Member Services
Exciting news! The Gappa's very first placement
The very first placement as part of the Accommodation Association’s game-changing gap year experience The Gappa Program is already proving a winner for everyone involved.
 
The peak industry body created Gappa to help solve the massive skills and workforce shortage the sector faces. It matches job seekers and properties to provide 10 months of invaluable real world paid experience with a couple of additional bonuses:

  • $50 per week allowance for relocating interstate
  • $500 completion bonus at the end of the 10 month contract
  • The Gappa Weekend experience for the person doing Gappa plus three friends at the property

Tasmanian Lily Harrington wanted a Guest Services role but COVID was making it difficult. A chance encounter with one of the Accommodation Association team at a recent virtual job fair changed that forever.

 
Melbourne - Recovery Resources
Pictured: The LUME Melbourne
The City of Melbourne (CoM) has partnered with the Accommodation Association once again to source staycation packages to promote via the City of Melbourne's channels.

Check out the great Summer Staycation Campaign for Families and Couples


Accommodation Operators has also worked with Melbourne tourism product to develop a promotional Assets & Tool Kits for Melbourne properties to use in their social media campaigns, to promote reasons to visit Melbourne.

Click here to access THE LUME, ACMI and other Melbourne attractions. 

Government Advocacy
By Bassel Tallal, National General Manager for Advocacy and Public Policy

The Accommodation Association has been crucial in securing programs to support hotels during the 2021 lockdowns by proactively and persistently advocating for financial support to hoteliers and the tourism industry as a whole.

For the Association, advocacy is not just about lobbying governments to fix issues. What we are determined to do is work with government to come up with solutions to the issues that have a direct impact on your properties.

We worked with all governments across all jurisdictions to ensure adequate support was provided to our members during lockdowns, lockouts, and border restrictions.

As we look forward, the long shadow of COVID-19 will linger for some time to come. While a majority of regional properties boom to booking levels we’ve never seen before, our city properties continue to struggle with occupancy rates with some dwindling to low 30’s during the week. The Association is here to help, from telling a story of why we need targeted mid-week support for city properties to coming up with real solutions to fix the skills crises.

We are proud to have played a part to ensure travel and tourism remains at the forefront of the minds of policy makers. We did this by having an evidence-based approach and the political nous to identify and influence trends, risks and opportunities and proactively work with government.

Thank you for contributing to our advocacy programs and successes, we are looking forward to working with you all next year.
Workplace Relations
Christmas 2021 & New Year 2022 Entitlements
The Accommodation Association has published additional information relating to Christmas 2021 & New Year 2022 entitlements on our website.

Public Holidays 2022
A summary table of 2022 public holidays is also available to members.

To access both these resources, please login to the website.

Legal
Q. What is a Director Identification Number and how long to Directors have to apply for one? 

Under new legislation, all company Directors will soon be required to have a unique Director Identification Number (DIN). A DIN is issued once and is designed to help prevent the use of false or fraudulent director identities. The urgency of applying for a DIN depends on when you were (or will be) appointed as a Director. New Directors appointed between 1 November 2021 and 4 April 2022 must apply within 28 days of their appointment. From 5 April 2022, intending Directors must apply before being appointed. Existing Directors have until 30 November 2022 to apply. There are both civil and criminal penalties for non-compliance. My fellow Partner, David Callaghan, highlights the changes and relevant instructions in this recent article New ID requirement for Directors
Past Events
 Where permissible, the Accommodation Association has held in-person events to allow for networking opportunities for members.

Most recently, we hosted networking drinks for members in Sydney and Melbourne. Thank you to Vibe Hotel Sydney Darling Harbour and Crowne Plaza Melbourne for hosting these events.

The Accommodation Association team has thoroughly enjoyed these opportunities to meet with members and we hope to see more in the new year.
Upcoming Events
The Accommodation Association's is planning our 2022 event calendar. Our program will include Hotel Market Updates in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Gold Coast and Adelaide, as well as Regional Forums (locations to be confirmed).
 
If you are interested in hosting one of our events or would like to suggest topics or speakers, please contact us via email to events@aaoa.com.au 
STR: Australia hotels show holiday demand lift
Lifted by the upcoming holiday season, occupancy on the books is rising in Australia’s key hotel markets with Brisbane and Adelaide nearing 70% for New Year’s Eve, according to STR’s Forward STAR.

Adelaide, with early December peaks above 70% for this coming weekend (Ashes Test), dips as low as 31.6% (21 December) before gradually rising to 67.4% on New Year’s Eve. Brisbane, which falls as low as 41.8% (22 December), rises to a high of 68.5% on New Year’s Eve. Melbourne and Sydney occupancy on the books hit highs of 57.9% and 53.0%, respectively.

Read the full article here.
ASSA ABLOY Global Solutions: Cloud-Based Security Guide to Protecting Your Property against Ransomware

Cybersecurity has become a pressing topic in the hospitality industry, with the pandemic bringing with it a significant increase in cyberattack attempts. Ransomware attacks has become a particular concern with an all-time high of 78.4 million ransomware attacks recorded globally in June 2021 alone.

But not all is lost; the emergence of cloud-based solutions has revolutionized hotel data security, improving hotelier prevention and mitigation efforts by allowing critical data information to be accessible from anywhere, at any time, from any device.

Read on to learn more about the unique security features cloud-based solutions can employ, and how it can better protect against ransomware attacks than legacy methods.
ahs Hospitality: Hybrid Labour Solutions For an Industry Ready to BOOM
We’re excited to be launching into 2022 with a bang! We look forward to working together collectively to revitalise our beloved industry. Read the many advantages of outsourcing your housekeeping services, so you and your hotel are ready to kick-start 2022and beyond!
OH DEER!
WHAT A YEAR!
Merry Xmas from the Team at NCP.
See you in 2022.
A message from Network Insurance Group

As we farewell 2021 and start looking to the opportunities of 2022, it is also the right time to make sure you have the right protection in place to support your 2022 activities. Whether you’re looking to grow, run raffles or simply update some equipment, your insurance broker is there to provide the advice and information you need to ensure you have the appropriate insurance to cover your risks.

Network Insurance Group is committed to supporting all Accommodation Association members. If you want to check that you have the right cover in place, get in touch with Joel Morrell, our lead hospitality broker, at E jmorrell@networksteadfast.com.au or M 0456 560 500

So, what should a great broker be doing? Read up here.

From all of us here at Network Insurance Group, have a very happy and successful Christmas and cheers to a prosperous New Year!