CTH Connections Newsletter – June 2016

The June edition is here!

‘All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy’ - don’t worry it’ll make sense soon. In this edition of the CTH Connections Newsletter we will be exploring changes in the industry through our ‘Work & Play’ theme. But first and foremost we have some big CTH news regarding our new university agreement. I know you’re excited about that, look out for it below. But in regards to our work & play theme: The work segment will follow some big changes that are happening in the industries that affect you around the world. From changes to tipping regulations in the UK to technological changes in the food industry, we cover it all. And don’t forget...We have Ulpa’s column, she has an excited interview for with a luxury holiday specialist, look out for that. The play segment will cover the latest trends and innovative ideas in different industries. Ever heard of Naked Dinning, well we discuss that as well. Keep reading, I know you want to.

CTH

1. British university, BPP University, in new CTH partnership agreement

CTH has entered into an exciting new partnership with BPP University of the UK to offer undergraduate degree pathways to students completing CTH Level 5 Management programmes. As well as offering students the opportunity to complete a one year ‘top-up’ degree programme at their London campus, the University will be working with selected CTH Approved Teaching Centres worldwide to allow students to undertake the final year programme in their home country from January 2017. The BPP University BSc (Hons) International Hospitality Management (Top-up) programme enables you to enhance your existing qualifications to gain a UK degree. It has been designed to provide you with a much deeper understanding of key hospitality and business principles and application in practice, alongside a range of career-ready skills. Students studying at the BPP London campus will have the opportunity to undertake an assessed internship in their third term, which will help them gain valuable work experience for their career. Holders of the CTH Level 5 Diploma in Hospitality Management, with a Credit profile and at least IELTS 6.5 overall (6.0 Writing) English, will be eligible to join the programme. Paul Evans, Deputy Dean at the University, commented “The CTH Level 5 programme offers an excellent academic fit with our final year top-up. And we are particularly excited at the prospect of working with leading CTH Approved Teaching Centres around the globe to become Recognised Support Centres for regional delivery of the programme.” Angela Hagenow, Academic Director at CTH, agrees saying “CTH has always endeavoured to offer its students effective pathways to the achievement of undergraduate degrees with recognised universities. It is really exciting that our BPP University partnership includes opportunities for our international students to study for their degree in their own country too".

WORK

2. It’s beginning to reach the tipping point

Last year the British PM, David Cameron called it a ‘tipping abuse’, this year Business Minister, Sajid Javid calls it ‘unacceptable’ and calls for a ‘fair deal’ to be struck. What’s all this about, you ask...Well, keep reading, it could affect you. Tipping culture One would think that by tipping you are giving the members of staff a sort of reward for good service, right? And that all that money was going to them, right? Wrong. At present some organisations run a ‘tronc’ system whereby if a customer tips through credit or debit card, the employer can take up to 8% or more in ‘admin charges’. Tipping intervention There is no legal regulation in the UK about tipping and therefore it has been argued that employers have a free rein when disturbing tips. This practice has come under inspection from the British government, leading to a report that was published at the start of May. Three key proposals came out of the report:

• Ensure transparency to consumers that discretionary payment for service is just that - ‘discretionary’
• Ensure workers receive a fair share from discretionary payments for service
• Increase transparency for consumers and workers regarding the treatment of discretionary payments for service

This propositions could mean more money in the pocket of the employees which would be a huge boost for employee rights. I did tell you it could affect you didn’t I. See the full report here: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/521946/bis-16-172-tipping-consultation.pdf

3. Has the tech takeover finally reached the food industry?

• There’s the ‘Connie’ concierge robot in the Hilton Hotels
• The Booking.com messages interface for the travel industry
• The... the... in the food industry

Ok, well thinking of an easy example of how high tech systems have found their way into the food industry might not be easy. However, come and see how it soon might be. Read more here. For years while technology was taking over the world, from sectors such as the travel, tourism and hospitality industry, the food industry had lagged behind, but not anymore. Just as in the other industries, technology is also affecting the delivery process in the food industry. Soon instead of seeing a friendly face taking your orders you may hear an automated voice. That’s right, even one of the biggest players in the fast food industry, McDonalds is taking steps to step away from humans, in exchange for machines. The American restaurant Wendys’ as well as KFC are also heading in a similar direction. This is primarily due to the need to cut costs. Using McDonalds as an example, last year the company reported a 4% fall in sales in America. Besides McDonalds, fast food restaurants such as Wendy’s are trying to combat the $15 minimum wage demands by unions in America by aiming to replace staff and adding machines into the equation. Hey! Don’t cry just yet. The integration of robots hasn’t been fully implemented. In fact, last year three Guangzhou restaurants in China replaced their human employees for robots which cost $7,000 a pop. A year on, two of the restaurants have closed down and the third switched back to human workers. Grubstreet.com reported that the robots were ‘dumber’ and ‘less competent’. *Phew* I bet you like the sound of that. The future is uncertain, but these reports have only came out of the fast food industry, where it’s less about luxury treatment and more about getting your burger on the go. So there’s still hope within different restaurants.

