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“People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it”Simon Sinek Tweet of the Week
@SMLXist tweeted: My fourth grade teacher friend found this under one of her students' desks. Do you want to join a club for female empowerment.We are the leaders To view the full tweet, click here News of the Week
Supermarket contactless spending jumps 2.4 times as ‘touch and go’ overtakes Chip and PIN as most popular way to pay
Barclaycard Contactless Spending Index shows ‘touch and go’ payments in supermarkets have rocketed 136 per cent in the last 12 months. Data released by Barclaycard today as part of its latest Contactless Spending Index shows supermarket shoppers are increasingly turning to ‘touch and go’ as their payment method of choice when making purchases up to the value of £30. While contactless is surging in popularity among all age-groups, for the second year running it’s the nation’s ‘Silver Spenders’ – those aged over 60 – where adoption is climbing at the fastest rate. Among this group, the number of users has surged 64 per cent in the last 12 months alone, while in comparison – as the number of users among all other age groups is already relatively high – the rate of growth is slower. Full article here Story of the Week
Promoting hospitality and tourism on International Women’s DayBy Professor Tom Baum "The hospitality and tourism industry offers a workplace with fantastic opportunities for talented women to play a variety of roles, from skilled technical through to leadership positions in both corporate operations and smaller enterprises. At the same time, women also face real challenges in this workplace, reflecting a combination of complex organisational, operational and cultural factors. Focusing on the opportunities for women in hospitality and tourism, there is a need to ensure that women have the opportunity to fulfil their potential as innovators and leaders in what is, arguably, the fastest-growing sector in the global economy. While average female participation in the sector is 55.5% at a global level and up to 70% at a regional level in Asia, increasing recruitment, retention and promotion of talented women for technical and managerial leadership positions will be necessary to meet the future skills and productivity requirements of the sector. There is no simple panacea to solve the issue of fewer women in higher level roles in the HCT industry. To a significant extent, what occurs in the workplace with respect to gender roles and responsibilities is subject to external cultural, economic and political influences. At the same time, demographic and skills changes in many countries mean that it is imperative that the HCT is both creative and mould-breaking in its use and deployment of all sources of talent."Read more 
Women in Business EP is proud to present a unique event celebrating women within the hospitality industry. This is for all to attend and is being held on Thursday 30th March. It is set to be an evening of fine food, quality key speakers, valuable networking opportunities and essential conversation. This unique experience is being held in the beautiful surroundings of the Sky Bar at Grange Hotel St. Pauls. With stunning views over central London, it is set to be an excellent evening. The room has no ceiling, apt for the core theme. For more information click here eHotelier Hospitality News
Hotel values rise in Eastern Europe while west faces tougher times: Hotels in Eastern Europe are benefitting from tough times in Western Europe with room values in the region seeing an impressive 11 per cent average growth, according to our 2017 European Hotel Valuation Index (HVI). Find out more Mantra Group is closing the gap on gender inequality: Mantra Group is closing the gap on gender inequality, with its latest data showing the accommodation group sits well above the industry average for female employees and that an influx of women in management has boosted gender equality in senior roles. Learn more Facebook launches City Guides in latest app update: The feature was launched within a Facebook update with little fanfare, notes industry travel watcher Skift, and enables users to book their hotel room or make reservations in select cities directly through the app via a Book Now button. Find out more Global Hospitality News
Hard Rock International to Purchase Atlantic City’s Taj Mahal: Hard Rock International will be majority owner of the rebranded Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City in partnership with the Morris and Jingoli families. The group will invest more than $300 million to purchase, substantially renovate and re-open the casino. Learn more Minor Hotels Group Signs First Hotel in South Korea: Minor Hotels Group has signed a deal to debut its Avani brand in South Korea. The new-build 400-key Avani Busan Hotel represents an important milestone for the company, as it will also be the group’s first property in South Korea. Find out more Flattening reservation pace presents ongoing challenge for hoteliers: As North American hoteliers progress through the early months of 2017, the pace of new bookings is flat with new February reservation commitments at -0.8 per cent. Read moreMoxy to head Marriott’s growth in Europe: Moxy, the budget, lifestyle brand, is to head the expansion of Marriott International across Europe following the company’s acquisition last year of Starwood Hotels & Resorts. Find out more Corners of the World
Focus on sustainable and responsible tourism at ITB Berlin : Responsible travel and the designation by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) of the "International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development " are the main themes at the world's largest travel trade fair. Find out moreHilton Expands Presence In Colombia With Signing Of Hilton Medellin: Hilton and Constructora Colpatria announced the signing of a franchise license agreement to open Hilton Medellin, bringing the company’s flagship brand to Colombia’s second largest city. Read more Hospitality Investment Conference Philippines 2017: HICP 2017 is the country’s leading platform to discuss the opportunities and challenges offered by the growing hospitality and tourism sectors in the Philippines. Learn more 29 General Managers confirm Hotelier Maldives GM Forum attendance: The annual gathering of General Managers – the second such forum hosted by Hotelier Maldives – would be held on April 19, at Hulhulé Island Hotel. Read more