Newly Refurbished, the Pen Draws Crowds Airbnb Study Shows Growth Across WA Backpacker Tax Relief to Drive Visitation
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OSPITALITY WA The Magazine of the Australian Hotels Association (WA). October/November 2016 - Issue 55 Newly Refurbished, The Pen Draws Crowds Airbnb Study Shows Growth Across WA Backpacker Tax Relief to Drive Visitation Corporate Corporate Corporate Corporate Corporate Sponsor Sponsor Sponsor Sponsor Sponsor You’re with the Super Fund of the Year. That’s a plus. We’re proud to be recognised as Rainmaker SelectingSuper’s Super Fund of the Year for the second consecutive year. Our consistent investment performance*, low fees and competitive insurance ensures you retire with more. And that’s a plus. hostplus.com.au Issued by Host-Plus Pty. Limited ABN 79 008 634 704, RSEL No. L0000093 AFSL No. 244392 as trustee for the Hostplus Superannuation Fund ABN 68 657 495 890 RSE No. R1000054, MySuper No. 68657495890198, which includes the Hostplus Pension. This information is general in nature and is not intended to be a substitute for professional financial product advice. You should determine the appropriateness of the information having regard to your objectives, financial situation and needs, and obtain and consider a copy of the Product Disclosure Statement before making an investment decision. Ratings are only one factor to be taken into account when deciding whether to acquire, continue to hold or dispose of a financial product. *Rainmaker SelectingSuper June 2015 Survey. HOST8975_SS_AHA_WA HOST8975 Selecting Super 210x297_AHA_WA.indd 1 5/09/2016 1:38 pm 5 7 You’re with the Super Fund 16 12 10 of the Year. contents GENERAL NEWS EVENT NEWS VENUE NEWS That’s a plus. 5 Fight Over Price Parity Continues 12 WA Shines on National Awards 20 Revamped Peninsula Bar and 23 WA Bartenders are Helping People Stage Restaurant Focuses on High Diagnosed with Leukaemia 13 Hospitality Awards for Excellence Standard of Service, Food and Drink We’re proud to be recognised as Rainmaker SelectingSuper’s Super Fund 26 Online Reviews and Endorsements Tickets on Sale 24 The Reveley Reveals an Array of Under Review Food and Beverage at a Prime of the Year for the second consecutive year. Our consistent investment Location 27 Pollie in a Pub TOURISM NEWS performance*, low fees and competitive insurance ensures you retire 30 Flashback 7 Win on Backpacker Tax TRAINING NEWS with more. And that’s a plus. 10 Let’s Work to Change the Perception 6 Classroom Course Dates INSIDE NEWS that WA is too Expensive 16 Summer is Coming - Are Your Staff 4 CEO’s Report 28 Get Involved With ‘Just ANOTHER Trained hostplus.com.au 6 President’s Report DAY in WA’ 14 Middy with Mike WORKPLACE RELATIONS NEWS CORPORATE NEWS 18 Prepare Your Venue for a Potential ACCOMMODATION NEWS 22 New Corporate Members Visit from WorkSafe 8 Airbnb Numbers Continue to Swell 19 ‘Buyer Beware’ for Employers; Pre- Employment Checks are Important Issued by Host-Plus Pty. Limited ABN 79 008 634 704, RSEL No. L0000093 AFSL No. 244392 as trustee for the Hostplus Superannuation Fund ABN 68 657 495 890 RSE No. R1000054, MySuper No. 68657495890198, which includes the Hostplus Pension. This information is general in nature and is not intended to be a substitute for professional financial product advice. You should determine the appropriateness of the information having regard to your objectives, financial situation and needs, and obtain and consider Hospitality WA is published by the Australian Hotels Association (WA). a copy of the Product Disclosure Statement before making an investment decision. Ratings are only one factor to be taken into account when deciding whether to acquire, For enquiries please contact 9321 7701, email [email protected] or visit www.ahawa.asn.au HOSPITALITYOSPITALITY WA WA 3 continue to hold or dispose of a financial product. *Rainmaker SelectingSuper June 2015 Survey. HOST8975_SS_AHA_WA H HOST8975 Selecting Super 210x297_AHA_WA.indd 1 5/09/2016 1:38 pm Inside News “For an airline that prides itself on its strong safety record to be promoting unlicensed accommodation is extremely concerning” Follow Bradley Woods CEO’S REPORT @BradleyBWoods QANTAS SLAMMED FOR AIRBNB DEAL The announcement by Qantas that it has partnered Meanwhile, the ACCC’s announcement that it will with Airbnb to provide Frequent Flyer benefits and co- allow online travel agencies to restrict accommodation marketing is a slap in the face to the Australian hotel businesses from advertising a lower rate on their own industry. For Australia’s leading airline to be partnering website came as a disappointment to the industry, and with sharing accommodation providers, whose network the AHA is continuing advocacy efforts to improve the includes unlicensed, illegal and questionably safe deal. While OTAs have provided an important platform premises, is outrageous. for hotels and other accommodation providers, some say the power has shifted too far. Many in the WA For an airline that prides itself on its strong