in the Netherlands Antilles. Starwood Sets Grand Opening of Big Island Resort Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. announced the grand opening of the newest resort on Hawaii's Big Island, the 521-room Sheraton Keauhou Bay Resort & Spa. Following a $70-million two-year renovation, the Sheraton Keauhou Bay Resort and Spa is poised to become a major destination on the Big Island's Kona Coast. HSMAI Debuts eConnect Hotel Research Website The Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) launched its new eConnect website as the first one-stop portal to global information and resources on hospitality industry sales and marketing topics. Created as a repository for information and research addressing today's most important industry issues, the service is hosted by Hsyndicate and provided by the HSMAI Foundation through its Research Partnership program. While many of eConnect's resources are available exclusively to HSMAI members, a 30-day trial period is available for non-members to access password-protected content. Following the trial period, users can join HSMAI and get a 10 percent discount off membership. The site is sectioned into six categories: 1) Industry News & Events 2) Special Interest Groups 3) Research, Papers and Documents 4) HSMAI Update 5) Industry Links & Resources and 6) Search the Database. Visitors can access eConnect from hsmai.org or go to www.hsmaieconnect.org to create their own portal to sales and marketing resources. New Travel Institute Course: Hosting Independent Contractors The Travel Institute has introduced a new course, (also a CTC program elective), entitled Hosting Independent Contractors. Written by noted attorney Rose Hache, the course is being offered at the special introductory price of $29 through May 1, at which time the course will ship. Any agency that hosts independent contractors or is thinking of hosting them, will find the information both informative and essential in order to minimize risk. The course contains some of the following objectives 1) how to differentiate between an independent contractor and an employee, 2) the types of expenses paid by an independent contractor in exchange for host services, 3) the latest developments and innovations in the marketplace, 4) security issues, and 5) variations and characteristics of hosts. Visit www.thetravelinstitute.com for more information. Connect at TravelCom 2005 This April, Travel Commerce Conference and Expo will be bigger and better than ever before, with more exhibitors, an exciting new venue, and a comprehensive executive level conference program that has been created for the industry, by the industry! Opportunities subscribers also can save 20% on TravelCom 2005! - Simply use the following discount code when registering at TravelComExpo.com: GTC2L. TravelCom runs April 27-29, 2005 at the Marriott Marquis in New York, NY. OPPORTUNITIES EXECUTIVE MOVERS! AIRLINES: Midwest Airlines announced the appointment of Gregory Aretakis as vice president of planning and revenue management. Aretakis will have overall responsibility for planning and scheduling, yield management, pricing, codeshares and interline activities for both Midwest Airlines and Midwest Connect. CAR RENTALS: Vanguard Car Rental USA Inc., operator of National Car Rental and Alamo Rent A Car, has named Jerry Dow as senior vice president and chief marketing officer. Dow previously served as managing director, worldwide advertising and promotions for United Airlines, where he was responsible for directing all global advertising, promotions, sponsorship and brand-related activities. At Vanguard, Dow will oversee marketing for both National Car Rental and Alamo Rent A Car, two of the world's largest car rental brands, with specific responsibility for marketing, advertising, promotions and sponsorships. CRUISES: Holland America Line named Charlie Dunwoody as Western division sales director in charge of 16 states and 15 field sales managers. Dunwoody's territory covers Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Hawaii, Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Utah, Wyoming and Montana. DESTINATIONS: The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) announced that Jeffrey Shubert will succeed Lily Shum as the regional director for The Americas. Shubert, who joined the HKTB on April 1, will fully assume his responsibilities on May 1. In his new role, he will formulate and direct the HKTB's marketing strategies throughout The Americas, contribute to the board's overall global planning; maintain the strong trade-partner network in the region; develop high-yield business; and act as the HKTB's key regional spokesman with the media, trade and other bodiesÖ Karen Ford-Warner, acting secretary general of the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) since the retirement in September 2004 of Jean Holder, former secretary general, has resigned from the CTO, effective May 10. Ford-Warner formerly served as the CTO's deputy secretary general since January 1999. Prior to that, she served as the chief advisor to Jamaica's minister of tourism. CTO has not yet selected a new secretary general to replace Holder...Tony Vericella is new managing director of Island Partners Hawaii, a Honolulu-based destination management company. He also has become a