Is Guest Loyalty Important To Your Business?

August 30, 2018

As Wildfires Affect Western United States, Tourism Leadership Establish West Coast Tourism Recovery Coalition to Share that

the West is Open for Business

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Tourism leaders from California, Oregon and Washington are working together to welcome visitors this summer amid a rash of wildfires in the West.

While the West Coast has dealt with dozens of wildfires in primarily rural areas, the visitor experience remains largely unaffected. The perception that the majority of the region is burning has prompted visitors to cancel trips even in communities hundreds of miles from the fires.

“Visitors spend a combined $166 billion in our states, and travelers will cancel trips if they don’t have information to help them make a safe choice,” said Caroline Beteta, president & CEO of Visit California.

In a recent study conducted by Visit California, 11 percent of travelers said wildfires prompted them to cancel trips to California, representing a loss of $20 million to the state’s tourism economy last month. In Oregon, similar concerns have arisen with a Travel Oregon wildfire study from 2017 showing $51 million in tourism revenue lost last year alone.

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Spotlight on the Board

Behind the scenes at CLIA are a group of hardworking hoteliers who are working diligently to protect and promote the interests of our members. This group of dedicated individuals, otherwise known as the CLIA Board of Directors, engage in a number of activities on behalf of our members. They give guidance on legislative advocacy issues, interact with other industry leaders, recruit new Lodging and Associate members as well as instruct the staff on policies, procedures and financial matters.

The efforts of our Board of Directors is so crucial to CLIA's success that we thought it was about time to tell you a little bit more about them. We will be offering a series of articles highlighting our illustrious Board members. Feel free to reach out to them with your comments, we value your feedback.

David Bowman

CLIA President

Amber Hotel Company

dbowman@amberhc.com

Professional Background: 17 years of hospitality brokerage experience with Amber Hotel Company, former Certified Public Accountant with an international firm. Currently a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AIPCA) and the California Society of Certified Public Accountants (CSCPA).

Educational Background: B.S. Purdue University, Krannert School of Management and M.B.A. Indiana University, Kelley School of Business

Personal Background: David and his wife Jan have two grown children, Matt and Julia. David helped coach them in baseball, softball, soccer and basketball and inspired them to become Los Angeles Dodgers and Lakers fans.

Little Known Facts About David: As a teen, David's first job was as a door to door Fuller Brush salesman. David freely admits that he owes his success with Fuller Brush to his faithful customers: his mother, grandmother and an assortment of aunts.

Personalization is the New Loyalty

by Stella Dacy

Guest loyalty is one of the most powerful tools hotels have to defend themselves against OTAs, competition, and rising distribution costs. Many hoteliers perceive that the only way to drive loyalty is through points and rewards redemption programs.

However, today’s travelers are changing and their attitudes towards loyalty are shifting. If you want to know what really creates guest loyalty in 2018, look no further than personalization.

Divided Views

A recent study by Oracle, which surveyed 13,000 consumers globally and 500 hotels in 9 countries, found a large discrepancy between how hoteliers view loyalty programs and how guests actually feel about them.

61% of hoteliers believe guests will sign up for loyalty programs. The truth is only 24% of guests actually sign up. Moreover, 54% of hoteliers think their guest offers are relevant, but only 22% of guests actually think the offers are of value to them.

Evolving loyalty

Despite this, loyalty is not dead – it’s simply evolving. 30% of 25-34-year-old millennials still sign up for loyalty programs and remain loyal. However, 73% of those surveyed said they prefer membership programs that are not dependent on points and instead focus on personalization, activity, and engagement.

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Fisher Phillips Breakfast Briefing – Managing Employees and Social Media:

Where Is The Line?

DATE AND TIME

Sept. 13, 2018

9:00 a.m. - 10:45 a.m.

LOCATION

U.S. Bank Tower

621 Capitol Mall, Suite 2000

Sacramento, CA 95814

The National Labor Relations Board and California law have a history of taking a strong stance against employers who take action against employees making statements on social media. This includes instances when employees post disparaging comments about their employers online. In recent years, Court decisions have given us more guidance on what social media policies should look like and how employers should approach related issues. Please join us as Fisher Phillips attorney Katherine Sandberg addresses the best practices for employers regarding social media in light of recent developments in the law and tips for managing employee’s online behavior.

Agenda:

9:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. Check-in and breakfast

9:30 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. Seminar

There is no cost to attend this briefing. Space is limited – attendance is on a first-come, first-served basis.

**This program has been submitted to the HR Certification Institute and SHRM for review.

Contact: Jennifer Barry-Smith at jbarry-smith@fisherphillips.com / 916.210.0401