Impact of Room Tax Increases on the Lodging Industry
An update of the two previous room tax studies in 1997 and 2003 is being conducted by the original researcher, Charles W. de Seve, Ph.D. of American Economics Group. The final report will feature updated state-by-state tables describing the economic benefits of tourism and expenditures and one summary table for the various combinations of bed taxes in each state, which will show the state and local occupancy tax rates as well as other sales and tax rates as it applies to lodging. The final report is expected in June 2008.
2008 Lodging Survey
Conducted approximately every two years by Smith Travel Research, this survey will provide one of the largest representative samples and views of trends in the American lodging industry. The last survey, conducted in 2006, generated a response rate of 21 percent with more than 9,300 hotels answering questions that covered 100 topic areas, including types of beds, pet-friendly ideas, frequency of renovation activity, and wireless technology. The survey is expected to be completed in summer 2008.
Payment Card Industry (PCI) Compliance Manual for Hotels
Being produced by the AH&LA Technology/E-Business Committee, this manual will be a "how to" guide on complying with PCI Data Security Standards which are a set of standards developed by the credit card industry for technology and business processes essential for securing credit card data from misuse and abuse. All merchants that accept credit cards will be required to comply with these standards. This manual will allow hotel companies to manage their compliance effort using internal and external resources. It is expected to be completed by September 2008.
Building Green for the Future
The publication will feature hotel case studies highlighting sustainable ("green") practices and innovations in building construction, operations, and marketing techniques. Each case study will evaluate buildings and operations using US Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environment Design criteria and financial information, as well as consumer response associated with sustainability efforts. The final publication is expected in March, 2008 and will be offered for sale through EI.
AH&LA Membership Technology Education Needs Study
The purpose of this research is to discover the technology systems and issues that are important to hotels. The findings will guide the AH&LA Technology Committee's future work in providing information. Over the past seven years, the Technology Committee has written a series of technology primers, also funded by AH&LEF, and intended to help hotel managers understand technology issue and systems. The committee feels it is imperative to query AH&LA's membership about what they see as the most salient information needs in this area.
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