Ensuring the safety and wellbeing of guests, visitors, and staff is an essential part of operating any hotel. While many hotels have good levels of security, the approach, execution and implementation of policies and practises is not always consistent or proportionate to their risk environment. Measures...
The cost of using a Travel Management Company (TMC) often comes under scrutiny when clients are reviewing the service they receive and the value it adds to its programme. TMC Management Teams are always looking for new ways to demonstrate the value proposition to clients...
In 2016 alone, 3.8 million people were victims of forced sexual exploitation worldwide – with an estimated 110,000 victims of modern slavery in the European hospitality sector ever year. The issue of modern slavery poses a quadruple threat to hotels, from people being trafficked and exploited...
GSA’s CEO, Dave Wood, explains the story of Global Secure Accreditation and why he believes a change was needed in the industry. Why was Global Secure Accreditation set up? Every hotel is required to have an audit for food standards, for health and safety standards, and for...
It takes a matter of minutes to find out how clean a hotel room is or how close it is to the nearest train station. Yet, the level of security is almost impossible to find. With high profile attacks on hotels in recent years, hotel...
Duty of care remains a top priority for travel managers – with 73 per cent of travel management professionals ranking it as the most important challenge facing the industry. Accommodation choices have the highest potential to be a ‘weak link’ in meeting these duty of...
The hotel sector has become one of the primary targets for cyber criminals, terrorists and nation state actors. Like many industries, hotels are particularly reliant on technology; using complex network systems to store vast amounts of classified customer data. This is just one of the...
Could you explain what ISO 31030 is and why it is important? ISO 31030 is a proposed ‘Travel Risk Management’ Standard expected to be introduced next year. The framework for this standard would be contextual to industries and sectors, recognising that different companies operate under different...
I recently saw an article predicting an increase in terrorist attacks on hotels. The aim of this is not to cause alarm, but to demonstrate the reality that terrorism is becoming more sophisticated and causing more damage. You only have to look back to April...
The difference between evacuation and invacuation The recent release of the film ‘Hotel Mumbai’ has stirred vivid memories of the threat that terrorism poses to the hospitality industry. The attack on the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in 2008, depicted in the film, provides a stark reminder...