partner in the company's parent, SHG, and will serve as SHG's senior executive responsible for overall corporate planning and integration. HOTELS & RESORTS: Pan Pacific Hotels and Resorts announced several senior executive appointments, namely the transition of former Pan Pacific President Ichigo Umehara to president of Tokyu Hotels and chairman of Pan Pacific Hotels and Resorts; Akihito (Arthur) Ikeda as the new president of the Singapore-based company; and Steve Halliday as president of Pan Pacific Hotels and Resorts North America. Ikeda, Umehara and Halliday assumed their new positions effective April 1, 2005Ö Fairmont Hotels & Resorts has promoted Stephen Banks to executive director sales and marketing, Europe, Africa & Middle East effective April 2005. In this new role Banks will be responsible for ensuring the maximization of overall sales and marketing efforts for the region, strategically overseeing the sales and marketing operations in the regions' hotels, as well as the global sales effortÖMGM Mirage announced that Lorenzo Creighton has been appointed president and chief operating officer (COO) of New York-New York Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. Creighton's career has been wide-ranging, having served as an attorney, judge and gaming regulator. In addition, he has more than 10 years of experience in casino operationsÖHilton Hotels Corporation named 32-year Hilton veteran Gerhard (Gary) Seibert as area vice president and managing director for Hawaii, overseeing the Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort and Spa, Doubletree Alana Waikiki and Hilton Waikoloa Village, with an expected start date of June 1, 2005. Seibert has been serving as area vice president for Hilton Hotels Corporation and general manager of the historic Palmer House Hilton since 2000Ö Pan Pacific Hotels and Resorts has appointed Sileshi Mengiste as the new general manager for Pan Pacific San Francisco. Mengiste succeeds Jacques Villeneuve, who was general manager for the last three yearsÖPer Aquum Resorts & Spas named David O'Hara and Jacqueline O'Hara as the new management couple for Dhoni Mighili in the Maldives. The couple, who are both from Australia, have worked across a range of top resorts and restaurants worldwide. Prior to taking this position David O'Hara held the role of executive chef to His Majesty King Abdullah II and Her Majesty Queen Rania of Jordan...CSM Lodging announced the addition of a central region to its existing east and west regions to support its fast-paced growth structure. The realignment will allow for more effective management of CSM Lodging's existing properties and provide a roadmap to acquire and build additional properties. Steve Schlundt, previously director of quality for CSM Lodging, will serve as regional vice president for the central regionÖThe Millennium Broadway Hotel, New York, has brought in top hospitality professionals as directors in its key sales, management and catering departments. The new staff includes Jim Mooney, director of conference center sales; Herbert Rose, managing director of the Hudson Theatre; and James Max Corish, director of food and beverageÖ Pyramid Advisors LLC (Pyramid), a Boston-based hotel development, management and ownership firm, announced that Daniel Wright has joined the company as chief financial officer. He will oversee the company's finance and accounting functions and play a key role in acquisitions and developmentÖ Thomas Klippstein is the new general manager of the Hotel Adlon Kempinski in Berlin. Klippstein will move from the Kempinski Grand Hotel Heiligendamm, where he has been responsible for the opening of that hotel. Herman von Treskow has completed his transitional role as general manager of the Hotel Adlon Kempinski, Berlin. TRAVEL TECHNOLOGY: IDeaS, a leading provider of hospitality revenue optimization solutions and one of the industry's fastest growing technology companies, announced that Keith Watson has joined the company as its new U.K.-based sales manager. Watson comes to IDeaS with extensive experience in the hospitality high-tech industry. TOUR OPERATORS: Pleasant Holidays named George Thompson as vice president product development for its Hawaii and Mexico destinations. Thompson has a broad background in travel that includes sales and marketing experience with luxury hotels, wholesalers, and cruise linesÖATS Tours and Islands in the Sun have named Janice Tully, CTC, as vice president-sales and marketing. In her new capacity, Tully will be responsible for managing the development, market penetration, and sales of both Islands in the Sun and ATS Tours in the U.S., Canada, and MexicoÖTransGlobal Vacations announced the addition of Jamie Lund as the new business development manager in Rochester, Minn. Lund will be working with travel agencies to help them grow their business through more efficient technology tools; new marketing initiatives; and strategies to increase market share for their travel agencies and TransGlobal Vacations.
Looking for more? Do you see Opportunities? Tell us! Please send all travel news and top executive changes to: opportunities@travelcareerconnexxions.com. |
|
|
||
About Us Privacy Policy Terms & Conditions Contact Us© 2005 The Weekly Executive Employment Report is a publication of Travel Career Connexxions, Inc.