Eric Oppegaard
By Corris Little, Hotel Business
NEW YORK—In the wake of recent global events, demand has been destructed and, as a result, there’s a “new normal” emerging for hotel companies.
How can hoteliers begin to navigate the changing landscape that is directly impacting their bottom line?
“It’s important to look at the past, present and future. If you go back to the Great Recession of 2008 and terror attacks in 2011, they were global events. What happened recently in Paris, Orlando and Brussels are more localized terror events and they can hit at anytime. It’s not just about looking at terrorism; there are other events making an impact like the flooding in Louisiana,” explained John Hach, senior industry analyst at TravelClick, a global provider of revenue-generating solutions for hoteliers. “There are three primary issues affecting the industry, right now: infectious disease (Zika virus), the economy (Brexit) and terrorism (local and global). There is good news in the industry, but there are mixed messages. It’s not all bad or good.”
