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AH&LA U.S. Lodging Summit |
Washington, May 14, 2004�Participants of the
first American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) U.S. Lodging
Industry Summit, collectively expressed encouraging predictions for the
rebounding U.S. travel and hotel industries. The one-day national
conference � held on May 11 at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.
� offered forecast information on key industry sectors to help hoteliers
plan strategies as well as assist consumers make cost-saving travel decisions
for the year.
Recognized leaders in their disciplines, the contributors provided a wealth of cutting-edge data unavailable jointly anywhere else. Contributors included Pat Ford, president, Lodging Econometrics; Bjorn Hanson, group industry leader, hospitality and leisure practice, PricewaterhouseCoopers International Ltd.; Mark Lomanno, president, Smith Travel Research; Doug Shifflet, president and CEO, D.K. Shifflet and Associates; Philip Wolf, president and CEO, PhoCusWright Inc.; and Peter Yesawich, managing partner, Yesawich, Pepperdine, Brown & Russell. Following are highlights and predictions from the 2004 AH&LA U.S.
Lodging Summit:
In addition, the panelists noted other contributing factors possibly affecting the future of the U.S. travel and tourism industry such as American military activities in Iraq. With current overseas actions, consumer reactions may include postponement or cancellation of both business and leisure trips, reluctance to travel longer distances, and shortening hotel length of stay. Moderated by financial luminary Peter Krause, managing director and founding director of Greenhill & Company, LLC, the summit was held in commemoration of the 21st Annual National Tourism Week (May 8�16). A similar educational session, featuring most of the summit panelists, will take place on Saturday, Nov. 13, during the AH&LA Fall Conference and International Hotel/Motel & Restaurant Show (IH/M&RS), Nov. 12�16, in New York City. AH&LA is a 94-year-old dual membership association of state and city partner lodging associations throughout the United States with some 11,000 property members nationwide, representing more than 1.5 million guest rooms. |
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Tia T. Gordon [email protected] www.ahla.com |
Also See: | Hotelier�s 2004 Top Ten Internet Strategy Resolutions / Max Starkov & Jason Price / January 2004 |
Hospitality Industry: Top 10 Thoughts for 2004 / Ernst & Young / January 2004 |