hotels – Chanters Lodge Livingstone

Forecast 2010

Here’s a dose of reality this Wednesday morning courtesy of Travel Weekly

“The financial crisis is continuing to damage the travel industry with the number of global arrivals this year to be worse than originally predicted, according to the World Travel Market (WTM) Global Trends Report. The report, produced by Euromonitor International, revealed that global arrivals are expected to decline by 8% by the end of the year, while flight and hotel sales are expected to be down by 14% and 16% respectively.

Worse yet, a full recovery for tourism is not expected until 2013. Presenting the results of the report at the WTM Forecast Forum, BBC journalist Thalia Pellegrini said: “The global financial crisis is taking its toll on the industry – falling expenditure, lack of credit and rising unemployment caused a slump in confidence and demand.” She added that while the swine flu epidemic had been contributed to the global tourism decline, demand would continue to be inhibited by low consumer confidence and rising unemployment.

Euromonitor International global travel and tourism manager Caroline Bremner said the UK’s Air Passenger Duty will affect recovery and be a “major inhibitor for growth” as this is “making the UK appear uncompetitive”. However, the recession had already opened up a new market in the North America market called the ‘funemployed’ – increasing numbers of cash-poor and time-rich people who are deciding to use their redundancy to finance travel. While in Africa the ‘Obama effect’ is driving the growth in “roots tourism” especially from the US, which has a high number of African American citizens.

In the UK, the effect of the recession has been to drive the hotel market to look at building pop-up hotels as demand for good-value accommodation increases. The report also revealed that travel sales online are expected to grow by 4% whereas the total travel market is down 1%. Bremner added: “This also due to the fact consumers are booking later.”

Zambia needs to act to remain competetive too! I guess most of the “roots tourism” mentioned will head for West Africa.

The picture? Mafia Island, Tanzania. An hotelier friend on the Island, recently had a guest complaint that their beach was mud! If so, from that picture, take me to the mud! lol!

11
NOV

Africa, hotels, Tanzania, tourism, travel, trends, Zambia

The Brits On Holiday!

Check this list of the top ten things the British don’t like about hotels when they’re on holiday:

Top 10 hotel gripes:

1. Lack of space and private facilities

2. Price – especially when there’s more than two of you

3. Astronomical mini bar prices

4. Cleaners ‘tidying up’ possessions when they should only be making the bed

5. Being able to hear the TV, screaming children and ‘nookie’ in the room next door

6. Having to get washed and dressed for breakfast (and by a certain hour)

7. Cleaners coming in unannounced

8. Knowing the best food is gone or has been sitting ‘warming’ for a long time if you turn up late for breakfast or the buffet dinner

9. People who ‘reserve’ sun loungers

10. Chintz

I’d love to see a list of hoteliers’ top ten moans about the Brits when they’re on holiday!

23
OCT

guests, hotels, travel, uk

Alcohol And The Hotel Industry

I’ve had my own battles with alcohol – and recently we had to let go a long serving assistant manager due to this problem, so I was interested in a recent article in HotelInteractive. Click the link for the whole article but I’ve extracted some salient points:

“There’s the pressure to take orders and sometimes handle special requests. There’s the mission to help everyone involved have a good time. And there’s the mandate to always to be at the top of one’s game. What can be said about entertainers and athletes – and the demands placed upon them at various times – is just as true for workers in the hospitality industry: Along with the anticipation of delivering a peak performance comes the overriding force of peak pressure. So it was no real revelation last year when research from the George Washington University Medical Center pinpointed hotel and restaurant sector workers as being the economy’s most at risk for alcohol problems, second only to those in mining and construction. Such problems, many observers noted, often prove costly at many levels.

“If you think about it, in the hospitality industry, you have many situations in which you have a culture of drinking, with alcohol being very available to employees either in the course of their work or immediately after work,” said researcher Eric Goplerud, director of Ensuring Solutions to Alcohol Problems, which conducted the study at George Washington University. “And there are other things that put the industry at particular risk. The younger the population, the greater the alcohol burden, and the hospitality industry tends to hire people who are younger.”

