While labor shortages have gone from the singular issue the hotel industry was fixated on immediately post-pandemic to one of a litany of topics to keep in mind, it remains the top issue the American Hotel & Lodging Association is contending with, according to an executive from the industry's top lobbying group.
Speaking on the latest episode of the CoStar News Hotels podcast, AHLA Executive Vice President of Policy, Regulatory and Legal Chirag Shah said it's still a major pain point for American hoteliers.
"Top of mind for us, first and foremost, has long been addressing labor shortages," he said. "More than half of AHLA members continue to experience labor shortages, and so ensuring that folks have enough workers to be able to support their guests, provide the excellent customer service that we are known for in the hospitality industry is top of mind."
Staffing hotels and maintaining service levels will only grow more important during upcoming mega events such as the FIFA World Cup and the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. Shah believes those events can live up to the hype, provided the U.S. government is thoughtful about maximizing international demand.
"Our goal has long been that if they have a seamless experience getting to the country, then they're going to really enjoy their experience while they're in the country," he said. "And that's what they're going to take back with them. So our industry has long had that as a hallmark. We're optimistic that we're going to capitalize on that."
For more from AHLA's Chirag Shah, listen to the podcast embedded above.