Love it or despise it, technological change is constant in our modern existence and professional lives-and the rate of change is exponential. Consider that by the year 2000 around two billion gigabytes of data had been amassed worldwide. Now, less than two decades later, that same amount of data is generated on a daily basis. Keeping up with the pace of change is hard. Adopting and implementing the latest technology requires an agile business culture. And culture is the key word. The greatest obstacle to your successful change isn't the technology you use-it is, first and foremost, a people challenge. READ MORE

In the United States, women represent the majority in both hospitality and tourism operations and academic programs, yet are sorely underrepresented in high level positions. The prevalence of sexual harassment in the industry adds an even greater challenge to the female professional in terms of navigating the workplace and road to advancement. While not a new phenomenon, the Me Too movement has brought the issue to the forefront and forced us to ask a question that may not have otherwise received such substantial and international attention: How do our female leaders make it to the top in a #MeToo world? READ MORE

It is no secret that hoteliers are looking to increase direct bookings to mitigate against rising distribution costs. As cost inflation has pushed direct booking to the top of most hotels' priority lists, hotels are pursuing more business through the lower-cost direct channel, in an all-out effort to preserve the profitability of each booking. In this article, Gino Engels, CCO and co-founder at OTA Insight, discusses 10 essential tactics-such as enhancing your booking experience, segmenting your guest lists, properly forecasting demand, and more-that you can employ to produce more direct business and increase your hotel's revenue per available room. READ MORE

With the practice of green building having been around for several decades, the business and environmental benefits that green hotels can offer are becoming more widely understood within the hospitality industry. A lesser known advantage of green hotels is the host of benefits for employees and the people within the hotels. In fact, "people" are one of the three pillars in the triple bottom line of green building: people, planet and profit. Known as one of the most resource-intensive building types and conventionally believed to be one of the more reluctant to join the green movement, the hospitality industry is making strides in the green building world. READ MORE

With a focus on holistic wellness that extends from their clients to their company to the overall environmental, spas often keep sustainability at the center of their mission, and that intentional focus on how products, services and practices affect the world around us can serve as a great jumping-off point for hotels and resorts looking to implement eco-friendly practices on a larger scale. Learn how to tap into your spa's sustainable practices, and be inspired by amazing properties that are helping to shape the way we define our corporate responsibility to the planet. READ MORE