HFTP to create 'hospitality code of digital responsibility'
Former AAHOA Chairman Neal Patel is one of HFTP’s task force members
By Vishnu Rageev RJun 15, 2024
HOSPITALITY FINANCIAL AND Technology Professionals, the global representative for hospitality technology and producers of HITEC, recently initiated a project to develop a digital responsibility code for the hospitality industry. HFTP is forming a task force of experts and academics to develop the code.
HFTP commissioned the University of Houston to write a white paper on digital responsibility, featured in the inaugural issue of HFTP’s Tech+Fin Hospitality Magazine at HITEC 2024, HFTP said in a statement. The paper and industry discussions highlighted the need for guidelines on digital responsibility.
Task force members include:
Co-chair Scot Campbell, principal, Integrated Resort Advisors, HFTP Global past president and inductee to the HFTP International Hospitality Technology Hall of Fame
Co-chair Agnes DeFranco, Conrad N. Hilton Distinguished Chair at University of Houston and HFTP Global past president
Mike Blake, vice president, IT, Kemper Sports
Steven Bronken, head of global hospitality, Ruckus Networks
Sanovnik Destang, executive director, Bay Gardens Resorts
Florian Gallini, CEO, INTEREL
Thomas Hempel, vice president, sales and partnerships, VENZA
Barry Thomas, vice president, technology, Orient Express and Fairmont Hotels
Sherry Marek, founder, Aiken Street Consulting and inductee to the HFTP International Hospitality Technology Hall of Fame
Shannon McCallum, vice president, hotel operations, Resorts World Las Vegas,
Neal Patel, managing partner, Blue Chip Hotels, AAHOA past chairman
Andrew Rubinacci, chief advisory officer, FLYR for Hospitality
Thomas Atzenhofer, deputy CEO, HFTP
“There are many good practices for digital responsibility throughout the industry, but these have never been aggregated, vetted and published as a compilation of the best practices in a uniform guide,” said Atzenhofer. “HFTP’s task force of global industry technology and business experts, has agreed to tackle the task and make the industry better for all segments—from small to large.”
The first task force meeting will be held this month at HITEC 2024 in Charlotte, HFTP said. After developing a draft code, it will be presented for industry feedback. A final code will then be established, and compliant hospitality enterprises will receive a compliance seal.
“The advent of AI and digital responsibility is going to continue to be a growing concern to our customers,” said Campbell. “Rather than have disparate governmental regulations by those who don’t understand our business, it is more prudent to have these guidelines developed for the industry by the industry. None of us want to be able to have an unhappy customer whose digital information is accidentally used in a way they did not intend.”
Canary Technologies, led by CEO Harman Singh Narula and President SJ Sawhney, recently closed a $50 million Series C funding round to advance AI guest technology, totaling nearly $100 million raised to date.
USTA said the U.S. travel economy could lose $1 billion a week in a government shutdown.
White House reportedly ordered agencies to plan layoffs of nonessential staff.
Around 88 percent of Americans want Congress to prevent a shutdown.
A LOOMING U.S. government shutdown could cost America’s travel economy $1 billion a week, the U.S. Travel Association said. Federal funding runs through Sept. 30 and without a stopgap budget, many operations would halt on Oct. 1.
President Donald Trump blames Democrats for failing to reach a deal, while Democrats criticize him for canceling a negotiation meeting. Senate Democrats had previously resisted a shutdown over fears of mass firings and deep spending cuts, but a similar threat now looms, Fox News reported.
Meanwhile, the White House budget office is directing federal agencies to prepare layoff plans for nonessential employees in a potential shutdown, Politico reported. The Office of Management and Budget’s plan to permanently cut the workforce, detailed in a memo shared with POLITICO ahead of release to agencies, raises the stakes of a shutdown next week.
A shutdown would disrupt federal agencies, including the Transportation Security Administration and hurt the travel economy, U.S. Travel Association CEO Geoff Freeman wrote in a Sept. 25 letter to Congress.
USTA called on Congress to act to prevent the looming threat.
“A shutdown is a wholly preventable blow to America’s travel economy—costing $1 billion each week—and affecting millions of travelers and businesses while straining an already overextended federal travel workforce,” Freeman said. “While Congress recently provided a $12.5 billion down payment to modernize our nation’s air travel system and improve safety and efficiency, this modernization will stop in the event of a shutdown.”
