Blog Posts By Author: Mike Seyle

Nearly 1000 industry leaders gathered in Las Vegas this week to discuss, debate and define some of the key issues facing the Travel & Tourism industry at this year's WTTC Global Travel & Tourism Summit.

The mood among delegates could be described as "tempered optimism." Conference speakers generally reported that travel and tourism in both developed and developing countries is significantly improved over 2009 and 2010, and will soon return to pre-recession levels. However, due to recent unrest in some countries, the "mix" of travel has changed significantly.

Travel and tourism demand drives hospitality development, requiring new and refreshed designs of places people visit, stay at, and enjoy. Ever since WATG's founder Pete Wimberly partnered with Pan Am Airlines in the 1950s to explore and develop new travel destinations around the Pacific Rim, our firm has specialized in the design of culturally-sensitive destinations around the globe. Some of the key points discussed at the 2011 WTTC Summit are particularly relevant to our business, as they underscore the importance of tourism as a driver of economic growth and acknowledge its impact on the hospitality industry:

Travel and Tourism accounts for 10% of the world's GDP, and is one of the major sources of new growth for both emerging and established destinations. A common refrain at WTTC was: "Travel and tourism equals exports." In other words, when people travel internationally, they spend money on foreign goods and services just as if they purchased foreign goods from home.

Travel and tourism is a relatively simple way to help offset the huge trade imbalance between the U.S. and China, particularly as Chinese travelers seek to travel beyond their country's borders. However, the biggest stumbling blocks to the growth of international travelers to the U.S. and to other destinations are the strict restrictions and limitations on travel visas and immigration imposed after 9/11. Even so, millions will travel outside their home countries in 2011 for the very first time. It is time for governments to create simple and straightforward travel visa processes to encourage travel and tourism.

The global hospitality industry is extremely fragmented and interdependent. Hotels cannot expand unless airlines and other forms of transportation continue to increase capacity and routes. Airlines cannot increase capacity and routes unless people can freely travel to destinations of their choice. People will not travel to a destination unless they have comfortable, safe, and welcoming lodging facilities.

There is more capital available for hospitality projects today than at any time in the past three years, and capital continues to flow into the hospitality sector.  However, the expectations of investors remains high and only projects with the right mix will be funded.

Investors are looking for established brands and knowledgeable teams who know how to make hospitality developments successful.

Over the next 20 years, industry analysts expect business travel to continue to drive global economic growth.

Technology, it is widely agreed, will never replace the need of people to meet face-to-face in order to do business. A key to success in hospitality is a focus on the guest experience. Give visitors what they want; make them feel welcome; and offer an authentic experience that caters to their particular needs.

Next year's World Travel and Tourism Council Summit will be held in Tokyo in April.  Hopefully, by that time the U.S. and other governments of the world will have solved the travel visa bottleneck problem, allowing travel and tourism to continue to drive economic growth and prosperity.

Conspiracy [kuhn-spir-uh-see] – noun:  a combination of people who passionately pursue a change in the status quo, usually in opposition to an existing rule or established practice.

The word "conspiracy" in its Western legal connotation conjures up images of a band of criminals acting in concert to accomplish an illegal purpose, such as robbing a bank or attempting to overthrow a government. But the origin of the word -- from the Latin conspirare, meaning 'joint effort' -- allows for a broader definition, one that encompasses what many in the design industry have done for hundreds of years and what we must continue to do if we are to make the world a better place.

Born of equal parts of emotion, art and science, great design has been described as a marriage of beauty and function, the elegant solution arising from the combination of common sense and aesthetics, or "that which transforms the culture that creates it." For places used by people, great design cannot be just aesthetically appealing, it also must meet the goals and vision of the person for whom it was designed, and work for those who ultimately utilize or experience it.

Using any of those descriptions, it becomes clear that great design cannot be accomplished in a vacuum. To be functional and relevant, to respond to its environment and culture, great design must result from a fusion of what has been done before, what is happening now, and what is to come. Great design then is a conspiracy. It is the fruit of a tacit or express agreement between those who wish to evoke and provoke, to alter existing norms, to create a new experience.

At WATG, we design the best destinations in the world. Our designs are the result of a conspiracy of great collaborators, storytellers and visionaries who understand that destinations are places people experience, where guests are welcomed, where spirits are lifted. Our places are meant to inspire, create an emotional bond, and soothe the senses. What makes our designs great is a passion for achieving the vision of our clients and making our designs work for the developers, operators and visitors who experience the destinations we create, in a way that is beautiful, relevant, and authentic. That takes more than one idea, more than one voice, and more than one sensibility; it requires a conspiracy of creativity.

Last night, WATG was honored at HD Expo at the Venetian in Las Vegas for 65 years of service.  We are now part of Hospitality Design's prestigious Platinum Circle.  Here are the remarks I gave after receiving the honor on behalf of the firm.

I am very honored to accept this award on behalf of all the talented designers and employees of WATG.

First, I would like to thank Hospitality Design for hosting this incredible annual conference and this Gala.  HD is major force in the industry and, in addition to fostering an amazing community, this conference teaches us the value of creating and innovating year-round.

So what is the secret to a design firm that prospers for 65 years?

Well, as you can tell from our video, WATG has not only been around a long time, we've also been all around the world.  We believe if you want to work in one place, you generalize; if you want to work everywhere, you have to specialize. WATG made a choice early on to specialize in hospitality design. That choice to become hospitality specialists went against the prevailing wisdom of doing everything possible to avoid being narrowly defined.

But since our beginnings in Honolulu in 1945, our designers have traversed the globe creating some of the world's most uplifting destinations. Our designers do so much more than just create, they are inspired and innovative storytellers.  We have a rich history of creating destinations that guests can experience with all their senses and that deliver on the dreams of their owners.

And we are not yet satisfied.  We remain focused on the future; on what hospitality can be beyond a hotel or a resort; on enriching the guest experience, wherever that guest may travel, explore or enjoy.

We are very pleased that this year WATG, in conjunction with IDEO, won the first annual Sustainable Suite Design competition sponsored by HD and the US Green Building Council. And we are very proud that for the last four years, WATG has been a finalist in HD's Radical Innovation in Hospitality competition, the award that promotes innovation and global thought-leadership in hospitality.  And this afternoon, we took first place in that competition.

I would like to recognize a couple of people here tonight who have helped make WATG successful for many years.  First, I would like to thank Howard Wolff, our Director of Marketing.  Howard has helped make WATG known in almost every corner of the world.

I would also like to recognize Rhonda Rasmussen, our Director of Interior Design, for her tireless work on behalf of our firm and our clients. Her vision is unrivaled, her skill unmatched, and her travel schedule leaves us all speechless.

WATG realized early on that we needed to be two things to do work around the world: nimble enough to go where the action is, and humble enough to listen once we got there.

Today, we look forward to continuing the adventure with all of you, and to continuing to listen.

Thank you again for recognizing our firm's achievements.