The issues are indeed out there and the price of doing nothing results not just in high costs to an employee for related worker illness, absence or poor performance, but also in good will – and perhaps repeat business – with guests. “The industry has often thrived on a ‘work hard, play hard’ mentality, which arguably could be the very things that create the circumstances for drug and alcohol abuse,” wrote Dennis Nickson, professor at the University of Strathclyde Business School in Scotland, in a recent e-mail. “This point would suggest that there is often a very difficult balancing act for the industry in terms of looking after the interests of their employees and offering to customers that a product that will often tacitly blur the lines of appropriate behaviour.”

“Hospitality organisations are becoming more proactive on the matter and the reasons are likely to be due to a mix of three factors,” Nickson wrote. “First, there is the legal dimension and the legal duties placed on employers to become more vigilant in identifying risks and hazards. If they are not taking a proactive approach they could find themselves on the wrong end of a costly lawsuit from an employee if they feel that employers have neglected their duty of care under health and safety legislation.” There is also the human factor – the hospitality business is, after all, about people caring about other people. As such, Nickson wrote, “there may also be a genuine sense of company paternalism resting on an ethical view of an organisation’s responsibility to look after its human resources and to make them aware of the dangers of alcohol and drug abuse.”

And ultimately, economics becomes the strongest motivator in business, he wrote. “By being proactive, organisations may be looking to save costs by reducing absence and improving the performance of employees in the workplace by addressing any problems or concerns that they might have with drug or alcohol abuse…Whether these interventions are paying off in terms of outcomes such as reduced absenteeism, improved timekeeping, increase productivity, less accidents and reduced theft and wastage is something that is worthy of further research.”

Many employers have a feeling that there are two kinds of alcohol treatment either go to AA, which is a self-help group and doesn’t cost anything, or go to a residential 28-day treatment program which is very expensive and which most HR folks say doesn’t work. These were the predominant models up into the 80s and since the 80s there has been development of medications, screenings and outpatient forms of counseling that are as effective, or more effective than treatments for other chronic illnesses.”

The developed world are lucky to have such options – where we are there is very little help and a strong drinking culture in the community as well. If you can’t sort it out for yourself, and unfortunately lots of people can’t, it won’t get sorted!

16
OCT

Africa, Chanters, hotels, management, staff

Tnooz

Tnooz is a new site that you should definitely follow if you’re in this hospitality business:

Tnooz is a provider of news, analysis, commentary, data and business services to the travel, tourism and hospitality industry. Launched in September 2009, Tnooz focuses on technology, digital distribution, media and marketing, web strategy, start-ups and financing in the travel sector. The Tnooz team of reporters and editorial nodes based around the world will bring the latest news and analysis to travel and the sector’s many related and diverse industries.

Tnooz Execs

Gene Quinn – president and chief executive officer
A pioneer in digital media and a well known figure in the travel industry through his role as chairman of research company PhoCusWright.

Kevin May – editor
A journalist of 16 years in newspapers and business magazines, Kevin May was most recently editor of UK-based business publication Travolution.

Frederic Lalonde – chairman
Is the founder and chief executive of OpenPlaces, based in Montreal, Canada.

Tnooz board directors

Philip Wolf
Founded PhoCusWright Inc. in 1994 and serves as president and CEO.

Tnooz Geography

Tnooz has assembled a diverse team of editorial nodes around the world, all with years of experience and expertise in travel technology and online distribution.

I have an RSS feed from Tnooz and so far it’s interesting, topical and very relevant!

2
OCT

hotels, internet, tourism

Anyone For Pimms?

Check this cheeky monkey at the Royal Livingstone! While Mary Schmidt, a Guest of ours staying at Chanters Lodge Livingstone, was visiting the hotel, sipping a lovely Pimms and preparing to watch the sunset, matey here decides he’ll have the fruit out of her glass! Husband Torr was fast enough to snap it!

The Royal Livingstone replaced the Pimms – of course – and Mary and Torr had another great African story!

19
SEP

Africa, Chanters, hotels, livingstone, victoriafalls, wildlife, Zambia

Ras Mbisi Lodge, Mafia Island, Tanzania

My first two postings overseas when I was much younger than I am now were Mombasa Beach Hotel in Mombasa and The Reef Hotel, Seychelles – I never did quite get over them!

Now…. Why am I always doing this? Having just got over the beautiful Mustapha’s Place on Zanzibar, from Twitter I now find the gorgeous Ras Mbisi Lodge and I’m immediately back in a ‘Beam Me Up Scotty’ situation! Check the beach in the picture outside the Ras Mbisi front door – if indeed they have or need a front door!

