Hotel Online Special Report

advertisement
IH&RA Will Take a Stand at 
International Tourism Exchange (ITB) Berlin
 
February 1999 - For the first time, IH&RA will take a stand at ITB.  Dr. Osmane Aïdi and Kenneth F. Hine will be available by appointment to talk about global hospitality industry trends, and the work of the IH&RA on behalf of the industry.
 
The ITB takes place annually at the beginning of March in Berlin. It is world-wide the largest tourism fair, in which 1997  6,613 exhibitors from 178 countries and areas participated. The exhibition surface extends to approx. 100,000 square meter. 1997 103,475 visitors came to the fair.
 
 

Executive Profile 

Dr. Osmane Aidi, President, International Hotel & Restaurant Association (IH&RA)

Dr Osmane Aïdi was elected president of the IH&RA at its annual Congress in October 1998.  He is chairman and member of the board of directors of a number of leading hotel and tourism companies in Europe, USA and the Middle East, including the Royal Monceau Group in France, the Plaza in Houston and the Cham Palace & Hotel chain in Syria.

Dr Aïdi was vice-president of IH&RA in 1998.  From 1996-97, he served as the association's regional vice president, Middle East and the Arab World, during which time he represented the interests of members of the region at IH&RA board level.

A Syrian national who currently resides in France, Dr Aïdi is also president of the Inter-Arab Union for Hotels and Tourism and chairman of the Euro-Mediterranean Tourism Organisation (EMTO), a body that promotes tourism to the region and training of the region's hospitality professionals.

Dr Aïdi has a PhD in Engineering Science from the Académie de Paris and is a recipient of the Légion d'Honneur de la République Française.  He is also a member of the Middle East and North Africa advisory committee for the World Bank.
 

Kenneth F. Hine, CAE, Chief Executive Officer, International Hotel & Restaurant Association (IH&RA)

Kenneth F. Hine, CAE, was appointed chief executive officer of the International Hotel & Restaurant Association (IH&RA) in June 1997. Prior to his appointment he served as president and chief executive officer of the American Hotel & Motel Association (AH&MA).

As chief executive officer of IH&RA, Hine is charged with addressing issues relating to the expanded role of the association, which now represents the major sectors of the worldwide hospitality industry.  He works closely with IH&RA's leadership groups, including the executive committee and board, the national association chief executives (NACE) council and specialist committees.

Hine was as a member of the IH&RA board 1995-6 and chairman of the national association chief executives council for the same period.  In recognition of his accomplishments within the association and the industry, Hine was appointed to the IH&RA's prestigious "Confrérie des Amis de l'Hôtellerie Internationale" in 1996.

Hine served AH&MA for more than 27 years.  In preparation for the October 1995 White House Conference on Travel & Tourism, he served on the key framework committee and is now a member of the transition team, charged with implementing recommendations that came from the conference.

Long active in the US association community's professional organisations, Hine served two years as co-chairman of the National Travel and Tourism Awareness Council (now Tourism Works for America Council).  He has also been active at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Institutes of Organisation Management as faculty member, director, and national chairman and has been appointed to the prestigious Board of Directors of the U.S. Chamber.

Hine received an honorary doctorate from Johnson & Wales University, Providence, Rhode Island.  He also received the NOAH Award for distinguished service to the lodging industry, named after "the first shipbuilder and tour guide himself", and presented by the Academy of Tourism Organisations.
 
 

Fact Sheet - International Hotel & Restaurant Association
OVERVIEW: Founded in 1947 as a club for prominent hoteliers the International Hotel & Restaurant Association (IH&RA) is today the only organisation exclusively devoted to promoting and defending the interests of the hotel and restaurant industry worldwide.  The IH&RA is a non-profit organisation.  President of the association for 1999 is Dr. Osmane Aïdi, president of the Inter-Arab Union of Hotels & Tourism. Vice-president is Alain-Philippe Feutré, president of the Syndicat Français de l�Hôtellerie.

MISSION: The IH&RA is the voice of the world hotel and restaurant industry, with a global role in representing, protecting, promoting and informing the industry to enable its members to achieve their business objectives.  The three strategic objectives of the Association are :

  • Representation of the industry at all relevant bodies
  • Visioning the future of the industry through high level meetings and think tanks
  • Dissemination of information to members on key issues, trends and events impacting the industry
MEMBERSHIP: The IH&RA represents over 300,000 hotels and some 500,000 restaurants worldwide in more than 150 countries.  Its membership comprises more than 50 national and international hotel chains, 112 national hotel and restaurant associations, independent hoteliers, industry suppliers and more than 130 hotel schools.  The IH&RA has offices in Asia-Pacific and Latin America to respond to hotel needs in the region.

