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Gen Z’s rising up … and they’re distracted and hungry

Gen Z Friday: We received two thoughtful news items about the new next generation. Forget about millennials for a moment and learn from Expedia Group Media Solutions and the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Foundation (AHLEF) about Gen Z as travelers and employees. As Gen Z enters the workforce, naturally they will begin to travel: 84% said social media can be influential, and 60% said advertising can be influential in their choices. Fully 88% of Gen Z travelers save for bleisure travel and traveling to an iconic destination, and places with great entertainment. Whether they can travel with family or friends are factors when deciding whether to mix a personal trip with a business one. AHLEF also just released a new report detailing very strong interest from Generation Z — the largest generation in the U.S. — in a career in the hotel and lodging industry, more than industries such as construction, finance and insurance. Research shows that Gen Z has an average attention span of 8 seconds, compared with 12 seconds of millennials. Learn more about their ideals and how to best recruit them – if you can catch them. —Jeff Weinstein

(Getty Images)
(Getty Images)

‘You can’t handle the (truth) demand’: Seattle’s hotel market has been knocking it out of the park, with large profits and demand that doesn’t seem to quit. Yet as a range of new players bring on as many as 3,000 new hotel rooms by 2021 (with the new the Hyatt Regency alone adding a whopping 1,260 rooms alone), it’s unclear exactly how all that new supply can be absorbed, writes The Seattle Times. —Chloe Riley

The flipside of panic buttons: Amid the debate about the use of housekeeping panic buttons, as outlined in this story from the New York Times, is one of the main reasons housekeepers and other hotel employees might not be able to do their jobs in safety: the guests. Unions have argued that hotels should block or ban guests who have been accused of attacking employees. I’ve been thinking about this lately as I read about health and safety measures at the heart of the Unite Here strikes, among other stories. How do hotelkeepers tread the line between employee safety and guest satisfaction? —Barbara Bohn

New tastemakers: As the hotel industry evolves to meet the changing needs of travelers, concept creators are emerging at an increasing rate. Meet two relative newcomers, in Avi Brosch from the city chic Pali brand and his expanding Palisociety. Six new hotels are under development. We also found a profile on brothers Girish and Surya Jhunjhnuwala, who liquidated their watch business and eventually started developing hip Naumi Hospitality and Ovolo Hotels in Singapore and Hong Kong, respectively, under the Hind Group Umbrella. Creativity is alive and well. —J.W.

Look out, Uber has a loyalty program: Yes, it’s happened. In addition to shaking up an entire industry and expanding into food delivery, Uber has now borrowed from the hospitality and travel industry and debuted a loyalty points program. As The Points Guy points out (no pun intended), there’s also an elite status tier which smartly takes into consideration everyone’s ride history over the past six months, applying eligible rides towards a rider’s elite status. —C.R.

Chinese tourist 2.0: New research indicates Chinese tourists are spending less than before. How can your brand adapt? Experts suggest the new wave of outbound Chinese travelers are turning more experience-minded and that live streaming is a great way to showcase experiences. They also believe discount incentives still help trigger spending. Learn more from travel and luxury industry veterans who gathered in New York City to discuss the latest Chinese global traveler trends. —J.W.

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