This stunning Lodge is on Mafia Island off the coast of Tanzania and markets itself as ‘barefoot luxury’! Don’t you just love that! Here’s the blurb:

“Welcome to Ras Mbisi Lodge, the first bespoke, sustainably-built lodge on the west coast of the beautiful island of Mafia, Tanzania. We believe in offering our guests ‘barefoot luxury’: a retreat that is effortless, stunning and relaxed. We combine good food, striking accommodation and outstanding natural beauty in this untouched part of Mafia Island, to give you a taste of an informal, but luxurious, piece of paradise.

We also have ready access to some truly astounding wildlife in season, including whalesharks and humpback whales. The area also has a rapidly regenerating reef, and a wealth of marine life. This is reflected in Mafia’s Marine Park in the Chole Bay area; the largest marine protected area in East Africa.”

Ras Mbisi is a small private ‘beach meets bush’ lodge set on 8 kilometres of deserted beach where we offer luxury back to nature accommodation in an informal atmosphere. We are the only true beach lodge on Mafia Island.

Put your feet up and let us look after you. We take the idea of barefoot luxury seriously, and our aim has been to provide a piece of island paradise for you to unwind and relax in. Limited mobile phone and no internet access means you totally get away from the outside world.”

Want to get away from it all! Look no further! Oh! And give me a call, I WANT TO COME WITH YOU!

17
SEP

accommodation, Africa, hotels, richard, Tanzania, tourism, Zanzibar

Miss Zambia & Other Award Nominations!

Following on from yesterday’s story about Anawana Haloba nominated for an important art award in Norway here’s a story from The Post about more nominations for Zambia.

Reigning Miss Zambia UK, Andella Chileshe Matthews (above) has been nominated ‘best beauty queen’ in the Black Entertainment, Fashion, Film & Television Awards (BEFFTAs) to be held at London’s Hilton Metropole on October 17. According to a statement by Justina Mutale, chief executive officer of Perryfield Promotions, the organisers of Miss Zambia UK Beauty Pageant, the BEFFTA Awards is an international prestigious ceremony committed to recognising the all-around accomplishments of black stars.

Andella, who recently represented Zambia at Miss Universe 2009 in the Bahamas, joins other celebrity nominees such as supermodel Naomi Campbell, film star Noel Clarke, award-winning Jazz musician Yolanda Brown, and X-Factor sensations Leona Lewis and Alexandra Burke. Others are Miss England Rachel Christie, celebrity photographer, Bukola Garace, top international models, Ibukun Jegede and Jasmina Robinson, and fashion designers Gavin Pierre Medford and Yemi Osunkoya of the world renowned Kosibah Creations.

Mutale stated that former Miss Zambia UK Rosemary Chileshe has also been nominated as ‘best former beauty queen’ while the Miss Zambia UK Beauty Pageant has been nominated ‘best beauty pageant’ and Perryfield Promotions has been nominated “best event promoter”. “I am very proud of Andella and Rosemary on their achievements and BEFFTA nominations. To have four BEFFTA nominations in our camp is a great achievement for us at Miss Zambia UK.

“We would be dedicating the BEFFTA Award to all the contestants who have ever participated in the Miss Zambia UK Beauty Pageant. By participating, they have each in their own unique way played a key role in making Miss Zambia UK one of the best pageants in the world,” Mutale stated.

Black stars to be honoured with the BEFFTA Awards will include musicians, dancers, choreographers, comedians, radio personalities, television personalities, film, actors, actresses, models, beauty queens, DJs, event promoters, fashion designers, hair stylists, make-up artists, photographers, spoken word artists, beauty pageants, community newspapers and magazines.

The BEFFTA Awards ceremony will be filmed for television broadcasting for both UK and international audience. The ceremony will be hosted by UK’s top comedian and Choice FM radio presenter, and TV personality Richard Blackwood.

13
SEP

Africa, awards, bestofzambia, hotels, uk, Zambia

Hotel Reviews

I’m back on one of my favourite topics again. Hotel reviews. This piece from Dennis Schaal‘s blog caught my eye:

He writes:

“Any smart company should monitor the social-media airwaves and at least listen to its critics therefore you have to give TripAdvisor some credit at least for reaching out to its critics and making a few tweaks to its hotel-review policies, although the modifications so far haven’t been earth-shattering. Jay Karen, president and CEO of the Professional Association of Innkeepers International, has met periodically with TripAdvisor officialdom and presented the company with a list of pet peeves from his B&B constituency.