USTA said that halting air traffic controller hiring and training would worsen a nationwide shortage of more than 2,800 controllers and further strain the air travel system.
If the Federal Aviation Administration cannot hire or train controllers, longer security lines, flight delays and cancellations are likely, Freeman wrote in the letter. Programs for air traffic control, however, are slated to continue during a shutdown.
A recent Ipsos survey cited in the USTA letter found 60 percent of Americans would cancel or avoid air travel during a shutdown. Approximately 81 percent said shutdowns harm the economy and inconvenience travelers and 88 percent said Congress should work across party lines to prevent one.
About 50,000 Transportation Security Administration employees, responsible for airport security, would work without pay, worsening staffing challenges, Reuters reported.
Shutdown losses would add to a projected $29 billion drop in visitor spending in 2025, driven by fewer international visitors and weaker domestic demand, according to Forbes.
The U.S. tourism industry entered 2025 expecting growth in travel demand and visitor spending. International arrivals, however, are down due to an eight-month Canadian travel boycott and a summer decline in Indian tourists amid disputes between Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi over tariffs, Russian oil and credit for an India-Pakistan ceasefire, Forbes said.
In December, President Joe Biden signed the American Relief Act, preventing a shutdown before Christmas and funding the government through March 14.
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The House introduced the Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act of 2025 to reform tort law.
AAHOA said the bill would restore accountability in the legal system.
In 2023, the Supreme Court vacated a case on “tester lawsuits” under the ADA.
THE HOUSE OF Representatives recently introduced the Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act of 2025 to reform tort law and mandate sanctions for frivolous lawsuits. AAHOA supported the bill, saying it would restore accountability to the legal system, an issue for small-business owners such as hoteliers.
The bill — introduced in the U.S. House by Republican Reps. Mike Collins of Georgia, Brandon Gill of Texas, Tom Tiffany of Wisconsin and Harriet Hageman of Wyoming — would amend Rule 11 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.
“This legislation will help restore accountability in our courts, protect job creators from frivolous legal attacks and reform a civil justice system that too often favors abuse over fairness,” said Rep. Collins. “We’re sending a clear message: the courtroom should be a place for justice, not a playground for abuse.”
The act would:
Require sanctions for frivolous lawsuits instead of leaving them discretionary.
Remove the 21-day delay for filing sanctions if the challenged pleading is withdrawn or corrected.
Mandate payment of reasonable expenses, including attorney fees, to parties harmed by frivolous filings.
Allow additional sanctions, such as striking pleadings, dismissing cases, or imposing financial penalties to deter future violations.
Kamalesh “KP” Patel, AAHOA chairman, said that for small-business owners, a single frivolous lawsuit can threaten their livelihoods and undo years of work.
"This legislation gives hoteliers a fighting chance by ensuring those who weaponize the courts face real consequences,” he said. “It's about restoring fairness so our members can focus on what they do best: running their businesses and supporting their teams."
In 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court vacated as moot a case that could have set a precedent limiting “tester lawsuits” against hotels under the Americans with Disabilities Act. The court noted it may still address whether someone can sue a hotel without intending to stay there. The case, Acheson Hotels, LLC v. Laufer, was filed by Deborah Laufer, who claimed the hotels’ websites failed to disclose whether accessible rooms were available.
“Frivolous lawsuits don't just waste time — they siphon resources away from job creation, community investment and growth,” said Laura Lee Blake, AAHOA president and CEO. “This legislation provides protection for small-business owners who cannot afford to fend off meritless claims. Protecting them means protecting the vitality of Main Street economies across the country.”
AAHOA urges Congress to pass the legislation and protect small-business owners from abusive lawsuits.
The H-2B visa program protects U.S. jobs and wages, according to AHLA citing a study.
It allows hotels and resorts to meet travelers’ needs while supporting the economy.
It provides foreign workers for seasonal jobs when domestic workers are unavailable.
THE H-2B VISA program does not harm U.S. jobs or wages but increases pay and supports the labor force, according to an Edgeworth Economics study. Citing that study, the American Hotel & Lodging Association said the program enables hotels and resorts to meet travelers’ needs while supporting the workforce and economy.
