4 minute read
AAHOA Cecil Staton
Cecil Staton
CEO, ASIAN AMERICAN HOTEL OWNERS ASSOCIATION (AAHOA)
Cecil Staton is the new CEO of the Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA). He brings great experience to the position after a decade of service as a former state senator to the Georgia Assembly, as an educator with a doctorate from Oxford, and as a small business owner who has started several successful businesses. Mr. Staton joined us in Florida for Tourism Day in January and spent time with AAHOA and FRLA members discussing the importance of tourism to Florida’s elected officials. AAHOA is one of FRLA’s primary lodging partners; read more on page 26 in our Lodging feature.
Welcome to AAHOA, Cecil! We really appreciate that you and some key AAHOA members and staff attended Florida’s Tourism Day festivities. Your presence in Tallahassee should have indicated to the elected and appointed officials that you met with that our lodging industry is important not only to Floridians, but also to a national organization such as AAHOA. Did you enjoy spending time meeting some of our elected officials and walking the halls of Florida’s capitol? I truly enjoyed meeting some of the elected officials during Florida Tourism Day in Tallahassee, and I was pleased that Gov. DeSantis addressed FRLA and AAHOA members. As a former state legislator in Georgia, I was impressed by the organization and sheer number of people that FRLA and AAHOA were able to turn out to meet with their lawmakers and advocate for our industry.
Did you get the impression that lodging issues and hospitality industry issues are important to the officials that you met with? Absolutely. The travel and tourism industry is Florida’s No. 1 industry, and lawmakers know this. Hoteliers, restaurateurs and others in the hospitality industry are responsible for 1.5 million jobs in Florida. Lawmakers understand that potential losses in the state’s tourism-related revenue pose the greatest risk to Florida’s economic outlook, especially because the industry’s strength compensates for slowdowns in other sectors of the state’s economy.
What do you see as the challenges that the lodging industry will face this year and in years to come? Two key areas of concern jump to mind. First, we need to address the labor shortage facing our industry. There are currently 1 million unfilled jobs in the hospitality industry nationwide. Second, illegal hotels listing on short-term rental platforms are gaining an unfair competitive advantage over hotels. Our industry embraces and thrives on competition, but there needs to be a level playing field. We are not concerned about folks who want to rent out their basement through a STR platform, but when entire apartment buildings are renting out furnished apartments and operating as de facto hotels without abiding by any of the regulations governing our industry or paying any of the taxes that hoteliers pay, it impacts honest businesspeople who play by the rules. These practices also deny local governments vital revenues, drive up rents and contribute to shortages in affordable housing.
What do you think the industry should embrace to keep innovating? The industry needs to maintain a focus on how new technologies can and are disrupting the existing business model. Every industry in which I’ve worked has been disrupted by new technology. Broadcast is being challenged by streaming services. Publishing is being challenged by Amazon and the digitalization of content. Education is being challenged by online learning and open courseware. As an industry, we need to watch how disruptors are responding to consumer demands and adjust our business models appropriately.
Do you have anything that you’d like to tell our readers? I am incredibly excited to be meeting so many new and dynamic people in the hospitality industry. When AAHOA first approached me about becoming the president and CEO, I was drawn to the fact that the association represents nearly 20,000 entrepreneurs. The opportunity to work with so many innovative and courageous people who are willing to embrace risk, build a business, create jobs and strengthen their communities was too good to pass up.
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