
Sharing the full interview of Hala Matar Choufany, President of HVS Middle East & Africa, Recovery Townhall discussion with Sumaira Isaacs in a series of exciting and global interviews hosted by Global Tourism Forum to assess tourism and hospitality challenges as well as recovery and investment opportunities.

We raise key concerns and questions that are worth reflecting on to address the complex “new normal” that will govern future investments and operations in our industry. Although COVID-19 has challenged our fundamental forecasting approach that typically relies on predictable market trends and metrics, we share our assumptions pertaining to what the recovery model may look like for select cities in the GCC and the likely impact on EBITDA.

HVS is pleased to share the Hospitality GCC- Hotel Owner & Investor Survey. Despite the challenges and uncertainty, there will be better times and the hospitality and travel market will eventually come out stronger. The future winners are those that will create an ecosystem that is built on ethical principles and promotes a behavior that reflects a good corporate citizenship. Finally a strong risk mitigation approach, flexibility and innovation will remain key traits of successful organization

With the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S. in early to mid-March 2020, hotel owners and managers watched demand for their rooms suddenly evaporate. Since then, tough decisions have been made regarding whether to remain open or temporarily suspend operations. Hotels that have temporarily suspended operations now need to decide when to reopen. This article addresses the considerations to be weighed in this process and provides one example of the calculus for a hypothetical hotel.

While the pandemic is anticipated to prolong, hotels should start to draw up plans in preparation for a recovery. In the meanwhile, it is the perfect time to relook into operational strategies, cost-saving initiatives, refurbishment, marketing distribution channels, staff training and technology upgrade.

This article describes the restrictions put in place in Italy following the COVID-19 pandemic with particular attention to their possible economic impact on the tourism industry, historically characterized by the high presence of international tourism. A specific analysis is dedicated to the main four city hubs in an effort to evaluate how their different reliance on leisure international visitation might shape their recovery once the pandemic subsides.

The impact that COVID-19 is having on the hospitality industry is palpable. There is no time more important than right now to come together, share information, and discuss what this means for our future. Katherine Doggrell is joined by Russell Kett, Chairman at HVS.

What realistic choices does a bank have in handling anything from short-term loan modifications through major troubled debt restructuring without ultimately dealing with the adverse effects related thereto? And, as an alternative, does a lender really want to fight through a foreclosure process and likely Chapter 11 counter filings by the borrower?

A record-breaking decade of growth in the hospitality space in Southern California has now been brought to a halt by COVID-19. This article explores the impact of the pandemic on Los Angeles and other major Southern California hotel markets.

HVS Hotel Transaction Activity: The Factors Influencing a Return to Normalcy in a Post-COVID-19 Time
As a result of the current COVID-19 pandemic, the HVS Team has received many questions about when U.S. hotel transaction volume will return to reasonable, pre-pandemic levels. While we do not have a definite answer, as this circumstances are evolving daily, we have tried to use past events to provide some insight on the factors that would affect a possible rebound.