Fleming joins Culinary Chefs in NZ’s First ‘Virtual’ Cook-Off

Key Take Away

Cricketing legend and Chennai Super Kings Coach, Stephen Fleming is putting his support behind what is believed to be the first ‘Virtual’ Chef competition involving New Zealand products in India.

Fleming, who along with Brendon McCullum and Daniel Vettori, is a shareholder and ambassador of the Indian based import company, QualityNZ Imports. 

The 2020 QualityNZ Culinary Cup is supported by the ‘South Indian Culinary Association’, the ‘Indian Culinary Forum’, and the ‘Western India Culinary Association’

The competition requires the Chefs to prepare and cook two dishes from the QualityNZ range available here in India, in their home kitchens, and film the experience! 

"The competition aims to make the videos available through our social media channels to all the ‘home’ Chefs across India who have an interest in cooking and to show them some of the Chef’s secrets to producing those extra special meals," he added.

For More Information

bwhotelier.businessworld.in/article/Fleming-joins-Culinary-Chefs-in-NZ-s-First-Virtual-Cook-Off/06-06-2020-194432/

‘My Shimla Hotel Is Ghosted, No Respite For Industry in Unlock 1’

Key Take Away

The Himachal government has asked hotels to open from 8 June but only for locals within Himachal state business travel. No tourists are allowed to enter Himachal Pradesh or be entertained in hotels.

Children below 10 and people above 65 will not be allowed into the state. The cost of compliance with the new SOP norms by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is huge.

 The unified representation of 18 hotel associations of Himachal Pradesh has conveyed to the state government that they will not open till end-August or September.

For More Information click below:

www.thequint.com/my-report/coronavirus-impact-tourism-industry-losses-shimla-himachal-pradesh

Finalists for The Young National Chef of the Year revealed

Key Take Away

Due to the ongoing situation with COVID-19, the selection process has had to be tweaked for this year. The Craft Guild of Chefs has revealed ten talented young chefs who have been selected to compete in the Young National Chef of the Year final this autumn.

Head judge, Hrishikesh Desai, and organizer of the competition, David Mulcahy have handpicked the finalists based on recommendations from industry experts. All finalists will be invited to an online webinar to chat with David and Hrishikesh about the competition and also to connect with each other.

The criteria for the final will be announced at the end of June but will have a special focus on sustainability.

For More Information click below:

www.boutiquehotelier.com/finalists-for-the-young-national-chef-of-the-year-revealed/

A reassuring robot is helping customers enjoy their drink

Key Take Away

Robo-bartenders are shaking up South Korea's cafe and bar culture as the country transitions from intensive social distancing to what the government calls "distancing in daily life".

At the Cafe Bot Bot Bot coffee bar, where the robot arm shakes up mojitos and other cocktails, manager Kim Tae-wan also pointed out that the 'drink bot' can provide consistent quality to their mixes that human bartenders can't.

For More Information Click below :

economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/world-news/a-reassuring-robot-is-helping-customers-enjoy-their-drink/not-entirely-human/slideshow/76211161.cms

Maha: Two found dead inside water tank in Mira Road

Key Take Away

Two persons were found dead inside the water tank of a restaurant at Mira Road in Maharashtra's Thane district.

The deaths came to light late on Thursday night when the restaurant owner contacted the police, stating that he was unable to get in touch with two of his employees, manager Harish Shetty (42) and waiter N Pandit (58), an official said.

A case under sections 302 (murder) and 201 (destruction of evidence) of the Indian Penal Code has been registered in this regard, public relations officer Tukaram Tatkar said.

For More Information click below:

repository.inshorts.com/articles/en/PTI/9ec1b350-1df1-4319-b3ba-ffe0c6db59ec

Spain’s Hospitality Industry Watches How Belgium Swaps ‘Happy Hour’ for ‘Helpy Hour’ to Avoid Going Under

Key Take Away

‘HELPY hour’ – which replaces happy hour – was launched by Belgium’s Federation of Cafes to help stop its hospitality establishments from going under.

So instead of getting two drinks for one – as is the case in ‘happy hour’ – ‘helpy hour’ allows punters to pay double for a drink, which is basically the reverse of happy hour. The initiative has been launched to save struggling bars and cafes amid the lockdown.

For More Information click below:

www.euroweeklynews.com/2020/06/06/spains-hospitality-industry-watches-how-belgium-swaps-happy-hour-for-helpy-hour-to-avoid-going-under/

Ready to serve: more than three quarters of hospitality businesses say they can reopen by 4 July

Key Take Away

More than three-quarters of restaurants, bars, and pubs will be ready to reopen by 4 July, according to the latest weekly Hospitality Leaders Poll by MCA Insight/HIM.

