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Licensees seek to fight glass ban in courts

LICENSEES representing 14 Queensland pubs and clubs will fight to prevent glass being banned at their venues in the Supreme Court in Brisbane today.

Queensland's biggest owner of suburban hotels, the Australian Leisure and Hospitality Group, is leading the charge after the State Government issued show causes to 74 "high risk" venues earmarked for the glass ban, due to take effect next month.

In court documents, lawyers for the parties said the impact of the glass ban would be "grave" for their clients.

They indicated they would seek to have the notices declared invalid and set aside.

"There would be serious potential consequences for our clients if they were classified high risk," court documents state.

"They would have to immediately replace regular glassware with non-regular glassware in the premises.

"There would (also) be far wider reaching consequences in areas such as obtaining finance, cost of insurance, investor confidence and public opinion of the premises."

The venues include Coolum Beach Hotel, Irish Finnegan's and Kirwan Tavern in Townsville, Forest Lake Hotel, Ferny Grove Tavern, Prince of Wales Hotel at Nundah, the Federal Hotel in Toowoomba, Wellington Point Hotel, The Glen at Eight Mile Plains, Helensvale Tavern, Swell Tavern at Burleigh Heads, Waxy's in Surfers Paradise, Central Hotel in Bundaberg and The Strand at Yeppoon.

Central Hotel manager Timothy Noonan estimated it would cost at least $10,000 to convert to plastic or tempered glass and another $15,000 per week in lost revenue due to a downturn   in business.

Normanby Hotel's Mark Lassman said he would also appeal some of the conditions relating to the glass ban, but not through the court at this stage.

"The Government needs more of a pat on the back than a poke in the eye (because) what they're trying to do is create a safer environment for all patrons," he said.

"That's what we all want . . . but I don't know if the blanket ban of glass is the answer.

"The person responsible (for glassings) must be responsible for their actions, not the licensed premise."

Mr Lassman said he wanted certain areas and times excluded from the glass ban and would introduce a glass safety management plan to help   minimise risk.

"I'll be submitting something to the Office of Liquor and Gaming," he said.

by: Alison Sandy and Tristan Swanick

World Tourism Day 2009: "Tourism – Celebrating Diversity"

World Tourism Day, celebrated annually on September 27, will be taking place this year in Accra, Ghana. As part of the official celebrations, UNWTO will collaborate with the host country to organize a Think Tank around the 2009 theme “Tourism: Celebrating Diversity."

This will be World Tourism Day’s 30th anniversary and presents an opportunity to highlight the wealth of cultural and natural diversity across the globe, as well as the role of sustainable tourism in preserving this diversity. Diversity has long been the driving force behind tourism which in turn has become an engine for socio-economic development, poverty alleviation, and international understanding. As world leaders come together to tackle the challenges of climate change and the economic crisis, diversity will continue to drive tourism, engendering international cooperation, and ensuring sustainable development.

Following the successful experience of previous World Tourism Day celebrations, UNWTO is organizing with the host, Ghana, a Think Tank based on the World Tourism Day Theme: “Tourism: Celebrating Diversity." Bringing together leading public and private tourism stakeholders, as well as members of the media and UNWTO representatives, the Think Tank promises to be instrumental in raising awareness of the significance of diversity and sustainable tourism.

The Think Tank will:

• Highlight tourism’s capacity to maintain diversity in the face of globalization

• Outline how tourism can enhance cultural and environmental diversity

• Consider the role of tourism in engendering international cooperation

The main purpose of World Tourism Day is to foster awareness among the international community of the importance of tourism and its social, cultural, political, and economic values.

Assistant Secretary-General & Spokesperson: Geoffrey Lipman Media Officer: Marcelo Risi T: +34 91-567-8178 / +34 91-567-8100 F: +34 91-567-8218 Email: comm@UNWTO.org Web: www.UNWTO.org

Asia hotel room revenues drop 30 pct in Q1 - Deloitte

A slump in tourism and business travel pushed down average hotel room revenues across Asia and Australia by 30 percent in the first quarter from a year earlier, a report by Deloitte showed on Monday.

Occupancy levels across the region fell by 15 percent to average 57.9 percent as the global economic downturn and a decline in activity in financial markets depressed demand for hotel accommodation in the region.

Sydney was the only city among 14 covered to buck the downtrend, as hotels there saw revenue per room jump 36.1 percent in the first quarter.

Hotels in Indian cities were worst affected by the downturn as already weak demand was made worse by terror attacks in Mumbai late last year, while political unrest also hit demand in Bangkok, Deloitte said.

"The terrorist attacks in Mumbai at the end of last year, and the ... political protests in Bangkok have not helped performance in a region that is already struggling," Marvin Rust, global hospitality managing partner at Deloitte, said in a statement.

Wine & Gourmet Asia 2009 - Show Preview

Wine & Gourmet Asia is a trade, networking and culinary platform showcasing the very best of Asia-Pacific’s fine wine, gourmet and hospitality industry. The third edition will be held 22 to 24 October 2009 at Cotai Strip® at CotaiExpo™ at The Venetian® Macao-Resort-Hotel.