Sangeeta Sehmi, The Luxury Holiday Specialist

By Ulpa Chauhan This month’s column is an interview with the award winning Luxury Holiday & Honeymoon Planner and Travel Specialist Sangeeta Sehmi, who is sharing her experience and expertise on luxury holidays. Trust and believe this is interesting How long have you been in the industry and what made you choose this path? My goodness, I have been in the travel industry for 23 years! As a child I travelled all over the world, and absolutely loved coming back and telling my school friends about my experiences. By the time I finished my GCSE’s I had no doubts about the path I wanted to take. I studied for my Diploma in Travel & Tourism, and the rest as they say is history. What has been your favourite holiday and why? Without wanting to give you a politician’s answer, I have to truly say that every holiday I have ever taken has been incredibly unique and special in its own way. I generally prefer twin or multi centre holidays as they give you a chance to see more than one place on the same trip, and they work out good value for money. If I had to choose, then I would have to say my Honeymoon in Tahiti in 2014 was pretty spectacular. We stayed at the Intercontinental Thalasso Resort and Spa on the Island of Bora Bora. We chose this resort because it has the best and most outstanding views over Mount Otemanu than any other resort. Especially at sunset and sunrise. This is an amazing luxury property and the service was out of this world. The over-water villas are contemporary and have his & her features throughout. We travelled via Los Angeles with Air New Zealand, who I have to say were an absolutely excellent airline to travel with. Their Premium Economy and Business Class Service is very impressive. I’d highly recommend upgrading for a premium, especially as it is such a long journey. It took us 22 hours to get there but it was definitely worth the wait. Bora Bora has been nicknamed honeymoon island and is referred to widely as the most romantic place on earth and it’s not difficult to see why. What are your hottest recommendations for the coming year? There are some fantastic destinations and resorts trending this year. Tanzania and Zanzibar are an extremely popular choice for those looking for an adventure on safari with a relaxing unspoilt beach stay in the Indian Ocean. I am especially excited about South America and the Caribbean this year. With the launch of British Airways direct service to San Jose, I can see the demand for wildlife holidays, tours, and beach stays in Costa Rica increasing. When it comes to luxury all inclusive, the Sandals Resorts in the Caribbean are the ones to keep a look out for. They have availability and offers up to November 2017. There is a big buzz around multi island stays and the launch of the first ever over-water Villas in the Caribbean. Other than the Sandals Resorts there are some excellent offers to the Caribbean islands of Tobago and Aruba. Aruba is situated off the coast of Venezuela, just outside the hurricane belt. Due to its position it enjoys consistent high temperatures, making it an appealing all year round destination. What do you love most about your job? Every day I speak to different people with different travel needs. I love getting to know my clients and what’s important to them. It’s important for me to give them lots of suggestions and advice and making sure I understand their needs. I aim to tick off everything on their wish list and exceed their expectations. It’s very satisfying to receive great reviews and recommendations from my clients. Over the years I have built up very special relationships. My clients have become more like friends. I value the fact that they trust me with their travel needs and I would never let them down. What has been your greatest achievements? It was an absolute honour to win the Travel Weekly - Aspire Agent of the Year Award last year. In 2014 I was voted Finalist with both the Travel Weekly and TTG Awards. Anyone who knows me will tell you that I work hard and am very passionate about what I do. Being recognised for my work was a very big achievement for me. Are you up for an award this year? I really don’t know is the honest answer. I know that the Travel Weekly finalists are due to be announced next month, so I guess we’ll have to wait and see. The last 2 years have been absolutely spectacular events. This year marks the 21st birthday of the Agent Achievement Awards, so I am sure it will be a bigger extravagant celebration than ever before. And yes, I would love to be a part of it, who wouldn’t? What tips would you give to someone looking for a holiday? Firstly find a good independent travel specialist to help you. When you do, stick with them. Your independent travel specialist will offer you free and unbiased advice, and will save you money and a lot of time and effort researching your options. Their skill-set ensures the smallest details are taken care of as well as any unforeseen eventualities. It’s their job so use their expertise, it’s a no brainer really. You won’t get that from a search engine on-line. I hope you have enjoyed the read and to find out more you can follow Sangeeta using the links below. Website http://www.sangeetasehmi.com/ Facebooks - Holidays https://www.facebook.com/SangeetasTravelOffers/ Facebook - Honeymoons https://www.facebook.com/Sangeeta.Honeymoons/ Twitter https://twitter.com/SangeetaSehmi Instagram https://www.instagram.com/sangeeta_sehmi/