Only 16% of hospitality businesses think it will take longer than the four weeks between now and 4 July.

For More Information click below :

www.bighospitality.co.uk/Article/2020/06/05/Ready-to-serve-more-than-three-quarters-of-hospitality-businesses-say-they-can-reopen-by-4-July?utm_source=copyright&utm_medium=OnSite&utm_campaign=copyright

Optimism rising for hospitality industry despite canceled events, concerts

Key Take Away

Thousands would be flocking to the area this weekend for the 2020 WIAA State Track & Field Meet at UW-La Crosse, but due to COVID-19, organizers were forced to cancel the event.

The meet has an annual economic impact of over $2 million to the area according to the La Crosse County Convention and Visitors Bureau.

The effects of COVID-19 have been devastating for the hospitality industry. In April, hotels in La Crosse County were seeing single digits.

For More Information click below:

wxow.com/2020/06/05/optimism-rising-for-hospitality-industry-despite-canceled-events-concerts/

Leisure and Hospitality drive jobs number higher

Key Take Away

The employment rate decreased slightly and job numbers rose for the first time since the coronavirus crisis began.

The May jobs numbers showed an unexpected jump in payrolls as certain sectors like leisure and hospitality made a comeback that dramatically beat estimates and surprised economists and market observers.

Non-farm payrolls jumped 2.509 million in May, compared to an expected loss of 7.5 million. Leisure and hospitality sectors, which had been hit sharply by the coronavirus’s shutdowns, added 1.239 million jobs, the largest rebound. Food services and drinking places employment grew by 22%.

The challenge for restaurants reopening is that they must do so with some measure of social distancing in place; being restricted to lower capacities could pose a threat to many more hospitality jobs coming back.

For More Information Click below :

money.yahoo.com/leisure-and-hospitality-drive-jobs-numbers-higher-142522323.html

Payroll gains were broad-based in the May 2020 jobs report.money.yahoo.com/leisure-and-hospitality-drive-jobs-numbers-higher-142522323.html

Japan hotels, restaurants seek new revenue streams

Key Take Away

Japan’s hospitality sector is adapting its offerings to include daily room use and takeaway services to bring in much-needed revenue during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis.

High-end hotels have rolled out campaigns inviting businesses to use their spacious, WiFi-equipped rooms for telecommuting.

In Tokyo, the ANA InterContinental offers half-day (three hours) and full-day (nine hours) plans for one or two people to use its twin or double rooms for remote working.

The Hotel Granvia Osaka is also offering daily plans (nine hours) for remote working.

For More Information

www.ttgasia.com/2020/06/05/japan-hotels-restaurants-seek-new-revenue-streams/

New study calculates cost of post-pandemic housekeeping

Key Take Away

Hotel operations platform Optii Solutions has been working with hotel partners to calculate the cost of implementing the new cleaning requirements

Before the pandemic, a standard leisure room took an average of 39.3 minutes to clean and cost $9.42 in terms of staff time, based on a guestroom accommodating one or two people.

According to Optii, incorporating the new cleaning protocols will push the cleaning time for a standard leisure room up to 42.3 minutes at a cost of $10.12. The cost increases when children stay in the room (45.2 minutes at a cost of $10.80 per room), and decreases for business travelers (31.8 minutes to clean at a cost of $7.60 per room.) 

For More Information

www.hotelmanagement.net/housekeeping/new-study-calculates-cost-post-pandemic-housekeeping

New safety rules announced for UAE hotels

Key Take Away

Hotels across the UAE have new guidelines to follow to ensure they operate safely during the coronavirus pandemic. Guidelines were issued by The National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority and apply to all hotels across the emirates, according to state news agency Wam

There are 21 main points covered in the hotel guidelines, which advice on policies for physical distancing measures, cleaning and sanitizing of guest rooms, health checks for staff and guests, as well as hygiene protocols for restaurants, cafes, swimming pools, beaches, and health clubs.

Under the new guidelines, hotels must test staff for COVID-19 before reopening. Tests must then be repeated every 15 days.

For More Information

www.thenational.ae/lifestyle/travel/new-safety-rules-announced-for-uae-hotels-1.1029270

MSC to debut two new ships during summer 2021 programme

Key Take Away

The cruise company revealed that it will further extend the temporary fleet-wide halt of its cruise operation through to  July 31, 2020. 