Karen won’t take credit for any policy changes, but he undoubtedly has had an influence. The changes have ranged from minor to significant. For example, TripAdvisor initially permitted hotel reviews up to five years after the guest supposedly stayed at the property. Karen pushed for one year instead. “They left it fairly liberal from the get-go, because at first they needed to populate their site with reviews,” Karen says. “[TripAdvisor President and CEO] Steve Kaufer said this in a meeting with me, but he said now that their site has plenty of reviews, that they certainly could look at that policy. So, they changed it to three years. A step in the right direction, but I think a few more steps would be good.”

Of course, the downside in this is that there is no verification of when — or if — someone actually stayed at the hotel or inn. Other changes have been a bit more important. Earlier this year, Karen suggested and TripAdvisor changed the way it displays Best Deals. Previously, beneath the display of a property like the Jersey Cape Motel in Cape May, N.J., TripAdvisor might have displayed Best Deals: Jersey Cape Motel, but provided links to intermediaries and other properties that were competitors of the Jersey Cape Motel. Today, at the suggestion of Karen (and perhaps others), TripAdvisor has changed the display to Best Deals: Cape May. Thus a bait and switch is eliminated and the properties’ brands are not being misused.

“Another change that looks to be forthcoming, which I have lobbied for, as well, is for B&Bs to have links on their [TripAdvisor] pages that go back to their own websites,” Karen says. Today, since most smaller properties still are absent from global distribution systems or large online travel companies like Expedia, you’d be hard-pressed to find an advertising link to the Jersey Cape Motel or similar properties on their TripAdvisor pages. Thus, if you want to book that property under review, you’d have to find another way to do it outside of TripAdvisor. “We’re hoping in early 2010 for there to be a reciprocal link program for B&Bs,” Karen said. “This would be a big change for our industry.”

Change at TripAdvisor has been a slow-go. That’s because TripAdvisor has been unbelievably successful with its current formula despite all the “noise” out there from people like Karen, me and countless others. Karen acknowledges that TripAdvisor officials have been good listeners, but he likens the pace of change over there to re-positioning an ocean-liner. Almost everyone in the hospitality industry now acknowledges the importance of TripAdvisor and consumer hotel reviews, and the lodging industry is grappling with best practices.

Perhaps TripAdvisor should convene a blogger/hotel industry summit to move the conversation forward. However, my best guess is that will not be happening any time soon. If it weren’t handled properly, with all the passion generated on the hotel review issue, the meeting could degenerate into something like one of those healthcare-reform town hall meetings. Business and democracy — whether we are talking about hotel reviews and the advertising/media business, or healthcare reform — can be a noisy thing.”

The picture? The man had a bad review on TripAdvisor!

8
SEP

blog, hotels, reviews, TripAdvisor, Zambia

Hotel Reviews – What’s Your Policy

This from HotelMarketing.com – I’m interested in things to do with hotel reviews:

By Jonathan Barsky and Cindi Frame

Although the hospitality industry is still in the beginning stages of figuring out how to master the exciting potential of social media, it is clear that the role of user-generated reviews is exploding and that consumers are wielding more power. The pace of this change has certainly caught many hotels off guard. A recent survey conducted by Market Metrix and TripAdvisor found that 85% of hotels have no guidelines for monitoring, responding to or acting on guest reviews. Perhaps this lack of direction explains why, according to TripAdvisor, only 4% of negative reviews are responded to!

It’s critical for hotels to regain control and take the appropriate action. Consumers say when a company responds to a review, it puts the company in a favorable light (Compete Inc., 2007). Our own research shows that responding to customer issues can improve a guest’s likelihood to recommend and return by 20% or more. This leads to word-of-mouth referrals which can represent 40% or more of a hotel’s customer mix. If hotels don’t respond, the dynamic of negative feedback can build into a huge wave of consumer defection.

