GLOBAL HOSPITALITY GIANT IDENTIFIES TOP 10 MACRO GLOBAL TRENDS
From time to time, global hospitality consulting agencies release what they describe as Global Trends. Even though these Consulting Groups have offices in countless cities around the world, these Global Trends rarely enjoy any input from their geographic outposts.
The result is that Global Trends are in fact Observations or Regional Thoughts from the country in which the HQ Consulting Group is based.
The Top Ten Macro Trends released by a major 'Global' Hospitality (Consulting/Auditing) Firm are either, in my opinion, a very poor excuse for self promotion, an arbitrary collection of ten thoughts, the result of a consultant's slow day..... in fact a waste of electronic ink.
And here they are summarised,
- Supply playing Catch-up.
- Luxury Brands...in the Fast Lane.
- Increased Construction costs.
- Creative control of Operating Costs.
- Capital global.
- Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative.
- Transaction Environment
- Private Equity - non-Traditional
- Condo hotels' growing pains
- Disaster resiliency
Why is it a waste of electronic ink?
Because these trends are largely and principally for one country only and, if the truth be told, they are not really Trends, they are Observations, in fact Thoughts. There is not a Trend (or Observation) that could be truly and accurately called Global or a Global Trend, not one that could cross borders , not one that would be identified with the three fastest growing economies in the world.
Perhaps we might find that the credits divulge some global connections. Unfortunately not. Of the 17 references to other publications, 2 reference the disaster incidents and 1 mentions Asia and are the only ones that have any real connection outside the USA.
And China......the world's largest source of influence in our industry and the creation of at least half the real or imagined trends is not mentioned at all.
Actually this is not a joke because the banks and financial institutions listen to their advice and use these firms for their audits and feasibility studies, not a joke because these same banks and institutions rely on their opinions internationally, not a joke because through these trends the world loses a little respect for these International Consultants. An example in a previous year when the global report referred to the trouble in the Gulf States and we learned that the trouble referred to was in the States surrounding the Gulf of Mexico!
If it is not a joke then what is it?
- Are they lies? No I believe this company believes them to be the true global Thoughts. They are however a distortion of the truth.
- Are they semi-lies? Only in the context that they are not really Trends or directions and not really global.
- Perhaps they are more like fiction? No, they are actually US Non-Fictional micro-thoughts and International US Observations.
- Non factual? Not exactly, merely slanted to reflect or intimate that the world is virtually or perhaps.an extension of the USA.
- Are they perhaps what people without passports imagine the rest of the world to be like and therefore what the trends would be?
- Are they imaginative? Perhaps the consultants have been asked to use their imagination? They are therefore not lies if the authors believe them to be true.
They do come from a company of world-renowned Auditors......in fact one of the largest auditing firms in the world. So factual is sometimes a relative term..... or perhaps the truth can be bent if done by auditors.
It is not a joke because the word 'global' means big picture, international, all encompassing, borderless, including all countries, cultures and communities. In terms of trends, they would have to understand what the trends are in all regions, all sub-regions and the authors would need to weigh and evaluate them in importance.
It is also not a joke because of the Ten Trends identified, most are not in fact 'Trends', they are thoughts. Perhaps a breakdown in communications between the authors of the document and the website
The article concludes with the Global Hospitality Contacts from Asia (actually Japan), Australia, Europe (actually Germany), India, Caribbean (actually Miami), Latin America (actually Miami) the Middle East (actually UAE) and Russia and the inference is that they all were involved in the preparation of this document.
The article actually only infers they were written by these global representatives. Inferences are good because they allow a global giant to make believe. But I fail to believe that the representatives from these various locations did not have some thoughts of their own. With Asia and the Middle East highly prominent in hospitality issues......nothing. No reference to China's effect on the world tourism community or the growth in outbound traffic. No thoughts at all on the war and the effect on tourism to that area. No observations from Latin America, home to the third fasted growing economy in the world, or Europe where the ranking for the top tourism destinations in the world might change.
Has the time come to certify a globalist? Has a time come to certify a consultant? Has a time come to establish standards for the opinions of those who profess to speak globally and internationally on behalf of the world, but only have known a small section? Has the time come for us to separate those that do numbers from those that do words. The answer is probably "No." As always, the policing for these things must come from within.
The time definitely has come for industry leaders to demand that its advisors be factual and truthful, which in my mind means that Global Trends are in fact Trends and are determined by truly global industry leaders, not from professional un-named observers.
I do admire this consultancy's Code of Ethics, and suggest a periodic review!
- Working with One Another
- Working with Clients and Others
- Acting with Professional Integrity
- Maintaining our Objectivity and Independence
- Respecting Intellectual Capital
However, on a slow day, they is no telling what will come out of a Consultant's mouth as Global Thoughts. I know because I am a Consultant!
For another version of Global Macro Trends, contact [email protected]
David McMillan is the former CEO of the International Hotel & Restaurant Association, the official voice of the hospitality industry.
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