The Edgeworth study for the H-2B Workforce Coalition found the program allows businesses to hire foreign workers for seasonal jobs when domestic workers are unavailable. It showed no evidence that increases in H-2B visas reduce U.S. employment or wages. Instead, each H-2B worker supports three to five local jobs and areas with more H-2B workers saw wages grow 1.6 percent faster.
“Areas that hired more H-2B workers under the higher visa cap saw greater job and wage growth among U.S. workers,” said Steve Bronars, partner at Edgeworth Economics, citing findings consistent with an earlier analysis by the U.S. Government Accountability Office.
Ashley McNeil, AHLA’s vice president of federal government affairs and chair of the H-2B Workforce Coalition, said the new analysis underscores the H-2B program’s clear value to local communities.
“The hotel industry, which is still 200,000 workers short compared to pre-pandemic levels, relies on legal guest worker programs to augment our workforce, particularly to address seasonal demands,” McNeil said. “Access to the H-2B visa program has been critical in allowing hotels and resorts of all sizes to meet travelers’ needs, while supporting the local workforce and economy.”
The program has also helped businesses manage peak-season labor shortages, easing the workload for full-time employees. Landscaping accounts for nearly 40 percent of certified H-2B workers. Hotels and motels account for 8.67 percent, support activities for forestry 6.3 percent and seafood processing and packaging 5.65 percent.
“This study reaffirms what our members have long recognized: despite extensive recruitment efforts, there remains a critical shortage of U.S. workers willing or available to fill temporary positions that are currently being filled by H-2B workers,” said Arnulfo Hinojosa, COO of the Federation of Workers and Employers of America and vice chair of the H-2B Workforce Coalition. “H-2B workers allow seasonal businesses to operate at a higher capacity and create more U.S. jobs.”
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump recently signed a proclamation raising the H-1B visa fee to $100,000 annually, a move that could affect Indian professionals in the U.S.
AHLA’s survey finds reduced hotel development and renovation plans.
Only 8 percent of property owners are moving forward with new investments.
Survey participants included 387 property owners and operators.
ABOUT 32 PERCENT of U.S. hotel owners and operators are delaying development projects and 24 percent are scaling back plans, according to a recent survey by the American Hotel & Lodging Association. About 8 percent have canceled projects entirely.
“Hotels are eager to invest in their properties and communities but rising costs and uncertain demand are forcing many to put projects on hold,” said AHLA President and CEO Rosanna Maietta. “It’s been a tough year for hotel operators, especially our small business owners. As Congress gets back to work, we’ll focus on advancing policies to spur travel, ease operational pressures and provide our industry the certainty it needs to grow, create jobs and strengthen local economies nationwide.”
The workforce challenges further compound pressures, with nearly half of the respondents, 49 percent, reporting understaffed properties. On the demand side, leisure travel continues to decline. Thirty percent of hotels reported declines in completed leisure stays, while 26 percent saw drops in upcoming bookings compared with the same period last year.
Business, group and government travel also showed weakness, with 15 to 17 percent of properties experiencing decreases in bookings.
The AHLA survey, conducted between Aug. 21 and 29, included responses from 387 property owners and operators across the U.S., representing all hotel segments.
In another recent survey by the Hospitality Asset Managers Association, more than 70 percent of respondents expect a 1 to 3 percent RevPAR increase in the fourth quarter of 2025.
Howard Johnson is marking its 100th anniversary with fried clam–shaped soaps.
The soaps pay homage to an iconic HoJo menu item.
Available at select hotels and for online purchase starting Oct. 3.
HOWARD JOHNSON BY Wyndham marks a century with one of its most famous menu items, the fried clam strip. The brand is introducing limited-edition HoJo’s Original Fried Clam Soap, available at select Howard Johnson hotels across the U.S. and for online purchase beginning Oct. 3.
Designed to resemble the original food item, the soaps are infused with lemon, sea salt and butter in a nod to the butter-soaked rolls that once accompanied the fried clams, according to a statement by Wyndham.
“Howard Johnson is a brand woven into America’s cultural fabric and beloved by millions for generations,” said Marissa Yoss, HoJo’s head of marketing. “As we celebrate 100 years, our limited-edition fried clam soap is a fun, nostalgic tribute to the brand’s storied past and a playful nod to the retro-modern, family-friendly spirit that continues defining our hotels today.”
For World Waffle Day celebrations, Comfort Hotels hosted a one-day Waffle Lounge in New York City on Aug. 21.