To assist hotels in developing their own approach to handling online reviews, Market Metrix has assembled the following guidelines based on industry “best practices”:

Monitor
Hotels need to establish a process for tracking new reviews. This begins with assigning one person at your property to monitor online review sites and have accountability to follow up on all reviews. This person should:

– Sign up for emails, alerts and RSS feeds to know when new reviews and scores have changed.
– Monitor the review sites frequently, depending on how often your hotel receives reviews.
– Make sure your hotel is listed on these sites and that your photos, videos and descriptions are up-to-date, accurate and complementary.

Respond
Management must clearly establish the hotel’s response policy. Ideally, hotels should respond to all reviews within 24 hours in a personal and professional manner. This demonstrates a hotel’s commitment to listening and acting on guest feedback. If a response is not possible within 24 hours, respond to all negative reviews first.

– If needed, forward negative comments to the appropriate person for assistance in responding and to let them know there is an issue in their department. Determine if and when the GM should be alerted.
– If a review is suspected to be fraudulent, immediately contact the review site to dispute it. If justified, the review will be removed.

In responding to guest reviews, always start by thanking the guest for writing a review. For positive reviews reinforce hotel strengths and invite the guest to return.
Forward positive comments to the appropriate person who can share the feedback with deserving employees. In responding to negative reviews, apologize for their experience, inform them what you will do to address the problem, invite the guest to contact hotel management for resolution and describe (or even post a picture) how the problem was resolved. Make sure to track which reviews have received a response.

Analyze / Improve
User reviews expose the truth of a hotel’s brand. Hotels are now challenged with maintaining high standards and meeting the expectations of customers who have done a significant amount of research before they travel. Guest reviews not only offer hotels a chance for service recovery, they also can uncover opportunities for improvement, driving satisfaction and loyalty, and even reduce operating costs.

Each review should be thoroughly evaluated. Ideally, results from all reviews should be stored in a database with a reporting package available for analysis. Analyze guest reviews to understand trends versus prior periods, identify performance gaps versus relevant competitors, uncover scoring differences among key customer groups, and provide an input for investment decisions. Review site feedback should be combined with your regular guest feedback program to get a full 360.

Based on this analysis, action plans, preferably done at the department level, should be created to address issues, gaps and unfavorable trends. We would also recommend that you:

– Share issues, gaps and trends with appropriate managers.
– Set goals that are measurable.
– Consider tying employee compensation to appropriate guest feedback measures, as long as they are fair and unbiased.

In addition, display positive reviews on your site to show off positive experiences of other guests and to prevent travelers from searching for reviews on other sites. Encourage guests to write reviews – fewer reviews imply a less popular hotel. Encourage guests verbally at check out, on receipts and in communications or emails sent to guests.

More people than ever before are reading hotel reviews prior to booking. Hotels that embrace online reviews and take actions can increase their business. Online reviews can help you connect with your customers, find out what they really want and promote your hotel. This will lead to higher levels of service and confidence in your brand.

Hoteliers please note!

The photo? Samoa – dream on Richard!

3
SEP

guests, hotels, management, reviews, TripAdvisor

Late John Mwanakatwe

As reported in the press, John Mwankatwe has died and today is to be given a State Funeral by the Zambian Government. He was a remarkable man, one of Zambia’s first graduates in law, he served as a Minister in the Government and amongst other distinguished posts, Chancellor of University of Zambia. He was a Zambian, a lawyer, author and intellectual.

His son Mupanga Mwanakatwe is married to Margaret, an executive with Barclays Bank, and elder sister to Towela, mother of two of my children, Michael and Alexandra. They knew late John as ‘grandpa’ and were very sad at news of his passing. John gave me very valuable advice in 1992 when I unexpectedly had to leave my post as General Manager of Ridgeway Hotel (now Southern Sun Ridgeway). Some of the advice I followed and some I didn’t – it was valuable!

Late John was often guest of honour at functions held at the Ridgeway. This was always a cause for concern. Why? Well, his speeches used to last so long it disturbed the food service! He was a lawyer after all! We always used to try and pursuade the organizers to let us serve the main course before the speeches. When they asked “why?” Our reply was “well, do you really want to eat your main course at midnight!” Consternation!

Late John always passed by Chanters Lodge when he visited Livingstone to see my progress and express his best wishes, and I highly valued these visits. He’ll be missed by family, friends and all who had the privilege to know him.

26
AUG

entrepreneurship, guests, hotels, leadership, livingstone, Zambia

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