Dear Round-Up Readers,

This week's lesson in inclusivity is courtesy of Lady Gaga! If her Chromatic Tour is coming to your city, try to see it––I did last night here in London, and she was AMAZING!!!  An incredible performer, singer, and musician, Gaga shares messages of belonging and self-acceptance, which are reflected in her audience, that spanned generations, gender, and identity.  What an incredible person and role model!

Now, on to this week's news!

Business, Women, and Random Trends: 

• Instagram v TikTok:  Last week we shared a story about how TikTok is gaining popularity amongst older users and as a news source, this week Instagram has gotten criticized for becoming more like TikTok. Despite complaints by notable users (Kardashians) Instagram is mainly sticking to its strategy but is going to dial back some of the new efforts and keep more of what people love Insta for––photos from people they know.

• #Blessed? the Modern Pressures of Social Media on New Mothers As if the demands on new moms were not enough (see below) the Internet is making it even worse as the "toxic pull of 'momfluencers' feels inescapable" and how curated social media feeds are damaging to women's mental health at a vulnerable time.

• Rise and Dangers of Deepfake Porn––another disconcerting trend, and essentially an assault on women, where without consent, video makers are taking women's images and even voices off of the Internet and creating new mash-up content that looks real.  So far, there seem to be few ways for preventing or punishing the perpetrators of these abuses. According to MorningBrew, "If Big Tech can’t protect deepfake victims, then neither can most laws that cover revenge porn," I urge you to read more.

• The Burden of 'Care" and Why Offering Women Support Makes Good Business Sense. I often share articles on the "invisible work" and burdens placed on women, but definitely read this from Edsurge.com which makes a compelling case for how offering emergency childcare helps with recruitment, using the example of consumer financial services company, Synchrony, which now offers 60 days of backup child care, up from 10 days prior to the pandemic.

• Hybrid Work Reduced Attrition By a Third According to a New Stamford Study. What can the hotel industry learn from other sectors to attract employees in non-guest-facing roles?  People want more flexibility––hybrid work reduced attrition rates at a large technology firm by 35% and improved self-reported work satisfaction scores, with no negative impact on performance ratings or promotions, according to a new study co-authored by Nicholas Bloom of Stanford University.

• World news: Saudi Arabia plans 100-mile-long mirrored skyscraper megacity. Did you see this? Click this Guardian link to see a video. The new skyscraper is part of Neom, one of five planned areas of development in Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030. There is also a big push to put more women into hospitality careers in Saudi Arabia, if you missed it read our interview with The House Hotel Jeddah City Yard GM, Maria Bou Eid.

Travel & Hospitality news:

• US leisure travel sees record demand and higher rates, JLL's Andrea Grigg, shares 3 reasons:

  1. Legacy warriors: those who typically travel within the country and often visit drive-to destinations 

  2. Can't be bothered: International travelers who are now rediscovering the U.S. as ever-changing global restrictions and requirements hamper overseas travel plans and reservations about uncertain geopolitical climate remain.

  3. Re-emergence of social events. Pent-up demand for weddings and other milestones.  Read more in HMM

• US Hotel Investment Trends––YTD RevPAR exceeds pre-pandemic:  More from JLL, who also says investment activity increased, with transaction volume reaching its second-highest total over the past decade. As 2022 progresses, can the lodging industry can continue to outperform the broader economy? Will transaction activity slow in light of rising debt costs and economic uncertainty.?  Read more from JLL.

• European Tourism Industry at Risk over 1.2m Job Shortfall according to new data from the WTTC, the accommodation sector has a 22% labor shortage.

• DEI: Hyatt Hotels Aims to Double the Number of Blacks in Leadership Positions by 2025. Read about some of the specific measures the company has taken and results so far including increasing the number of Black suppliers it buys goods and services to 350 nationwide — up 82% since June 2020.

• 5 ways to Create a Gender-inclusive Workplace clear, simple, and actionable steps you can take, read more in HMM.

On hertelier this week:

Big welcome to our new subscribers! The story in Forbes, How Women Are Changing The Hotel Industry, keeps bringing new readers! Super excited to have you here. Lots of stories to share! 

• Recognition! The International Hospitality Institute, a global advocacy, training, and standards organization for the hospitality industry, has recognized leaders with two lists for 2022: 100 Most Powerful People in Global Hospitality and the 100 Most Powerful People in USA Hospitality. We're pleased to report the lists are nearly fifty percent women! Read more here.  I am truly honored and humbled to have been included on the Global list. 

• Do you believe in a "hospitality gene"?  Columnist Nancy Mendelson makes a case for it in her column this week.  I put a poll out on LinkedIn/Instagram and people do in fact think it is genetic, largely, versus a skill that can be taught.  What do you think?  

• The Power of Eye Contact in Hospitality.  Eyes came into sharp focus during the pandemic, and this week new contributor Maria Navarro takes a look into the importance of eye contact. 

Are you still here? I'd love to hear from you. Why do you read hertelier and what would you like to see covered? Is there someone you'd like to suggest for a profile?  My goal in 2022 is to get to know more of our readers, just reply to this email. I am a real person 😃 

Have a great week!  

Em