PLAY

Ever Wanted to Netflix & Chill on Holiday? With Your Own Subscriptions?

Holidays can be all about relaxing, enjoying the weather and having fun. But every so often you may just want to catch up with your favourite shows. And this is the problem for Netflix viewers, they can’t watch their shows abroad. However, all this is could be changing. The current regulations allow users that want to access Netflix abroad to view region-specific content only, rather than programmes that they would usually view at home. For example, you can watch all your favourite doctors in Grey’s Anatomy in the US but not in the UK. This is due to license agreements that differ from country to country. Therefore, your viewing material may be completely different depending on where you go. However, this could all change due to the EUs stance on removing digital barriers. This is a stark contrast to what had been proposed at the start of the year. In January, Netflix were calling for users to respect service restrictions. However, the EU have let its intentions be made known. A large number of member states agreed to the proposal of making Netflix and other services easily available while on holiday or abroad. Hold your horses though. The proposal did mention that this service abroad would be temporary, therefore, limiting the access time to an undisclosed amount. It will also be limited to the 28 member states. Look out for updates on this news.

Naked Dinning: Enjoy Your Birthday Steak in Your Birthday Suit

Tired of traditional buttoned up and conservative dinning? Well, the restaurant Bunyadi is opening its doors to a new dinning experience – Naked Dinning. The whole Naked Dinning idea came from Sebastian Lyall, one of the brains behind the project. Speaking to Talk Radio he coined the idea of The Bunyandi as a ‘liberation from technology’. The concept revolves around the idea of getting back to your natural element, far from modernisation and technology. Therefore, guests are to enjoy wood flame grilled meals in clay tableware and edible cutlery. Yes, that’s right, you can eat your fork. Also, all forms of technology is prohibited, so no cameras or mobile phones are allowed in the restaurant. And of course, guests are welcome to take off their gowns, which is given to them on arrival and eat and relax in the nude. You say it’s not your birthday? Well, you don’t have to go naked, it’s optional. The venue is designed to be split up into two sections (pure and clothed), therefore catering for those who want to enjoy the experience without having to get undressed. Doubters may feel it’s a bad idea but the waiting list for tickets has reached over 35 thousand and the idea has even spread to Australia where local DJ’s set up their own event due to an enthusiastic demand. The Bunyadi is set to open its doors in central-London from June and last for a three month duration. Do you fancy naked dinning? Well get more info on The Bunyadi here: http://thebunyadi.com/

Innovation Central

From coffee made roads to new drink flavours, check out some great food innovative ideals plate by plate in the countries that you live in. 1. Singapore: Good Health in a Box. BoxGreen was founded in 2014 and launched in May 2015. The company delivers to their subscribers a box of original healthy snack on a one month basis. The company is going from strength to strength as just last year (2015) they acquired two new investors (Expara Ventures and 500 Strartups) to strengthen their cause. 2. Africa: The Great Wall of Green. The initiative was presented to the African Union in 2005 by the then Nigerian president. The aim of the project is to plant trees and vegetation around the African border in order to counter desertification caused by the Sahara and increase food security. About 15% of the wall has been planted according to reuters, which is supposed to stretch through west to east Africa. 3. India: Delicious Food Served Up On a Train Near You ZoopIndia have become one of the go-to guys for ordering food on railway journeys in India. They aim to revolutionise railway catering by adding an assortment of dishes for selection and delivering order them right to the seats of passengers. As it stands, according to Business World, ZoopIndia have gone beyond serving 10,000 meals per month and aims to do much more. 4. Australia: Coffee Roads In a Melbourne, a team of researchers, led by Professor Arul Arulrajah of the Swinburne University are researching how to utilise materials so they can be recycled in order to be used for road construction. Yes, road construction. The team have worked up a way of combining the coffee grounds with steel waste and utilising different liquid solutions and pressure. The team is still trying different processes as this is being written.