LOBBYING: IH&RA-appointed industry professionals maintain a dialogue with international policy-making bodies at the highest level.  The association resists attempts to introduce regulations that could potentially damage the industry.  Organisations currently the target of IH&RA lobbyists are the International Organization for Standardization, the International Labour Organization and the World Intellectual Property Organisation.

TECHNOLOGY: To inform and educate members on how new technology can improve operational performance and quality of service, the IH&RA launched EURHOTEC, the pan-European Technology Show & Conference for the Hotel Industry, in February 1996.  An annual event, EURHOTEC brings together leading suppliers of technology to the European hotel market and top industry executives for a three-day exhibition and educational programme.  EURHOTEC '99 will convene in Vienna from 24-26 February.

HUMAN RESOURCES:The IH&RA Scholarship Programme has to date funded overseas study and training opportunities for over 100 aspiring young professionals from the hospitality industry, mainly from developing countries.  In association with HOTELS magazine, the IH&RA presents an annual "Young Hoteliers & Restaurateurs of the World" award in recognition of outstanding career performance among hospitality executives under the age of 30.

ENVIRONMENT: The IH&RA actively encourages environmental awareness and good practice within the hotel and restaurant industry.  Its annual Environmental Award, sponsored by American Express, rewards initiatives undertaken by hotels, restaurants and hospitality associations.  A compilation of these "green" programmes has been published by the IH&RA as a series of case studies of 'best practice' for hoteliers, in association with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

In collaboration with the International Hotels Environment Initiative (IHEI) and UNEP, the IH&RA published in 1995 an «Environmental Action Pack», a practical step-by-step guide to setting up an environmental programme within the hotel.

The IH&RA's "Courtesy of Choice" programme, now in place in 47 countries and available in 17 languages, encourages industry self-regulation in accommodating the preferences of smokers and non-smokers, emphasising the practical measures that can be taken to achieve this.

PUBLICATIONS: "Into the New Millennium" an IH&RA White Paper on the Global Hospitality Industry published in 1996, is the most important IH&RA document to date.  The study defines the size and scope of the industry worldwide, quantifies its economic contribution, and identifies the key issues and trends set to impact its future.  The findings serve to justify industry positions before government, tax authorities, international organisations and the media.  An update of the White Paper will be published in 1999, together with a parallel study on the global restaurant industry.

The annual "Horwath Worldwide Hotel Study", produced in assocation with the IH&RA, presents detailed financial and operating trends for different regions and segments of the industry.  IH&RA collaboration means that the annual study attained the highest level of participation since its inception, with data from over 3,000 hotels being used in the analysis.

IH&RA CONGRESS: The main event in the IH&RA calendar attracts over 500 delegates from around the globe.  The 1999 IH&RA Congress, to take place in Durban, South Africa from 17 to 21 October, will focus on new management issues and comprise a high-powered educational and social programme for anyone involved in the business of hospitality.

COLLABORATION: The IH&RA endeavours to be entirely collaborative and delivers its programmes through partnership with a number of international and regional organisations including the World Tourism Organisation (WTO), the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the World Health Organisation (WHO), the Universal Federation of Travel Agents Associations (UFTAA), the International Road Transport Union (IRU), theConfederation of National Associations of Hotels, Restaurants, Cafés and Similar Establishments in the European Union and the European Economic Area (HOTREC), the European Tourism Action Group (ETAG), the European Tour Operators Association (ETOA), the International Hotels Environment Initiative (IHEI) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

 
###
 
Contact:
Caroline Harvey
Director, Media Relations
IH&RA
phone: 33 1 44 89 94 07
fax: 33 1 40 36 73 30
e-mail: [email protected]
 --
 
Also See: Ken Hine, Chief Executive of IH&RA Set to Resign in June, 1999 / Jan 1999 
Impact of Asian Crisis Highlighted at IH&RA Congress in Manila / Nov 1998 

To search Hotel Online data base of News and Trends Go to Hotel.Online Search
Back to Hotel.Online Press Releases
Home | Welcome! | Hospitality News | Classifieds | Catalogs & Pricing | Viewpoint Forum | Ideas/Trends
Please contact Hotel.Online with your comments and suggestions.