Global tourism experienced almost uninterrupted growth for decades, with international arrivals skyrocketing from 277 million in 1980 to 1.5 billion in 2019. This growth was abruptly ended by the COVID-19 pandemic, with international arrivals projected to return to 320 million in 2020. As the travel industry returns, there is an opportunity for an industry reset. What will be the short-term and long-term impacts of this pandemic, as well as those of other prevalent issues, such as growing social inequities, on the hotel design and development process?

Led by two global veterans of the hospitality design industry, this two-hour discussion will examine the hotel development process from the perspective of owners, operators, developers, and designers. The interactive discussion will

• start with an overview of the essentials of the hotel development process, in the contexts of the owner, designer, builder, and operator;
• then take a look at how the COVID-19 pandemic has specifically affected the key elements of the development process—short-term, long-term, negatively, and maybe even positively;
• and finish with a discussion of how the design and development of hotels can evolve to build greater equity and opportunity into the system.

What to Expect

Instructors

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