 

The event is for the region’s hospitality industry leaders as well as all gourmands and wine enthusiasts. In 2008, 7,092 trade visitors from around 18 countries and regions took advantage of the opportunity the fair offered to obtain extensive information on the products presented by the key distributors and suppliers of gourmet food and wine in the region.

 

150 companies are expected to exhibit at Wine & Gourmet Asia 2009. Country pavilions such as those from Australia, India, Korea, Portugal, Singapore, the United States and Europe are in the pipeline.

 

Lauded as Asia’s Las Vegas, Macau is the region’s rising star for business tourism. Its strategic location in the Pearl River Delta, close to Hong Kong, and as an open door to Mainland China makes it a natural meeting place for all type of events.

 

As reported in the Macau Daily Times, the Chinese government has pledged its support to help Macau overcome the current economic slowdown. In the Outline for the Reform and Development Plan of the Pearl River Delta, Macau will be set as an international tourism and leisure hub and also a platform for regional trade services.

 

An extensive range of supporting activities will be held during the exhibition, including the Asian Cocktail Championship, MORS Gold Pin Competition, Macau Culinary Alliance Show Piece Competition, Culinary Masterclasses, Wine Tasting Masterclasses, and Behind The Scenes Site Visit at The Venetian Macao.

 

New activities include a wine auction and an exclusive Wine Buyer’s Program.

 

Visitors include F&B professionals from the hotel, tourism and leisure industry; chefs and sommeliers from hotels, bars, restaurants and food outlets in the tourism sector; fine food and wine importers, distributors and wholesalers; local and Asian gourmet marts; and wine appreciators/enthusiasts.

 

The Portugal Pavilion organizer, Ms Alice Souza Machado, International Direct Trade Market Expert, Association of the Portuguese Industry – Business Confederation said of their last participation, “All our exhibitors are very satisfied and we hope to bring in new exhibitors next year. I would definitely recommend Wine & Gourmet Asia as a trade show to attend.”

Wine & Gourmet Asia 2009

22-24 October 2009

http://www.wineandgourmetasia.com

Contact:
Hazel Chan
Tel + 65 6500 6731
Fax + 65 6296 2771
E- Mail h.chan @koelnmesse.com.sg

Indian Hospitality in Transition : Challenges for HR

The article shares personal views upon the varied facets of human resource management in the Indian hospitality landscape.

"The only constant is change, continuing change, inevitable change..."
Isaac Asimov

Hospitality India is no stranger to this maxim and now finds itself in the midst of yet another change as the hands of time whirl on. As the sector transits from a period widely accepted as the ‘Golden Age of the Indian Hospitality Sector’ to one that could well be known as that of the ‘Golden Handshake’. The challenge for the Hotel Human Resource (HR) department in the year 2009 would, thus, be in keeping the employees motivated as well as informed about the fall out of the global meltdown, which could impinge on the work environment in terms of job security, reduced growth avenues, and compensation. It will not be easy for employees to rein in their needs and aspirations and changing their mindsets will be the next challenge for HR. The scenario requires precise and timely communication with employees apprising them of the situation.

The drastic shift in world economies has led to emotional upheavals and turmoil for the employees, which would need to be identified and appropriately managed. Most employees, having not witnessed an era of pink slips and pay cuts, would also need to be psychologically counselled to avoid feelings of failure, insecurity, rejection and restlessness. On a more positive note the supply-demand imbalance in the Indian Hospitality industry means that for the average and good employees, the market still remains strong in the medium to long term. Therefore, the numbers of hotels that are likely to come up are going to ensure that there will be job opportunities in the medium to long term. This is certainly a bright spot compared to other sectors that currently look bleak.

Compensation

HVS predicts the current fiscal year to have relatively smaller growth in terms of real capital for employees. From a high of 15% in terms of year-on-year real compensation in the last three years, the industry now faces a ‘ZERO year’. A few corporates are even planning on pay cuts for their senior management. With shrinking revenues and virtually non-existent profits/bonuses, the biggest dilemma is that of companies’ inability in meeting variable compensations. This problem is more serious amongst the mid-level and senior management who face the prospect of a lifestyle transformation with the fear of defaulting on their commitments and over-stretched loans, the repayment of which had been largely apportioned to the profits. Individuals would have to rework their financials to be better prepared for the immediate future. Companies might also benefit in terms of building upon employee trust and loyalty by extending soft loans to employees or finding other measures that ensure the continuity of their basic needs/ commitments.

Leadership and Role Models

These difficult times would test the strength of the leadership, who would not only be responsible for managing the operations and improving the bottomlines but also providing emotional stability to their staff. The proverbial ‘pat on the back’ and ‘sharing and bonding’ with employees will make a come back as most managers believed that emotional bonding between employees had evaporated with ‘scarcity of time’. The credibility and openness of the leader is very important for motivating employees in roughing the conditions till the next fair weather patch as dissatisfaction spreads faster when employees lack faith in the abilities of the leadership, which eventually leads to lower quality services.