It also announced that it will debut two new ships, MSC Virtuosa and MSC Seashore, during the summer 1 August 2021 program due to the delay that was caused by the temporary closure of the shipyard due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

It will offer the popular ‘Six Pearls’ itinerary calling the Italian cities of Genoa and, for visits to Pompeii, Naples; Messina, Sicily; Valletta, Malta; Barcelona, Spain, and Marseille, France. 

For More Information

www.iol.co.za/amp/travel/travel-news/msc-to-debut-two-new-ships-during-summer-2021-programme-48999344

Hampton Inn & Suites Keller Town Center

Key Take Away

TI Group, Inc. and Hotel Equities announced the Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton- Keller Town Center and welcomed local dignitaries and VIPs, including Hon. Pat McGrail, Mayor of Keller, Mark Hafner, Keller City Manager, and long-time Keller developer Douglas Gilliland with TI Group, Inc. along with many other dignitaries to celebrate the property's grand opening.

Located at 200 Town Center Lane, Keller TX 76248, the hotel is uniquely positioned in the heart of the city. The property is owned by TI Group, Inc. and managed by Hotel Equities

For More Information

www.hospitalitynet.org/announcement/41004739.html

Top Dining-Out Trends for a Post-Pandemic Society

Florida International University's Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management projects five dining-out trends affecting restaurants, bars, and consumers that are emerging in a post-pandemic world. The trends were presented by Michael Cheng, dean of the Chaplin School.

Top Dining-Out Trends in a post-pandemic society:

• Dining-Out Trend #1 Transparency and Communication

• Dining-Out Trend #2 Innovation and Creativity

• Dining-Out Trend #3 Contactless Technology and Virtual Presence

• Dining-Out Trend #4 A Collaborative Community

• Dining-Out Trend #5 Reset!

"While these are signs that we see today, the next 12 months will give us better clarity of the way forward," said Cheng.

Will home-sharing and luxury hotels recover sooner after COVID-19?

Key Take Away

STR (Smith Travel Research), a leading data analytics provider for the lodging industry, conducted an opinion survey about travelers' attitudes towards different types of accommodation facilities based on their preference from the past experience. One assumption for such an analysis is that travelers tend to stick to the same kind of accommodation facility for their trips.

The short-term rental/vacation rental/self-catering segment appears to be least affected for post-pandemic travel. There was only an 8 percent-point change (29% vs. 37%) for the group who would travel less. 

For More Information

https://youtu.be/pXkF8BeIuiM

www.hospitalitynet.org/opinion/4099019.html

The summer season begins - Accor is working hard to provide a wide variety of flexible and safe destinations

Key Take Away

Accor anticipates that more than 70% of its global network will reopen by the start of July. Accor has also seen renewed interest in travel demand, with hotel reservations doubling.

Guests who have booked a non-flexible rate directly on the ALL.com reservation site for a stay until June 30, 2020, can change their reservation to a future date (within the next 18 months) at the same hotel or receive a voucher for the full value of their stay for later use.

Business Plus and ibis Business cards will be extended by six months from the expiry date.

For More Information

www.hospitalitynet.org/news/4099036.html

Marriott opens all hotels in China, sees steady US recovery

Marriott International has reopened all its hotels in China and is seeing a steady recovery in the United States, its biggest market, Chief Executive Officer Arne Sorenson said

In the United States, Marriott's hotels that remained open crossed the 20 percent occupancy threshold and continue to see an improvement

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) Announces New Signing - To open InterContinental in Rome

Key Take Away

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG®) announces the signing of a franchise agreement with Westmont Hospitality Group and funds managed by Oaktree Capital Management, L.P. (“Oaktree”), for a captivating property in the heart of Rome.

The project is held by a newly established real estate investment fund managed by Milan-based Castello SGR, one of Italy’s premier real estate management companies

Voco South Melbourne Hotel Announced for 2023

Key Take Away

Scheduled to open in early 2023 in partnership with Melbourne-based developers, BEKL, the new-build voco South Melbourne will be a different way to stay at the northern end of St Kilda Road

Focusing on the ‘Me Time’ concept, where guests can look forward to a great night’s sleep with premium beds, innovative lighting, and user-friendly technology, as well as superior showers to start the day well. Beyond guest rooms, the brand’s signature ‘voco Life’ concept will be front and center, with a vibrant and sociable restaurant and bar spaces.

For More Information

www.hotelnewsresource.com/article110940.html