safety record accommodation industry are now focusing back on to be promoting unlicensed accommodation, that in customer loyalty programs, where a lower rate can be many cases does not meet basic fire and emergency offered, and improving the personalization of customer safety standards expected of the hotel industry, is experience. extremely concerning. Sharing economy short stay accommodation, provided through private homes and apartments, does not have anywhere near the same level of consumer safety Bradley Woods and amenity expected by hotels. Nor do these private accommodation providers universally pay their fair CEO AHA(WA) share of fees, taxes and charges. Qantas’ endorsement of Airbnb gives the AHA even more ammunition to demonstrate that these unlicensed accommodation providers must be regulated. The AHA(WA) would like to acknowledge the following Corporate Sponsors 4 HOSPITALITY WA General News FIGHT OVER PRICE PARITY CONTINUES The AHA and TAA met with parliamentary advisors in Canberra in September to push the hotel industry’s concerns about the recent Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) ruling on OTA’s. The ACCC has ruled that Booking.com and Expedia have loyalty groups, is a theoretical concept, which given its the right to stop hoteliers from publicly offering better complexity and the large number of small and medium- deals on their own web pages vs. the rates sold by the sized hotels is not practicable. OTA’s. One year after the French ‘Macron Law’ lead to the This decision forces hotels to go back to the pre-internet removal of any parity clauses between hotel portals and era; they are only allowed to offer lower rates through hotel companies, the market share of OTAs in France telephone bookings, walk-ins, and to customers via has still increased and OTAs continue to consolidate loyalty groups. This hinders the marketing goals of their position. The ACCC concern that without rate many accommodation hotels that are trying to expand parity clauses on hotels, OTA’s are unlikely to continue online marketing as the future in offline sales channels, is redundant. Competition between OTAs has not such as newspaper advertising, dwindles. increased. Without the possibility of price differentiation on the hotels’ own websites, hotels are deprived of the only Key Points: effective means of advertising more favourable room prices. The continued application of best price clauses • The competition watchdog, ACCC, made a on hotels own websites prevents the expansion of the deal with travel sites Expedia and Booking. hotels’ own internet presence and thus deprives hotels com. of the possibility of holding their ground in negotiations with hotel portals. • Accommodation providers can’t advertise a The AHA(WA) believes every hotelier should have the lower price on their own website. freedom to be able to set their own conditions for their own services, and be able to fairly negotiate on contract • Loyalty program members can be offered a terms and conditions with every distribution partner. lower price. The purpose of competition law is not to protect certain business models, but to protect competition in the • Customers who call accommodation market. Best price clauses do have a major impact on a providers directly, or walk-in, can be offered hotels own distribution. a lower price than what’s offered on the The possibility of price differentiation on the hotels’ travel sites. websites, only by the setting up of non-public customer HOSPITALITY WA 5 Inside News “The AHA’s advocacy and lobbying efforts surrounding the ‘backpacker tax’ reaped success with the government announcing it will introduce legislation to reduce the PRESIDENT’S new tax.” REPORT As many of our members can attest to, employing that the weather plays a role in consumption habits – international workers is an essential part of the business. and many beer gardens and outdoor areas of venues Whether they are backpackers or temporary migrants, were quieter than hoped for – but that won’t last long. these workers make up nearly 30% of our industry. The Warmer weather is on the way and we are looking AHA’s advocacy and lobbying efforts surrounding the forward to a long busy summer. ‘backpacker tax’ reaped success with the government Now is the time to ensure your staff are trained and announcing it will introduce legislation to reduce the ready to tackle the busier season. The AHA is offering new tax on working holiday makers and created a more a special deal for those people wishing to take the enticing environment. The announcement came at a Approved Managers Course. You can find details of that critical time because WA was seeing a drop in working on page 18. holiday makers – and this has a direct impact on the accommodation and hospitality sectors. Our job is not Finally, I’d like to congratulate the winners of the AHA over until the new laws are passed, and the AHA will National Awards for Excellence, including the three be in Canberra to continue lobbying on behalf of our winners from WA.