Skills set comprising of experience, maturity, intransience, and ability to withstand pressure would become even more crucial. The younger workforce, too, would stand in good stead to imbibe these values and let arrogance give way to humility. Moreover, they should look at longer stints within companies where they can learn the trade rather than short career jumps across companies driven only by moneynomics.

Building New Talent

We believe that it would be the golden opportunity for companies to attract good talent and enhance their capabilities for the long run and the good times. Regional players, boutique operators and independent owners should stretch themselves to find and attract human talent across the spectrum. The timing is perfect to invest in human talent at a more realistic price. With hotel professionals from other industries - such as real estate, health care, aviation and retail - desiring to come back to hospitality, it maybe predicted that we are standing on the threshold of a reverse flow of hotel professionals from other sectors to hospitality. Some family run organisations and single owners who have ambitious plan to grow can attract top talent to their fold, both at the corporate and functional levels. Hotel professionals in India are very myopic in the view of their employment needs as they prefer to work with only established, large brands. Unlike, counterparts in the West who take calculated risks and are willing to explore work with small and unorganised players, Indian professionals are relatively averse to risk and try to play it safe. HVS Executive Search research shows that professionals who take the extra risk and are entrepreneurial in nature gained considerably more both in terms of job enhancement, satisfaction and growth in their careers. Small players/independent owners can provide a very attractive enriching career option that can be financially viable for professionals in providing a stable long-term career as both parties are well protected by tailor-made contracts and commitments.

Emergence of New Mid Market and Budget Hotels

Traditionally, Indian hotels have been a mix of Luxury, First-class and Mid Market properties that have been able to nurture the classical hospitality professionals. However, with the recession on and Corporate India giving way to moderation, HVS believes Budget hotels with quality without frills will dominate the market in the coming years. The slew of mid market and budget brands - such as Premier Inn, Ibis, Red Fox, Hometels, Fortune Select - have already captured the imagination with their value products. This would also breed a new hotel professional completely different in attitude and aptitude from the existing pool of Indian Hospitality professionals, who will have to acknowledge their presence and emergence.

Sales and Marketing

The function of Sales and Marketing would be under a lot of stress. Gone are the days where rooms were full due to the market dynamics and a feel-good factor of the Indian economy. Sales and marketing professionals have to ‘reach out’ and connect every day with their potential targets and audiences. New strategies and innovative pricing along with a demanding customer shall be the call of the day. Virtues and skills such as experience, humility, energy and enthusiasm that had disappeared from the Sales vocabulary in the last three years have to be demonstrated by all the sales professionals. Suddenly the Role of E-marketing, revenue management, and channel partners will increase and become robust as the second line of sales will flow through these measures.

General Manager

The role of the General Manager in the coming year would be the toughest as s/he would face a new reality of shrinking revenues, demanding market, a greedy customer and low morale of employees. General Managers will have to lead their teams directly from the front by connecting with their customers. They will have to be bold, aggressive, risk takers and willing to share their dream everyday with their team. Moreover, General Managers need to build in their team members a positive atmosphere and firm belief in a better and not-so-distant future. Recognition, reward and reprimand to the employees have to be quick, controlled and managed effectively on a day-to-day basis. S/he needs to be dynamic to meet the new challenges each day, along with being a visionary. The prior focus on rooms would have to be widened to encompass Food & Beverages (F&B) as that is where the future revenues would be coming from.

To summarise, the hospitality sector in India is fundamentally strong and well placed for further growth and consolidation across all levels of the market. Human resources along with key stakeholders will play a crucial role in managing and balancing the hopes and despairs of their employees as the sector makes a transition in the fallout of the global meltdown. However, it is at times such as these that the light at the end of the tunnel shines more brightly and through it signals the industry to innovate and advance. We, at HVS Executive Search, would continue to highlight key issues and share our experiences and feedback from the employees, industry leaders and captains of the industry. Being an optimist, I would like to end by sharing that our industry would open 50 new hotels in the financial year 2009 and shall provide direct employment to more than 10,000 people during the time of recession!

By Natwar Nagar

The Author is a Director at HVS Executive Search and the views shared are personal

About HVS | Established in 1980, HVS experts literally "wrote the book" on how to value hotels, shared ownership products, restaurants, and more. Hotel owners, operators, lenders, banks, and management companies all turn to HVS as the respected authority on hospitality. We possess detailed knowledge and experience in the markets where we have a presence, and in the regions in between. Whatever the real estate or consulting need, HVS associates possess experience in a wide range of hospitality and operational disciplines. Our entrepreneurial mindset and company-wide philosophy allow us to think as if we were owners and operators ourselves. We know this approach best suits our clients' needs. Visit www.hvs.com for more information.

Organization

HVS
http://www.hvs.com
372 Willis Ave.
USA - Mineola, NY 11501-0000
Phone: (516) 248-8828
Fax: 516 742-3059