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.
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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.
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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 :
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Representation of the industry at all relevant bodies
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Visioning the future of the industry through high level meetings
and think tanks
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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). |
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